Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

362 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
77

Most reports here involve fluid leaks. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 4 mention an injury.

fluid leaks 22sudden stalling 14
A recent report: 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]…
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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 have talked to them shortly to try to setup a repair. Then Kia stops communicating and ignores our calls and emails. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11764881 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
42

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 18electrical shorts 7
A recent report: 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…
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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 reset" it at that time. The very same day after leaving the dealership, the problem occurred again and has occurred intermittently ever since

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11764554 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
15

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 4 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

loss of braking 8software faults 2
A recent report: After having a recall, performed on the emergency parking brake it would engage while parked, but when trying to put it in drive or reverse, it would not disengage this began happening approximately…
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After having a recall, performed on the emergency parking brake it would engage while parked, but when trying to put it in drive or reverse, it would not disengage this began happening approximately two weeks to one month after the recall was performed. It isn’t happening constantly, but it does happen often. On occasion, while driving, it will engage and pull the car to the side nearly pulling me off the road. After looking for other instances of this online, I came across a post that stated it happens to their car, but only when it was over a certain temperature. After watching more closely, I had figured out that it only happens above 70F and it would only happen occasionally it was not every time it was above this . I have also brought it to the repair shop and they have no idea is what is causing it. I have found other postings about people having this issue with their Telluride same year. It is still occurring now and they are unsure of why or what is the cause.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762168 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Minor
22

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 10loss of steering 1
A recent report: Constant failure of the rear self leveling shocks there is tsb on the issue but manufacturer will only replace first set of shocks which causes the owner to pay every 20k plus miles for new rear…
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Constant failure of the rear self leveling shocks there is tsb on the issue but manufacturer will only replace first set of shocks which causes the owner to pay every 20k plus miles for new rear shocks

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11760537 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Airbags & seat belts

Worth reading
6

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 1 mention an injury.

software faults 1airbags not deploying 1
A recent report: The seat belt buckle in the driver position is failing to latch. It has to be pushed in multiple times in a row and very hard to get the seat belt buckle firmly latched. There has also been more than…
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The seat belt buckle in the driver position is failing to latch. It has to be pushed in multiple times in a row and very hard to get the seat belt buckle firmly latched. There has also been more than 1 occasion that I have been driving and all of a sudden the seat belt unbuckles and my seat belt not buckled light and dinging goes off. So it seemed it was fully buckled, but was not. This would be horrible if it unbuckled in a crash! This issues has been ongoing for about 2 months.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11715866 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Worth reading
182

Most reports here involve premature wear. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

premature wear 9software faults 5
A recent report: Spontaneous shatter of sunroof. Danger to myself, passengers in the car, and others on the road. Insurance claim complete and the sunroof is now replaced/repaired No warning signs, no impacts prior…
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Spontaneous shatter of sunroof. Danger to myself, passengers in the car, and others on the road. Insurance claim complete and the sunroof is now replaced/repaired No warning signs, no impacts prior or at the time of shattering. Glass puckered up as if pressure from the car caused the shatter rather than something external to the car.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762949 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Minor
18

Most reports here involve premature wear.

premature wear 4software faults 2
A recent report: 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…
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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. Made a second call to Kia Customer Service and spoke to another rep and she sent me to an agent "higher up?". He said that he will let the Kia dealership know. I was under the impression he would call them with the "fix". No luck. Why have they not changed the radar element in front? Money? I have driven vehicles for 62 years and never needed FACS. I guess car manufacturers installed this to deal with the current drivers paying attention to their social media accounts instead of driving. There is Kia Telluride Thread I found and several others describe the same issue. All report no solutions. Perhaps a recall only for those vehicles that have this problem. Respectfully,

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11765011 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 362 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2020 and 2026, roughly 60 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.