2023 KIA Telluride Problems and Recalls (204 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2023 KIA Telluride is Glass / wipers / cameras (16% of 204 owner reports). There are 6 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Glass / wipers / cameras — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 204 complaints · 6 recalls

What problems show up on the 2023 KIA Telluride?

33 of 204 filings named Glass / wipers / cameras (16% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (27 reports).

There are 6 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Airbags, Electrical, Transmission / driveline, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2022 has 317 reports on file; this year has 204. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2023 KIA Telluride

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 6 campaigns on file below.
  2. Glass / wipers / cameras. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Glass / wipers / cameras. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Glass / wipers / cameras 33 complaints · 16.2% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 5
  • Fires 2
  • Injuries 3
  • Deaths 0
All KIA Telluride years →
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.

Which systems owners named Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) appears in 33 of 204 owner complaints (16.2%) in this vehicle snapshot. Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 33 complaints, 16.2% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 33 · 16.2% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 27 complaints, 13.2% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 crash reports 1 fire reports 27 · 13.2% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 16 complaints, 7.8% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 16 · 7.8% Engine (ENGINE): 13 complaints, 6.4% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 fire reports 13 · 6.4% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 10 complaints, 4.9% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 10 · 4.9% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 10 complaints, 4.9% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 10 · 4.9% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 9 complaints, 4.4% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 9 · 4.4% Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE): 8 complaints, 3.9% of reports Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 8 · 3.9% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 7 complaints, 3.4% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 7 · 3.4% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 97 complaints, 47.6% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 97 · 47.6% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“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)
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 33 16.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 27 13.2% 2 crashes · 1 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 16 7.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 13 6.4% 0 crashes · 1 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 10 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 10 4.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 9 4.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Lane keeping (LANE DEPARTURE) 8 3.9% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 7 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 97 47.6% 2 crashes · 0 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.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2022; the first recall shown was reported in Jan 2023. 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2023-Q2: 18 owner reports 18 2023-Q3: 22 owner reports 22 2023-Q4: 6 owner reports 6 2024-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2024-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2024-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2024-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2025-Q3: 16 owner reports 16 2025-Q4: 15 owner reports 15 2026-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2026-Q2: 19 owner reports 19 2026-Q3: 17 owner reports 17 Owner reports Oct 2022 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 23V035000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V035000 Recall campaign 23V298000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V298000 Recall campaign 24V214000 ◆ Recall campaign 24V214000 Recall campaign 24V407000 ◆ Recall campaign 24V407000 Recall campaign 25V494000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V494000 Recall campaign 26V430000 ◆ Recall campaign 26V430000
  • Campaign 23V298000 was reported 131 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 24V214000 was reported 416 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 24V407000 was reported 527 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V494000 was reported 710 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 26V430000 was reported 1,284 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q1 Owner reports 12
2023-Q2 Owner reports 18
2023-Q3 Owner reports 22
2023-Q4 Owner reports 6
2024-Q1 Owner reports 23
2024-Q2 Owner reports 14
2024-Q3 Owner reports 7
2024-Q4 Owner reports 5
2025-Q1 Owner reports 9
2025-Q2 Owner reports 8
2025-Q3 Owner reports 16
2025-Q4 Owner reports 15
2026-Q1 Owner reports 11
2026-Q2 Owner reports 19
2026-Q3 Owner reports 17
Recall campaign 1 23V035000
Recall campaign 1 23V298000
Recall campaign 1 24V214000
Recall campaign 1 24V407000
Recall campaign 1 25V494000
Recall campaign 1 26V430000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (6)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Airbags, Electrical, Transmission / driveline, and Body / frame.

  1. Recall campaign 23V035000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the air bag wire harnesses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC262.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 23V298000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 25V494000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. 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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

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
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 204 complaints · page 1 of 9
2026-09-03Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 11761947
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Three times over the past year minor debris or small rocks have hit the windshield causing major spidering affects that have run all across the windshield. Even when using the windshield repair kits.
2026-09-02Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11761566
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving 2023 Kia Telluride driver side over head visor detached tangling in front of driver obscuring vision.
2026-08-28Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11760459
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On XXX, at approximately 7:40 a.m., my 2023 Kia Telluride, VIN [XXX], experienced a sudden mechanical failure while traveling approximately 65+ mph southbound on [XXX]. The vehicle suddenly locked up, causing the driver to lose control, skid, and swerve toward the side of the freeway. The rear wheels appeared to be locked. Fortunately, no collision occurred and no one was injured. The vehicle was towed for inspection. A technician at Colton Tire advised that the axle appeared to be bent. The vehicle was then transported by flatbed to Allstar Kia in [XXX] for diagnosis. The Kia dealership initially suggested the vehicle must have been involved in an accident because of a minor exterior scrape on the driver's-side rear passenger door. The vehicle has not been involved in an accident or collision. The scrape occurred while slowly maneuvering into a home garage at approximately 1–2 mph and did not involve impact to the wheel, axle, suspension, drivetrain, or differential. The dealership later advised that the technician believed an alleged “accident” caused the differential to slowly leak over time, ultimately causing the axle to bend “pretty badly.” I dispute this conclusion and have requested the complete diagnostic findings and physical evidence in writing. I am reporting this incident because the vehicle suddenly experienced a serious mechanical failure and loss-of-control event at freeway speed. I am also requesting investigation of whether the intermediate shaft, right-front driveshaft, axle, differential, or related drivetrain components could have been affected by NHTSA Safety Recall 24V-214 / Kia Safety Recall SC303, or another mechanical defect. I understand the recall has not been established as the cause of this specific incident. I am asking that the actual cause of the sudden vehicle lockup be investigated because the failure occurred at approximately 65+ mph and could have resulted in a serious crash. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-08-18Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11757708
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V430000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact was concerned that the recall posed a fire risk, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive or park. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and denied rental vehicle assistance. The contact had not experienced a failure.
2026-08-10Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11755922
CrashFireInjuryDeath
This is an update to my original NHTSA complaint (ID 11755209) regarding an intermittent no-start/no-crank defect on my 2023 Kia Telluride (VIN [XXX]). Since my original filing, the identical defect has recurred twice more, on XXX — once at approximately 1:01–1:30 PM EST and again at approximately 5:03–5:17 PM EST, the same day. In both incidents, the dashboard and infotainment system powered up normally, but the vehicle would not crank, consistent with all prior occurrences dating back to XXX. This brings the total documented occurrences to six between XXX and August 8, 2026, including two in a single day. In both August 8 incidents, my wife was stranded and had to be picked up because the vehicle would not start. This follows a dealer-confirmed and dealer-executed starter replacement (Kia of Cleveland, RO dated XXX, part #36100-3L160) that was performed after the dealer duplicated the fault on the vehicle and on a bench test — and a 4th recurrence on XXX, just 10 days after that repair. I have video evidence of all four August incidents (XXX, and the two on XXX showing the instrument cluster and infotainment fully powered with a no-crank condition. I am providing this update because the frequency of occurrences is escalating — two failures in a single day — despite a repair that was physically confirmed by the dealer's own testing. This strongly suggests the actual root cause (potentially an immobilizer/smart-key system fault, IBU communication failure, or intermittent wiring/ground fault) has not been correctly identified, and the defect continues to pose an unreasonable stranding risk to occupants. I am concurrently pursuing a vehicle replacement request with Kia America under Customer Care Case #26211382. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2026-08-07Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11755510
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CLEAR COAT PEELING OFF IN SHEETS ON A 2023 KIA TELLURIDE. IT'S A KNOWN PROBLEM AMOUNG KIA OWNERS HOWEVER KIA IS NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBLITY FOR A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2023 KIA Telluride?

Owners named Glass / wipers / cameras most often — 33 of 204 reports (16%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2023 KIA Telluride?

NHTSA lists 6 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Airbags, Electrical, Transmission / driveline, and Body / frame. 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 2023 KIA Telluride?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there. 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.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints 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.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources