2021 Kia Telluride Problems, Recalls & Reliability
453 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Kia Telluride, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 52/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Other leads the reports.
Below average
Where 2021 sits among all Telluride years
What owners report
“Sunroof on Kia Telluride will not close completely. Will begin closing and then will not set down into the closed position.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Telluride
“The windshield cracked spontaneously on its own. There is no chip in the windshield and no object hit it. The crack is over twenty inches long and curved. I fear for my safety driving the car now.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Telluride
“My engine light came on on the first cold morning. When the engine light came on, it started spitting and sputtering and idled funny. I shut it off.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Telluride
“Harness and wires damaged and chewed by woodchuck causing multiple warning lights and malfunctions including headlight; turning signal and temperature to suddenly stop working, resulting in front wiring harness replacement and repairs costing over $7k in damage.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Telluride
“On my wished a small object hit my windshield on the passenger side and within an hour it spread more by the best day it was almost on the driver side of the windshield. Second, the forward collision and lane departure lights came on. I took the SUV to Kia they said it was an issue with the camera…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Telluride
“The sunroof track assembly broke when the sunroof was opened. Causing the sunroof to be stuck in the open position”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Telluride
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 39 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 3,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 1,900 and 21,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob or an improper recall 24V407 repair, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Fix: Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will update the electronic parking brake software and…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation…
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and a wiring harness extension. Dealers will also inspect and…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles…
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this…
Technical service bulletins
95 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2021 Kia Telluride. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 Telluride TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Kia Telluride reliable?
The 2021 Kia Telluride drew 453 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 52/100, scored against the model's worst year (2020).
What are the most common 2021 Kia Telluride problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Kia Telluride are other (100 complaints), visibility & wipers (85), and engine (62).
At what mileage do 2021 Kia Telluride problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Kia Telluride problems around 3,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 1,900 and 21,000 miles.
Does the 2021 Kia Telluride have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Kia Telluride. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.