CSR

Kia · NHTSA safety record

2027 Kia Telluride

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

Owners have filed 24 safety complaints about the 2027 Kia Telluride with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the seat belts, named in 7 complaints, 29% of the total.

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

What is on file

24 complaints on file

24

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

1

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.

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
SEAT BELTS 7 · 29%
POWER TRAIN 6 · 25%
SEATS 5 · 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 17%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 3 · 13%
SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 13%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 2 · 8%
ENGINE 2 · 8%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 4%
STRUCTURE 1 · 4%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 24.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2027 Kia Telluride. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

Recall campaigns

2 on file

SEAT BELTS:FRONT

26V356000 · June 2, 2026

The defect
Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Telluride and Telluride Hybrid vehicles. The driver seat belt emergency locking retractor may lock, causing the seat belt strap not to extend. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 209, "Seat Belt Assemblies."
The risk
A seat belt strap that does not extend can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the seat belt assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed July 31, 2026. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning June 16, 2026.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 6,264 vehicles across all model years covered

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE

26V135000 · March 6, 2026

The defect
Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly.
The risk
A seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2026. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC364. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 20, 2026.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 14,870 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.

SEATS

1 injured

I am reporting a life-safety defect incident and an illegal vehicle delivery. I purchased a 2027 Kia Telluride HEV subject to Recall SC366 (NHTSA Campaign 26V173000). The dealership delivered the vehicle on April 22, 2026, explicitly stating that the recall service was complete and the vehicle was safe. This was a material misrepresentation. Shortly after delivery, I suffered a physical entrapment incident where the second-row power seat mechanism failed to detect my leg as an obstruction and continued to fold with force, pinning my leg. This is the exact failure described in the recall notice. Following this incident, the dealership called to admit that they never actually performed the

NHTSA complaint 11733698, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

crash

When backing up the vehicle failed to alert, backed up into another vehicle that was reversing at the same time. Driver on both vehicles failed to see each other and ended up rear ending each other. The system did not function as no alert ever came up on the vehicle. Kia claims to have all the safety features to prevent this and yet it happened while backing out of the house.

NHTSA complaint 11761282. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Upon Acceleration there was a screeching noise every time. Yesterday the car would not speed up and Rpms were so high. Engine began over heating and got a message to park car and leave running, car started smoking and almost got hit trying to pull out because the car wouldn't speed up with the pedal to the floor. Also Brakes grind hard stopping and make a cracking noise. Barely could make it to the dealership. They told me there was 27 new kia's in for the same problem yet no one recalled cars or warned people.

NHTSA complaint 11766281. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
I noticed while driving my gas model that when I pulled off from a complete stop it takes time to accelerate although the RPMS are raising. It feels like its struggling to accelerate. It is intermittent but its very noticeable. I have to press the gas pedal very slowly for it to eventually pick up. This is a little concerning regarding safety. I really would like the transmission checked as well as any turbocharged/throttle/sensors to ensure no limp mode issues

NHTSA complaint 11766191. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The radiator of our 2027 Kia Telluride was punctured by some unidentified road debris. The service rep at the Kia dealership where the vehicle was towed noted that this debris barely missed a $3000+ sensor device. While investigating the likelihood of this incident occurring on such a new vehicle, I found that Kia Telluride owners have been reporting similar incidents since at lease 2021. The problem is an extra wide grill that allows for such road debris to readily pass through the grill and strike whatever is behind the grill. There are third party solutions for this problem - installing screens behind the grill. I feel Kia needs to proactively address this problem through a recall,

NHTSA complaint 11765534, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SEAT BELTS
When all occupants in the vehicle have their safety belts on the safety belt warning alarm still sounds. I noticed it in August 2026 that it still ring . It had not been reported until today . It happens often.

NHTSA complaint 11763907. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
2027 Kia Telluride gasoline model. On multiple occasions, while accelerating from a complete stop, the engine RPM increases but the vehicle does not accelerate normally. The condition is intermittent. During the delay, the transmission appears to engage or shift at least twice before the vehicle begins accelerating normally. This creates an unpredictable delay when attempting to accelerate from a stopped position and is a safety concern when entering or crossing traffic. No warning light has appeared. Vehicle is scheduled for dealer inspection on September 1, 2026.

NHTSA complaint 11759905. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Telluride

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 115 3 —
2024 218 5 —
2023 207 6 —
2022 324 7 —
2021 365 5 —
2020 764 7 1

Other 2027 Kia models

Telluride Hybrid 11

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