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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2021 Kia Telluride

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 365 safety complaints about the 2021 Kia Telluride with the US government. Of those, 7 describe a crash, 4 mention a fire, 9 people were injured and no death is recorded. 5 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 64 complaints, 18% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 3,150 miles, the median across the 40 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers August 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

365 complaints on file

365

Complaints

7

Describe a crash

4

Mention fire

9

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

Complaints rose 30% year on year: 90 in the twelve months to 2026-Q2, against 69 in the twelve before.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 101 · 28%
ENGINE 64 · 18%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 64 · 18%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 41 · 11%
STRUCTURE 33 · 9%
POWER TRAIN 28 · 8%
VISIBILITY 23 · 6%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 22 · 6%
SUSPENSION 20 · 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 14 · 4%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 10 · 3%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 7 · 2%
0 42 85

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 365.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 92.

100 75 50 25
20 21 22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2021 Kia TELLURIDE, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.3% 15.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

5 on file

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

26V430000 · July 2, 2026

Park outside until repaired

The defect
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.
The risk
A fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
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 expected to be mailed August 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC374. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 24V407. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 17, 2026.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 462,869 vehicles across all model years covered

SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST

24V407000 · June 5, 2024

Park outside until repaired

The defect
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.
The risk
A fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
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 knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 462,869 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT

24V214000 · March 20, 2024

The defect
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.
The risk
A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
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 replace any damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC303.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 427,407 vehicles across all model years covered

TRAILER HITCHES

22V626000 · August 15, 2022

Park outside until repaired

The defect
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 on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
The risk
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
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 replace the tow hitch harness assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 12, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC247.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 36,417 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE

21V164000 · March 11, 2021

The defect
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 fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
The remedy
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 recall is SC207.

Kia Motors America · up to 142 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed · 21,000 miles

The contact owned a 2021 Kia Telluride SX. The contact stated while the wife was driving 70MPH the vehicle was stuck on the rear driver's side and crashed into a tree. No warning lights were noticed. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed to an impound yard. The vehicle could possibly be totaled. There was a police report. The driver sustained injuries to the face, head, knee, chest, and shoulder. The passenger sustained back injuries. The spouse drove the passengers in a separate vehicle to the hospital where they received medical attention. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 21,000.

NHTSA complaint 11461602. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

2 injured

Children helping to unload groceries from trunk. 2 different kids have burnt their legs on exhaust pipe while leaning into car to reach.

NHTSA complaint 11751416. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

On February 16th at about 6 AM, I was in a collision. I was first hit in the front by a pickup truck impacting my frontside, from right to left. I expected my Kia Telluride to engage it's safety features such as, Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, and at the very least the Airbags, which none of them deployed at anytime during this collision. I was then rear-ended by an 18-wheeler; smashing my entire back window. The 18-wheelers' trailer that it was holding then slide down on the passenger side of my 2021 Kia Telluride. With that my vehicle was then pushed into the guardrail from the impact and power of the trailer falling on the passenger side. My vehicle has been

NHTSA complaint 11573224, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

Closed rear hatch door with button on dash (because button on hatch door only works if key is in hand)/walked back to rear of car to walk around/door was still closing and landed forcefully on my head, hitting it 3 times, with no ‘obstacle in path’ safety response, and knocking my feet out from under me, landing me on my butt/door hit head so hard I saw stars, became light-headed, shot pain through my neck/left three bumps on my head, and a headache that has lasted for 3 days/If this had hit a child, we’d be having a much different conversation/The hatch never did release and return to an open position/It continued to close.

NHTSA complaint 11430741. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Unfortunately, beginning in June 2025, I experienced a serious engine problem. While driving, the vehicle began sputtering and stalled twice in traffic. I immediately brought it to the dealer, where I was told the engine had no oil, despite no prior warning of abnormal oil loss (no engine warning lights and no leaks). The service department added oil and initiated an Oil Consumption test. On October 4, 2025, the same problem occurred again. While driving, the Telluride began sputtering again, and the dealer again determined that the engine had no oil. I was charged for another oil change and instructed to complete another Oil Consumption test. During this process, the maintenance supervisor

NHTSA complaint 11766606, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
I purchased my 2021 Kia Telluride S new, with only 22 miles from the test drive. XXX (approx. 53,000 miles, vehicle age 18 months): The transmission failed while I was traveling approx. 75-80 mph on a major highway in [XXX]. Upon failure, the vehicle suddenly lurched as if the brakes had locked or the parking brake had been applied, nearly causing us to strike our heads on the dashboard and creating a hazardous situation for other traffic. After the failure, the vehicle would only operate in approx. first through third gears and reverse, and would not exceed 25 mph. We were forced to limp the vehicle off a busy six-lane highway. XXX: Due to parts delays, the vehicle was not returned until

NHTSA complaint 11765954, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
The sunroof on vehicle is not able to open/close correctly due to track/clips broken. Vehicle was purchased used January 2023. The sunroof has been used less than 5 times during this period. I spoke to a service advisor at the local dealership, Bulldog Kia of Athens , Ga. He confirmed that there is a continual issue with this and that He advises customers to NOT use the sunroof after 60,000 miles. With further research, Kia is aware of this issue and has yet to offer a solution. The cost to repair is $6000.00 for a new sunroof. There is a kit that could be used by dealers to repair.

NHTSA complaint 11765569. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My wife and I purchased a 2021 Kia Telluride brand new a few years ago when we lived in [XXX]. We are currently active duty USAF and brought our KIA Telluride with us here, while stationed in [XXX]. The vehicle is currently under two recalls SC316R and SC374 and is a fire risk. Under these types of recalls, vehicle shipping companies will not transport vehicles on their boats. We know this because we had to have two recalls (SC247F and SC243B) completed before we could have our vehicle shipped from the [XXX] to [XXX]. I am looking for assistance on how to have recalls and warranty service during our assignment here in [XXX]. We've reached out to Kia, opened 3 customer service cases, and

NHTSA complaint 11764881, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
I have owned this vehicle since new. This vehicle has never had an accident. In the last 3 months the FCAS started sending messages to the dashboard without a vehicle in front, in clear blue skies and the radar element in front is clean. The message lasts 2-3 minutes and disappears. Went to Kia Service At Greenway Kia at the Avenues in Jacksonville, FL. The first time they said no errors codes popped up. They said it it happens again, bring it back. It kept on the same and I went back. No resolution. Then I sent and email to Kia Customer Service and after two weeks called them and the rep stated she found the email. She said take it to Kia Service which I did. Still the issue is unresolved.

NHTSA complaint 11765011, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The problem first occurred at the end of May 2026. The digital instrument cluster completely stopped working while driving, cutting off all FMVSS 101 compliance indicators including the speedometer, fuel gauge, engine temperature, and RPMs. This problem has persisted on and off since May 2026. This is a huge safety concern because I am unable to determine my vehicle speed, etc. while driving. The issue occurs without warning and completely affects my ability to safely operate the vehicle. I took it to the Kia Stamford, CT dealer on June 5th and they were unable to replicate the problem saying when they turned the car on the instrument cluster was functioning normally. They said they "hard

NHTSA complaint 11764554, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Telluride

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2027 24 2 —
2025 115 3 —
2024 218 5 —
2023 207 6 —
2022 324 7 —
2020 764 7 1

Other 2021 Kia models

Seltos 372 Sorento 250 Soul 234 K5 167 Forte 68 Sportage 53 Sorento Hybrid 21 Stinger 17

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Kia on this site — 181 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst