2020 KIA Telluride Problems and Recalls (744 Complaints)
The most-reported problem on the 2020 KIA Telluride is Lights (23% of 744 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Lights — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 744 complaints · 7 recalls
What problems show up on the 2020 KIA Telluride?
171 of 744 filings named Lights (23% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.
Second is Glass / wipers / cameras (139 reports).
There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Seat belts, Electrical, Lights, and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.
The previous year is not published here. Use the year list to jump around.
What owners reported
System named most often: Lights 171 complaints · 23.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
- Crashes 8
- Fires 9
- Injuries 11
- Deaths 1
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Which systems owners named
Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.
“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.
View component data as a table
| System / Component | Complaints | Share of Reports | Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING) | 171 | 23.0% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) | 139 | 18.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Engine (ENGINE) | 103 | 13.8% | 0 crashes · 3 fires |
| Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) | 53 | 7.1% | 1 crashes · 1 fires |
| Body / frame (STRUCTURE) | 42 | 5.7% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) | 24 | 3.2% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Suspension (SUSPENSION) | 22 | 3.0% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) | 11 | 1.5% | 0 crashes · 0 fires |
| Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) | 10 | 1.3% | 1 crashes · 0 fires |
| Unclassified NHTSA leftover | 216 | 29.0% | 2 crashes · 5 fires |
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
When reports and recalls showed up
When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.
- Campaign 20V436000 was reported 98 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V148000 was reported 1,624 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V214000 was reported 1,667 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 24V407000 was reported 1,922 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
- Campaign 26V430000 was reported 2,679 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
| Date | Record type | Count | Record identifier |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-Q1 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q2 | Owner reports | 1 | |
| 2019-Q3 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2019-Q4 | Owner reports | 41 | |
| 2020-Q1 | Owner reports | 30 | |
| 2020-Q2 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2020-Q3 | Owner reports | 18 | |
| 2020-Q4 | Owner reports | 8 | |
| 2021-Q1 | Owner reports | 15 | |
| 2021-Q2 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2021-Q3 | Owner reports | 11 | |
| 2021-Q4 | Owner reports | 16 | |
| 2022-Q1 | Owner reports | 14 | |
| 2022-Q2 | Owner reports | 9 | |
| 2022-Q3 | Owner reports | 10 | |
| 2022-Q4 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2023-Q1 | Owner reports | 48 | |
| 2023-Q2 | Owner reports | 35 | |
| 2023-Q3 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2023-Q4 | Owner reports | 38 | |
| 2024-Q1 | Owner reports | 33 | |
| 2024-Q2 | Owner reports | 26 | |
| 2024-Q3 | Owner reports | 28 | |
| 2024-Q4 | Owner reports | 34 | |
| 2025-Q1 | Owner reports | 29 | |
| 2025-Q2 | Owner reports | 17 | |
| 2025-Q3 | Owner reports | 31 | |
| 2025-Q4 | Owner reports | 47 | |
| 2026-Q1 | Owner reports | 40 | |
| 2026-Q2 | Owner reports | 44 | |
| 2026-Q3 | Owner reports | 19 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 19V594000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 20V436000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 22V626000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V148000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V214000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 24V407000 | |
| Recall campaign | 1 | 26V430000 | |
| Defect investigation | 1 | PE23002 |
Safety Recalls (7)
Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.
In short, these campaigns were filed about Seat belts, Electrical, Lights, and Transmission / driveline.
-
Recall campaign 19V594000
Seat belts
- Report date
- Component:
- Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
- Consequence:
- If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
- Remedy:
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
-
Recall campaign 20V436000
Electrical
- Report date
- Component:
- Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
- Consequence:
- Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
-
Recall campaign 22V626000
Safety recall 22V626000
- Report date
- Component:
- Not available in the source record
- Consequence:
- A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 24V148000
Lights
- Report date
- Component:
- Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
- Consequence:
- Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy:
- Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the high beam headlights, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC299.
-
Recall campaign 24V214000
Transmission / driveline
- Report date
- Component:
- Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
- Consequence:
- A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 24V407000
Safety recall 24V407000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- A fire increases the risk of injury.
- 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.
-
Recall campaign 26V430000
Safety recall 26V430000
- Report date
- Component:
- Unclassified NHTSA leftover
- Consequence:
- A fire increases the risk of injury.
- 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.
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
What owners actually wrote
Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.
Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Showing 5 of 744 complaints · page 1 of 30
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The car has stalled numerous times on the roadway while driving. The issue has been identified as an oil consumption issue. There was no low pressure warning light or other warning indicating that there is an oil pressure issue or any other early warning of an engine stall. The dealer has indicated that a complete engine replacement is required to correct the problem. Based upon research, there has been a significant amount of complaints pertaining to this issue. This same oil consumption and engine stall issue was part of a Class Action settlement by KIA, however this particular KIA model was not covered in the litigation.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Vehicle experienced significant drivability issues including shaking/clinking at speeds over 50 mph, check engine light, and reported two-cylinder misfires. Engine oil level was critically low, not registering on the dipstick, requiring approximately 2 quarts added to continue driving. An independent mechanic inspection found excessive oil in Cylinder 2 and assessed that oil was likely leaking past the piston rings and burning, recommending a bottom-end rebuild or engine replacement. Kia dealership (Sunset Kia) inspection subsequently found a score mark in Cylinder 6 and two external oil leaks (oil pan gasket and oil filter housing). Kia approved goodwill repair of the external leaks only, after which I was instructed to drive approximately 1,000 miles for a follow-up oil consumption test. After that period, the dealership confirmed the engine was still consuming oil beyond the external leaks. Kia Corporate took approximately three weeks to review a goodwill request for engine replacement, ultimately denying it. During this three-week period the vehicle remained at the dealership, and I incurred over a week of out-of-pocket rental car expenses due to no loaner vehicle being available and no transportation assistance offered. The vehicle has fewer than 100,000 miles. I am concerned this reflects an internal engine defect (oil consumption/piston ring or cylinder wall issue) affecting the vehicle’s safe operation, given the drivability symptoms (shaking, misfire, near-zero oil level) that initially prompted this investigation.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I went to open my sunroof and I see a piece sticking up. My sunroof then wouldnt close. I get home and find out its the wind deflector. I tried to close the sunroof and now my sunroof if stuck open. One of the tracks is now misaligned and I can't close my sunroof.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The factory-installed driver/passenger side LED headlight assembly suffered a sudden, total internal electrical failure while driving at night, causing an immediate loss of forward visibility and creating a severe crash hazard. This is a known, systemic manufacturing defect affecting premium trims (SX/SX-Prestige) of the 2020 Kia Telluride. The housing seals degrade prematurely, allowing condensation to become trapped inside the unit. This moisture corrodes the internal circuit boards and shorts out the electrical modules, completely disabling the high beams, low beams, and running lights. Because these LED units are entirely sealed, they cannot be serviced or repaired by changing a bulb; the entire expensive structural component must be replaced. Kia is fully aware of 2020 Telluride headlight failures and issued Safety Recall SC299 (NHTSA Campaign 24V148000) to address them. However, Kia arbitrarily limited that safety recall to lower trims utilizing halogen assemblies. Premium trims utilizing LED assemblies are experiencing the exact same catastrophic loss of nighttime illumination due to internal electrical failures, yet owners are being forced to pay out-of-pocket to fix an inherent safety defect. The NHTSA needs to mandate that Kia expand Campaign SC299 to include all 2020 Telluride trim levels equipped with LED headlight assemblies before this widespread visibility failure causes a fatal nighttime collision.
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I bought my vehicle used around 62,000 miles, I was the second owner. Around 90,000 miles my vehicle suddenly stopped driving. There was absolutely no signs of issues prior to this event. I had it towed to the Kia dealership where they recommended an entire engine replacement, but assured me I was outside of warranty. I did not pay for extended warranty so I decided to take it to an independent mechanic who informed me there was a missing internal pin. This mechanic felt certain this was a manufacturing issue. He was able to repair multiple components without replacing the whole engine and the vehicle was drivable again. Now at 122,000 miles the vehicle had the same exact issue occur. I have owned this vehicle for less than three years and have had engine failure twice. After researching online there are many people who have experienced the same exact issues and probably thousands more who were not vocal about it. This is absolutely a manufacturing problem with this vehicle and it deserves to be addressed.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems on the 2020 KIA Telluride?
Owners named Lights most often — 171 of 744 reports (23%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.
Are there recalls for the 2020 KIA Telluride?
NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Seat belts, Electrical, Lights, and Transmission / driveline. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.
What should I inspect before buying a 2020 KIA Telluride?
Look up the VIN for open recalls. Walk around the vehicle: headlights, brake lights and turn signals all working. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.
Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?
No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.
Estimated Ownership Cost
EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates
Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Adjacent Model Years
Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records
Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.
Methodology & Data Integrity
Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.