2025 KIA TELLURIDE

3 recalls, 155 complaints - 5/5 safety rating

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER

Defect Description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride vehicles, equipped with power front seat(s). Due to a manufacturing error, the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may fail to properly restrain occupants in a crash.

Consequence

A seat back frame that fails to properly restrain an occupant during a crash increases the risk of injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat back frame assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning April 24, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC362. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs... Read more

85,515 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

Defect Description

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride and 2026 Sorento vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the r... Read more

Consequence

Anti-lock braking or traction control systems that do not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the spare wheel and tire assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC355. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be sea... Read more

45 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

STRUCTURE:EXTERIOR TRIM

Defect Description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle.

Consequence

A detached trim piece can become a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the belt molding trim assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC347.

201,149 vehicles affected

Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

Complaint Statistics

155 total complaints 6 crashes 3 fires 5 injuries

Top Reported Components

Component	Complaints
ENGINE	34
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	22
POWER TRAIN	16
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	15
AIR BAGS	9
SERVICE BRAKES	7
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	7
WHEELS	5
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING	4
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	3

Incident date: Sep 9, 2026

I purchased this new vehicle in March of 2026. The vehicle has 6,800 miles. While idle, I started to get a warning the engine was overheating with the ac only blowing hot air while the engine smelt like it was overheating. This put me at risk of being stranded in the heat with my toddler and new b... Read more

Incident date: Sep 1, 2026

The engine just quit when making a brake stop. The RPM went to zero. The car did restart but failed a second time after a few feet of travel and the brakes were applied. There are at least two occasions when the issue occurred within the past two days.

Incident date: Aug 31, 2026

The infotainment displayed information at the home screen is so close to the left side of the screen that when you are driving, the steering wheel and my hand covers it, so if you want to see it, you need to bend a little to the right, taking the eyes off the road and more important things. The info... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

When driving, the vehicle will randomly shut off. Every warning light and alarm goes off. A message displays on the dash to put the vehicle on P or N to turn it back on. This happens unexpectedly. It's happened about 16 times on the road and 2 times on the highway. This is a huge safety issue. We ... Read more

Incident date: Aug 20, 2026

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

XXX While returning home, we just turned right onto [XXX] heading south, an audible alarm sounded which surprised us and then a message appeared that stated "Engine Off! Shift to [XXX], then start engine". This same problem had just occurred not 10 minutes earlier while crossing the bridge into [XXX... Read more

Incident date: Aug 29, 2026

XXX While returning home, we were crossing a 2 lane bridge between [XXX] and [XXX] heading south, an audible alarm sounded which surprised us and then a message appeared that stated "Engine Off! Shift to P or N, then start engine". Once I was able to refocus my attention to the road, I was then able... Read more

Incident date: Aug 1, 2026

Aug 1 2026 While going to the store, we were waiting at the traffic light to make a left turn, as we were making the left turn and entering the store parking lot an audible alarm sounded which surprised us and then a message appeared that stated "Engine Off! Shift to P or N, then start engine". For... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle stalled. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle with no issues. The contact stated that while making a left turn on another occasion, the vehicle stalled and was nearly rear-ended. The vehicle was shif... Read more

Incident date: May 1, 2026

Incident date: Aug 23, 2026

Large crack appeared with no impact point observed. Crack originates at the bottom edge under the hood. There is an ongoing class action regarding similar incidents involving KIA windshields.

Incident date: Aug 7, 2026

My stepson became entangled in the left/driver-side third-row seat belt of my 2025 Kia Telluride. The seat belt webbing became wrapped/tangled around him and the seat belt retractor entered a locked condition. We were unable to create sufficient slack or otherwise release him from the restraint. Th... Read more

1 injured

Incident date: Aug 19, 2026

This started May 8th and is still going on. Engine randomly shuts down while driving. Vehicle alarms and message says Engine OFF Shift to P or N then start engine. No warning, happens about once a week. Very scary when in traffic and I cannot move because my engine randomly shuts down. The dealershi... Read more

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

Over the course of two days, the engine stalled when decelerating at intersections three different times. The engine died with warning lights on the dash and a message: “ Engine Off! Shift to P or N then start engine.” I had to completely stop, shift gears, and then restart the engine, then bac... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

2025 Kia Telluride, rental vehicle, 29,450 miles at failure. Driving XXX W toward the [XXX] exit with my wife and two children (ages [XXX] and [XXX]), the cluster lit with simultaneous failures: electric power steering, electronic parking brake, ABS, stability control disabled, tire pressure monito... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

Incident date: Aug 15, 2026

Was driving with my husband and granddaughter in the car and had just left the house. Horrible, loud explosive sound like a gunshot and glass sound and glanced to make sure all glass ok and our granddaughter was safe. Could see the glass flying behind us and a car swerving behind us to miss it. P... Read more

Incident date: Aug 17, 2026

Incident date: Aug 9, 2026

Wife was going to the store engine lost power and died prior to that steering got loose like trying to turn itself, towed to dealer inspected dealer cleaned throttle returned vehicle after cost of 807.00 and drove van to church tailgate would not open without vehicle running, got home turned off win... Read more

Incident date: Aug 8, 2026

Driving on the highway near Rockport, WA, when vehicle suddenly loss propulsion, engine light appeared, and vehicle went into transport mode enabled. Without causing an accident, I was able to pull to the side of the road. Once I put vehicle in park, it shut off and displayed, “Tranport Mode On.... Read more

Incident date: May 28, 2026

I own an Acura RDX that experienced a sudden failure of the transfer case. Prior to the failure, there was little or no warning that a major drivetrain component was about to fail. When the transfer case failed, the vehicle lost its normal all-wheel-drive operation and required expensive repairs. I... Read more

Incident date: Jun 29, 2025

Strong odor of gasoline, followed by a crack in the high pressure fuel line. Gasoline poured out under pressure from fuel line approximately 1 foot ahead of the right rear tire. Major amount of spillage - literally several gallons within a minute or so, that eventually faded as the system lost pre... Read more

Incident date: Jul 18, 2026

What component failed: The “regen on demand” switch broke while using it. Safety: This incident put me, the occupants of my vehicle (my children), and the vehicles around me at risk. Reproduction: There was no need. It is exceptional obvious that the switch is broken and has failed. ... Read more

Incident date: Jul 7, 2026

Our towing frame hitch receiver sheared off on one side.

Incident date: Jul 9, 2026

The contact owns a 2011 Jeep Wrangler. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the clock spring needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufa... Read more

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

Phantom braking while driving under a bridge. No cars around but Tucson warned collision while driving under a bridge and slammed on the brakes! This has happened multiple times. This fake safety feature is actually a hazard!

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

Rear backup camera turned purple in color and not accurate when backing up to a trailer.

Incident date: Jul 11, 2026

Incident date: Jul 6, 2026

I work at Tuolumne County Public Health and am a CPST. We distribute these seats to community members. A parent was given this seat at a car seat safety event. Parent came back to TCPH because the buckle was not locking. I inspected and the buckle is broken - it is permanently stuck "pushed in" so i... Read more

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

We purchased this 2018 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid about a year ago from a dealership in Florida, and the vehicle is now located in [XXX]. The issues involve a malfunctioning high‑voltage hybrid charging system/battery and a possible steering or suspension component failure. For now, the vehicle has ... Read more

Incident date: Dec 22, 2025

transmission, skipping and shuttering and according to dealership not catching gear occurs during slow speeds. When in drive car will roll backwards and when in reverse car will roll forward. Transmission runs high until gear catches. Engine will then go in to neutral until clutch catches.in accor... Read more

Incident date: Dec 22, 2025

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

Rear hatch window spontaneously shattered for no apparent reason. Car was parked in a Florida parking lot, no use of rear hatch and no use of rear defroster. I understand there is a potential class action lawsuit for the Ioniq 5 model years 2022-2025 for this problem.

Incident date: Jul 2, 2026

Incident date: Jul 1, 2026

using adaptive cruise control if a car comes in front of you from the side street etc the car can go from 55 to 30 in seconds and if someone is following too close or not paying attention that car can hit you in the rear . on curvy roads a car coming the other way will almost stop the car quickly an... Read more

Incident date: Jun 24, 2026

See attached document for complaint.

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

The Variable Camshaft Timing (VCT) Phasers on my 2018 Ford F-150 3.5L EcoBoost have failed, resulting in violent, un-commanded camshaft movement within the engine. The vehicle is currently in my possession, and the failed components are available for inspection upon request. This failure puts my sa... Read more

Incident date: May 23, 2026

The shifter grip has a plastic or Chrome pice that is delaminating and a extremely sharp edge is parroting up and has sliced open my Wife’s finger more than 5 times we have a bandaid over it know the dealership states it is a known issue But VW will not take responsibility for it

1 injured

Incident date: Jun 20, 2026

I am writing to formally raise a serious concern regarding the functionality of Tesla’s Full Self-Driving (FSD) system. On May 11th, while the vehicle was operating under FSD, I experienced an unexpected disengagement of the system, which then reengaged on its own without any input from me. This e... Read more

Crash

Incident date: Feb 26, 2026

I am writing to formally escalate my concerns regarding an open, unresolved safety recall on my vehicle. I have repeatedly reached out to the manufacturer to get this issue fixed, but I continue to receive nothing but the runaround. According to official safety notices and documentation, this recal... Read more

Incident date: May 17, 2026

Car shut off whike driving and couldn't control the vehicle

Incident date: Jun 3, 2026

I purchased a 2021 Cadillac Escalade ESV and shortly thereafter experienced an engine malfunction. The vehicle developed a misfire, rough idle, loss of power, and produced significant blue/white exhaust smoke. The check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began running abnormally. An independen... Read more

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

I was driving on the highway and there was traffic I was good 2-3 feet goin away from the car infront of me and going 10 mph and the automatic emergency break went off giving whiplash and anxiety since the breaking is so impactful. I had turned of about a month ago so I don’t understand how it tur... Read more

Incident date: Mar 24, 2026

Incident date: Jun 12, 2026

Catastrophic engine failures AT 57k miles while driving, resulted in engine replacment under recall warranty. Timing chain replacement done at 93K miles. Second Engine failure while driving at 107K. Hyundai refuses to fix the engine.

Incident date: Jun 12, 2026

While driving I saw smoke and when I pulled over I seen fuel leaking from the gas tank area. Where it was leaking it ignited and the fire department had to put out the fire and the truck is totaled

Fire

Incident date: Jun 12, 2026

While driving I saw smoke and when I pulled over I seen fuel leaking from the gas tank area. Where it was leaking it ignited and the fire department had to put out the fire and the truck is totaled

Fire

Incident date: Jun 1, 2026

Auto wash truck quit, dead would not restart, tow service disconnected battery and reset. Okay after. Visit to dealer service they said nothing wrong. Driving yesterday in the rain quit 4 times on the road driving, it would restart each time. Warning on the dash would flash at times "Hands on the... Read more

Incident date: Apr 16, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Chevrolet Traverse. The contact stated that the "Shift to Park" message was displayed after shifting the vehicle into park(P). The bells and whistles failed to go off, and the vehicle made a continuous beeping sound. The failure required the contact to restart the vehicle 14 ... Read more

Showing 50 of 155 complaints.

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2025 KIA TELLURIDE

2025 Kia Telluride SUV AWD

Category	Rating
Overall Rating	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Frontal Crash	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash, Driver	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Frontal Crash, Passenger	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Side Crash	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Driver	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Side Crash, Passenger	5 / 5 ★★★★★
Rollover	4 / 5 ★★★★☆
Rollover Risk	14.3%

Safety Technology

Feature	Status
Electronic Stability Control	Standard
Forward Collision Warning	Standard & Optional
Lane Departure Warning	Standard

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings Program. Ratings are based on crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

NHTSA Safety Investigations, KIA TELLURIDE

Investigations opened by NHTSA into potential safety defects. These are separate from recalls and may or may not result in a recall.

PE, Closed , Model Year: 2020

Complete Loss of High Beams

On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23002 to investigate allegations of loss of high beams with no warning and no re-engagement resulting in reduced visibility at night in the 2020 Kia Telluride. The investigation revealed that the halogen bi-function projector be... Read more

KIA TELLURIDE - All Years Overview

Complete safety history for the KIA TELLURIDE across all model years (2020, 2027).

35 Total Recalls

2,649 Total Complaints

1 Investigations

104 Reported Crashes

31 Reported Fires

0 Reported Deaths

KIA TELLURIDE - Year by Year

Compare recalls and complaints across model years. Click any year to see full details.

Year	Recalls	Complaints
2027	2	32	View
2025 (current)	3	155
2024	5	321	View
2023	6	315	View
2022	7	426	View
2021	5	464	View
2020	7	936	View

Other KIA Models

Model	Recalls	Complaints
SORENTO	188	13,593	View
SPORTAGE	165	6,601	View
SEDONA	118	3,350	View
OPTIMA	100	10,128	View
SOUL	66	7,233	View
SORENTO HYBRID	62	159	View
SOUL EV	62	50	View
FORTE	56	3,494	View

Vehicle Safety

Consumer Safety

Infrastructure

Public Health

2025 KIA TELLURIDE

Complaint Statistics

Top Reported Components

NHTSA Safety Ratings, 2025 KIA TELLURIDE

Safety Technology

NHTSA Safety Investigations, KIA TELLURIDE

KIA TELLURIDE - All Years Overview

KIA TELLURIDE - Year by Year

Other KIA Models