Complaint volume
709 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2020 Kia Telluride Complaints
709 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2020 Kia Telluride, grouped by component category.
709 Total complaints
8 Crash reports
7 Fire reports
7 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are exterior lighting, visibility/wiper, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 8 crash reports, 7 fire reports, 7 injury reports, and 1 fatality report. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 188 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 18,754 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to exterior lighting, visibility/wiper, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2020 Kia Telluride?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2020 Kia Telluride
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2020 Kia Telluride complaints?
8 Crash
7 Fire
7 Injury
1 Fatality
7 Towed
6 Medical attention
What are the most common 2020 Kia Telluride complaint categories?
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 162
VISIBILITY/WIPER 121
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 86
ENGINE 80
STRUCTURE 34
POWER TRAIN 31
SUSPENSION 19
VISIBILITY 12
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 11
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9
709 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2025 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The white paint on our telluride peeled and feel off for not apparent reason. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1) Front sunroof exploded suddenly on highway while driving at 67 mph. Nothing hit the sunroof and there was no prior crack. The sunroof was inspected by our insurance appraiser and I can provide photos of the incident. 2) There was the sound of a loud "boom" followed by shattering glass raining down over my head (driver) and that of my teenage son (passenger seat) causing us to duck inside the car while driving down the highway at 67 mph. We could have swerved into traffic or off the road causing an accident and bodily harm. Additionally, the shattered glass itself could cause bodily injury. In our instance, the sunroof visor was closed, capturing the shards of glass. 3) Yes. The problem was confirmed by an independent service center hired by our insurance company to replace the glass. 4) Yes. The vehicle was inspected by an appraiser from our insurance company. 5) No. There was no warning and no prior symptoms of the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2025 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I have a 2020 Kia Telluride that I bought brand new from Kia. I have performed regular maintenance on the vehicle and performed the repairs required by any recalls. When my vehicle surpassed 75k miles, the vehicle started having issues with excessive oil consumption. I had my vehicle serviced at 75k miles with the oil changed. When my vehicle was passed 79k miles, the vehicle started stalling, piston misfiring, and engine started vibrating. I took it into the dealer, and they performed diagnostic tests. The determined pistons were working fine but my oil level was very low. This was around 4k miles after my oil change. Kia requires oil changes every 7500 miles. I had the dealer change the oil. Once again, when my vehicle was approaching 4500 miles, the vehicle started to vibrate, piston was not filing properly. I checked my oil level, and it showed very minimal oil on the dip stick. The oil level was well below that was needed for the engine to properly operate. I put closed to 5 quarts of oil to get the engine to the oil level it needed. I am concerned that the excessive oil consumption can lead to the vehicle stalling on the road resulting in collision with other vehicles resulting in bodily injury or harm. According to Kia the oil consumption is fine. How is consuming 5 quarts of oil in 4500 miles fine when the manufacturer states oil changes are required every 7500 miles? The engine itself has a capacity of 6.9 quarts. At the rate my engine is burning oil, I would need over 7.2 quarts of oil to drive 7500 miles. Additionally, having an engine continuously operating with low oil would result in engine damage and thousands of dollars in repairs. The problem I am having in my vehicle is experienced by thousands of Kia Telluride owners. It's the same problem Kia has had in the past with other models. Kia is trying to avoid repairing their defective vehicle and placing the burden on the consumer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | the center infotainment screen has turned green. sometimes a hazy green, othertimes almost a solid green which affects the back up camera system when you are trying to back up and not hit anyone or anything. I have brought to the dealership and they stated the head unit is defective and needs replacement. I elevated to Kia Customer Care and they stated that because it is out of the 36,000 mile warranty they would not help. I even stated that as car is not a newer car was not asking for a brand new unit, but asked if they would at least put in a cheaper re-manufactured unit due to the safety issue and they denied that as well. I am on the kia telluride forum and multiple other people are having this issue. this is a defective part and as it is related to a safety issue needs to be replaced and covered by KIA. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving on the highway, the sunroof shattered. The sunroof glass exploded outwards not inwards. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | Car has been brought to KIA for transmission issues multiple times and the associate tells me to just tighten the gas cap to get the light to go off. The car is not shifting properly and will "jump" or "lunge" forward while driving. I have noticed that the RPM's will jump and bounce around, seemingly down shifting, then shift again, and then down shift again, which causes jerking motion. The reason I initially took the vehicle in was for a "shake" or "wobble" when accelerating up a hill (semi steep incline) or at freeway speeds (55-70MPH). In these instances, the vehicle will have a hard time shifting and temporarily lose momentum causing concerns for me and other drivers on the road. The transmission light will go on and I call KIA to be told to tighten the gas cap. I recently brought it in for the third time and they diagnosed something different. I have mentioned the transmission each time, but they have focused on other items and not the transmission. I have had the shocks replaced, the tires replaced, alignment performed, and the problem still persist. However, the dealership will not look at the transmission and says that it is the other items, but the issue still remains after fixing the other items. The shock failure caused other items to wear out and the dealer should be on the hook for those items. I have brought the vehicle in dating to last year for the transmission issue with no help from the dealership. Please take action so that we don't lose our lives or put others at risk for injury. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STRUCTURE | I have the white pearl paint on my 2020 Telluride. It’s chipping in chunks on the roof and in smaller batches across the body. I paid extra for this paint and from recent research, I’m reading this is a common issue. I’d like this to be repaired. I only have 37,000 miles on the vehicle. I first noticed it as small chips and now it’s present in more locations and expanding in width and length. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | STRUCTURE | The roof paint is delaminating . The problem has only gotten worst. The color is pearl white. Multiple calls to Kia consumer service and dealer- No action and response. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2025 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 76,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 76,500 |
| Apr 2025 | SERVICE BRAKES | When I brought my car into the dealership to fix the open recall on the sest heater and get it serviced, the dealership did their multipoint inspection and discovered that with just 37950 miles, the rear brake pads and rotors need replacing. The front pads were at 6mm and the rear pads were at 2mm. They informed me that they recommend replacing the pads at 3 mm - at 2mm it is unsafe to drive. As, it is unusual for rear pads to wear before front pads - we suspect that there may be an issue with the parking brake not fully disengaging. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | STRUCTURE | The Pearl white paint used on Kia and Hyundai models does not adhere to the primer coat underneath causing bubbling and eventual paint peeling issues overtime that is premature in nature. This has been reported in numerous locations across the internet as found by a basic search for the issue. Consumers are left to foot the bill on a improper manufacturing issue that should be taken care of by the manufacturer. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | STRUCTURE | Car was parked in the driveway when a large piece of the roof paint fell off. The car is the white/pearl color. Color is reportedly known to have defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | My 2020 Kia Telluride completely stalled on me on my way to work. The vehicle was not smoking and it seemed like it went on accessory mode. I had the vehicle towed to Kia Dealership in Perris to get it checked out and was told by Olivia that no codes were read when doing a diagnostic and that my engine seized. I had purchased an extended warranty through AGWS. AGWS reached out to me to request the vehicle service records which I emailed over as Subject: [XXX] to [XXX] Today March 21, 2024 we receive a call from Olivia stating that my warranty will not cover the cost as they're claiming that we failed to service the car. Our vehicle was services as advised and stated using the appropriate Synthetic oil. I was informed that they would be breaking down my engine to see where it went wrong as there were no codes read. They also stated I had to pay for the engine breakdown $200 per hour and it would most likely take 8 hours (According to Kia). Now, I've gone on many online forum and many people have experienced this problem with their 2020 Kia Tellurides all under 75,000.00 miles. I contacted Kia Corporate as well but that got me nowhere. I don't understand how these vehicles don't have a recall as of yet for these seized engines. I also don't understand how following the oil recommendations for oil changes is suddenly considered "Lack of service". No one is willing to work with me and suddenly it's my fault that I bought a faulty vehicle. Thank [XXX] I was able to putt to the shoulder of the freeway safely as this is my family vehicle where I drive with my [XXX] and [XXX] . Please investigate as it could be a possible recall. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | Vehicle went on accessory mode while driving on the freeway. No codes were read at dealership and now they're claiming its a seized engine. They will not help me out and are claiming my extended warranty will not cover the cost due to the lack of maintenance on the vehicle. Mind you, I did my oil changes as expected using the recommended synthetic oil. Why hasn't there been a recall on this vehicle yet for the danger this creates as this is my family vehicle where I drive my newborn to and from his daycare and appointments. We are very lucky we were able to pull the vehicle to safety and to the shoulder of the freeway before an accident occurred. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | I have had mi car in multiple shops and been told they can’t repair my headlights. The bulb keeps blowing and now the headlight highbeam doesn’t work and my state inspection is coming up next month and the corporate office says there nothing they can do till the part is available. I need my car fixed for my safety and my family’s safety. I don’t know what else to do | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received Kia Campaign Number: 296 for the "Halogen Headlamp High Beam". The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on one occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high-beam lights failed to illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer was unable to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had gotten worse. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 60,000 |
| Mar 2025 | POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? POWER TRAIN, OIL CONSUMPTION, CAMSHAFT POSITION , CIRCUIT SENSORS A X 4, HEADLAMPS HIGH BEAMS DO NOT FUNCTION.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FAILS. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I DONT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AFTER SUNSET IF I CANT SEE ROAD WHEN NEEDED MY HIGH BEAMS DID NOT FUNCTION I WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED BUT THERE WERE NO PARTS. STILL AN ISSUE. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES about 4 times. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO BEFORE THE 4TH WEEK OF HAVING VEHICLE AFTER 3 WEEKS OF PURCHASE WITH NO OIL.I REPORTED IT TO Y SELLER WAS TOLD TO PAY TO FIX AT SERVICE BUT I DID NOT EXPECT TO BUY A FAULTY VEHICLE AFTER THE STRUGGLE WAS TO OBTAIN SUCH VEHICE FOR MY BUSINESS. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof deflector tabs broke off and jammed the sunroof open. The sunroof is loose and I don’t feel safe driving the vehicle because it may dislodge and become a projectile. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield suddenly has crack along mid passenger side. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2025 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | Driver side power folding mirror is malfunctioning. It will sometimes get stuck in one position and won’t retract unless manually repositioned. It has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. No warning lamps have appeared. A Google search of the issue suggests this may be a common issue with the vehicle make and model. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunroof window comes off track due to guide anrms breaking and will not close . Dealer says only solution is to replace the whole frame | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunroof will not close. This is a know issues that Kia is aware of, and they have created performance step for technicians and also created replacement. Consumers are having to pay out of pocket to have issues corrected. Wind deflector has broken and railling system as well. No open recall in the 2020 Kia telluride for this issue. Please view attached youtube video link of this issue. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | The car is a 2020 Kia Telluride. It was purchased in August 2023 at the time it was leaking oil took it back to the dealer and they replaced the housing put in a new filter and said all was good .For a year. it constantly needed oil took it back to the dealer, said that everything was fine. I would be driving and the car would stop. The oil lamp would come on and I would have to drive and put more oil in it every week. I was putting a quart of oil into the vehicle just about weekly because it seemed to be leaking oil and just a dying out. just a few days ago after putting a quart of oil in I’m driving my vehicle and all of a sudden Smoke comes out of the back a little bit out of the hood. It just stopped all the lights went on the car went dead. Had to call the police get the vehicle towed to the dealer at that point was told the engine had died. They want to put a new engine in the car Which it’s a five year-old car. It should not need a new engine what is causing it to need a newengine. Ever since I purchased the car, it had oil problems so did the oil lead to engine failure. I know I’m not the only one that this has happened to every time I would take it back to the Kia dealer. I was told everything‘s fine everything was not fine never got any warning lights or signals, except for when I was driving the car would literally sputter and stop at a light. I would have to restart it and then go get oil. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | ENGINE | On [XXX] , my wife heard a rattling noise while driving. I verified the rattling noise on [XXX]. On [XXX], I researched online and there are a lot of 2020 Telluride owners that experienced the same issue. They mentioned they had no oil in their cars. I checked the oil that morning and confirmed my wife's car had no oil. I reviewed the manual and checked the oil again according to the instructions in the manual. The car still registered no oil in the dip stick. The car did not report any warning lights. There was no engine light or oil pressure light that came on at any point in time to indicate there was no oil in the engine. Per the instructions in the manual, I drove the vehicle carefully to the auto part store. I purchased and added 6 quarts of synthetic blend 5W 30 oil. After that, the rattling in the engine seized. I sent a text message to Kia in Alpharetta, GA. I spoke with Izzy and explained the situation and requested an appointment to have an oil consumption test performed. She advised that the oil consumption test had a $440 cost and consisted of performing a series of oil changes over the course of a specified time to determine how much oil the vehicle was burning/consuming. She said I could call consumer affairs and I asked her if she was referring to Kia consumer affairs or the national/federal consumer affairs. She verified it was the national/federal consumer affairs and provided me with this number to call 1-888-327-4236 which actually belongs to Kia's consumer affairs hotline. Izzy advised that I had pending recalls in my car and asked why I have not brought the car in. I mentioned that I live in Ball Ground, GA and the nearest Kia dealership to me is the one in Woodstock, GA. However, I stopped taking my car there because I previously took the car there to get the oil changes done and each time I did the car would have a nail in one of the tires a couple days after the service. I lost confidence in the dealership. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2025 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2020 Kia Telluride paint issues. SWP is a known issue. Kia will not take responsibility for a defect in their lamination process. Will come off in sheets almost exposing the primer below. Horrible ownership for their defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |