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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,VISIBILITY/WIPER | Continues to have issues with dealership to remedy/correct recalls. Have waited for 60+ days since recall remedy was initiated in August 2024 Headlights continue to be a hazzard and due to this we had unfortunate incident of a deer running out and inability to see in the dusk of 6am due to lack of head lights. This has caused immense hardship regarding finances and maintaining a job as we are down one car and Kia has not offered and:or received all parts for any repairs of the recall. Advised if we attempted to fix one recall (power seat) then our “ticket will be closed and you will need to pay out of pocket for the headlights”. However this is not consistent or within the regulations of Recalls and good faith attempts. I have already contacted an attorney to pursue legal counsel. I feel KIA will need to apologize and really earn trust from all consumers as Telluride has been an issue to this day, even newer models. Attached is Allstate claim of the incident on 10/18/24 AND attachments reflecting recall announcements via postal and several follow up appointments since remedy was offered, however no action nor diligence made to correct recalls or follow up as appropriately with us to keep us updated about parts etc. . | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SUSPENSION | After 30K miles the self-leveling rear suspension had become very hard causing the vehicle to jolt and not absorb bumps which causes a distraction to the driver causing an unsafe condition. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | The braking system on the car is failing, the brakes are spongy and require to be pumped for the brakes to work securely, and occasionally the brakes would fail completely. The car has been taken to the dealer three times and ask for the problem to be repaired, I was told the brakes were fine it's just electronic braking system but I was feeling. I did have a mechanic check the brakes and was told the problem need to be repaired by the dealer it was a dealer's problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SEATS,VISIBILITY/WIPER | I have had been in several times to correct the recall, they noted the seat repaired under warrenty but the service advisor was stuck when retrieving my car. Headlights have need in twice and I’m being told the fix failed to correct the headlights. Wipers stop working intermittently and paint is down to bare metal along windshield and hood. This car is crap.. rear seat folds up when sitting on it and I am repiadmy told they don’t see a problem. Seats are not electric in the rear. This has a feature of an auto close from the back for loading. And it is triggered when my kids sit in it. Only the right rear captains chair. | Crash: No Fire: No Medical attention | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | STRUCTURE | About a year ago the pearl white paint on my 2020 Kia Telluride started pealing off for no reason. The car has 80000 miles and is less than 5 years old. There should be no reason the paint is pealing already. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | STRUCTURE | Vehicle has pearl White paint that is peeling off the entire hood where the letters "Telluride" are. Concern is future rust and issues. IF vehicle rusts it can cause other issues and further rust throughout the vehicle. Appeared 11/10/2024 | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | While driving into school parking lot, vehicle very suddenly just STOPPED driving. Engine was on, but accelerator/gas pedal did NOTHING- totally unresponsive. Was in the middle of traffic coming in and out of school and vehicle would not move an inch. Turned on and off, and still nothing. After 10 minutes of turning on and off, it finally went again, and I pulled into a parking spot. Vehicle is too dangerous to drive with unpredictable stopping, had two young children in the car. KIA company is awful, nothing but problems with this car, and very much safety issues! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SERVICE BRAKES | While driving and attempting to brake, the brake pedal was COMPLETELY unresponsive. Slamming on brakes did nothing, and I could not stop the car. I just kept steering, with traffic all around me. About 15 seconds later the vehicle finally came to a rolling stop. It was EXTREMELY frightening and dangerous. The car had random lights that would flicker on and then off the dashboard when you started it, but then nothing. We had an appt at KIA to address, even though they weren't coming anymore. Roadside assistance took to the dealer, who confirmed that it was a wheel speed/brake sensor, and so car brake would not work. It was not a recall at the time though. We paid $1500+ to repair it all, and months later the real for that exact issue came out. Submitted the reimbursement form to KIA, and despite following up several times, it has been several months still not reimbursed. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | STRUCTURE,ENGINE | This 2020 Kia telluride has paint peeling in between the windshield and sun roof. I have seen tons of post of this happening to people. Kia should be held responsible for this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ENGINE | Oil filter housing started leaking and had to be replaced. Although the part is part of the engine, it is not included in Kia's powertrain warranty. This is unacceptable/unreasonable and should last longer than a couple years from new. This part should be recalled and I should be reimbursed for it's replacement. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Driving vehicle at 45 mph on secondary road. Small object impacted near the top of the windshield driver side - presumably from passing car. Within 5-10 minutes a small (4") crack appeared. Within 1 hour the crack was about 6". Within 2.5 hours the crack had extended to about 18". Forty eight hours afterwards the crack has extended to ~24" horizontally at mid-windshield on the driver's side. Weather conditions were sunny, clear with temperatures in the low 70s. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | SUSPENSION | Less than 40k miles and the rear suspension has completely gone out. The jolting at low speeds is significant. At higher speeds, the lack of suspension is dangerous. Never used for towing. Purchased with tow package and self leveling shocks. Began early this year and has not subsided. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2024 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | For the past year at least I've had check engine light come on and turn off before being able to get in for a diagnostic. Along with the entire engine shutting down while idling, parking, turning. Whole electrical system failure. Can't move the steering wheel. Have to restart the car and it takes a few tries. Sometimes the car will be off and will not start back up for a while. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The headlights perform poorly when fully functional, one is out and when I replaced the light it still is not working and now that one is out I am scared to drive at night for fear of hitting a child or pet in my complex. And i will not allow my son to drive because he may get seriously hurt as well. This issue needs to be resolved as to why the headlights just go out and are not fixable with a bulb replacement. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | ENGINE | Engine is burning oil deal ship says noting is wrong with the car so then where is the oil going if it does not have any leaks at all | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | One morning when I went to get into my car I noticed a large crack approximately 12in in length across my windshield. There had been no noticeable chips in the windshield prior and there was no sign of being hit of any kind. I took the car to be looked at by a family member in glass and he said the issue is a manufacturing issue and the glass is thin and unsafe. The dealer said they won’t replace because it isn’t in the date range involved in the class action lawsuit. Since this I have had several more chips and the crack now runs all the way across the glass and extends up and down | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Paint peeling from 2020 Kia Telluride. It seems to be a known issue with many Kia Telluride owners experiencing the same paint defects. This is a serious quality issue, I've had many vehicles for 10+ years and never experienced the issues I'm having with this car. The car has under 50000 miles and for it to be peeling like this seems to be a manufacture defect. Kia has refused to fix the issue as they claim its not under warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof snapped when opening appears the wind deflector had broken in the corners | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | We contacted Kia US after taking the Kia Telluride to a Kia service station for an oil change.The service tech told us that they were not going to do an oil change because,”the Telluride was a ticking time bomb.” This was said in front of the Kia service Mgr.We were very nervous driving the vehicle because no one explained what that meant.Shortly after the service appointment, the Telluride’s engine caught on fire.We call Kia US that same day to open up a case.We explained all the issues we had with the Telluride (windshield issues, headlight issues, main display screen issues, luggage rack issues, sunroof, drive shaft, wiper fluid filter issues), to include the engine. After paying an attorney to provide all documents that Kia US requested from us, including every oil change receipt for the Telluride, Kia US only offered to only pay for the parts for the driveshaft/engine fire issues. To make matters worse, the Kia service department said that the 100+ parts needed to repair the engine, were on back order. Our Telluride’s engine caught fire in April and Kia US has done nothing for us, even though the issues are under 2 recalls. This is unacceptable for a manufacturer to ignore recalls, especially when it comes to the safety of people, families and children. We contacted Kia US for 6 months with no help from them. We sent registered/certified letters to Kia US executives, legal Dept, Kia Finance and the last communication from Kia US was that they are not doing anything for us- no repairs for the recalls, even though we mentioned the recalls associated with our Vin/Telluride. They are completely disregarding the entire situation. Since then, we have had to find another option for transportation since we have been without the Telluride for 6 months. Kia US needs to take back the Telluride and either provide us with a safe/working vehicle or reimburse us for what we have spent on the Telluride. Thank you for your assistance. Sincerely, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: Yes | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | STRUCTURE | White Pearl paint flaking off front of car above windshield | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Paint peeling off car | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 95,335. | Crash: No Fire: No | 95,335 |
| Oct 2024 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunroof wouldn’t slide back to open, but the back of the sunroof tilted opened. Now it doesn’t close completely and dealership said can’t close it and it would be $4700 to fix. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2024 | ENGINE | We purchased a new 2020 Kia telluride in late 2019. We purchased this vehicle because of its 100,000 mile warranty. We went the extra step and added the best extended warranty possible so we were covered for many miles and years. I have always done my own oil changes as I am a journeyman fitter and understand the mechanics of a vehicle. I kept every receipt from every oil and oil filter purchase for the last 5 years as well as a detailed log book. Around 75,000 miles we started noticing major oil consumption. Approximately 1 quart every months and then up to about a quart every 2 weeks. We also notice a huge loss in engine power and take off. My wife said she was having trouble pulling out onto hills and was very dangerous at intersections, because of the lack of power. We then took the Kia telluride to my main mechanic, he replaced all 6 spark plugs and said we should immediately take it to a dealer as it sounds like the timing chain maybe going bad. This was early August 2024. I made an appointment with Diehl Kia in hermitage the next day for [XXX]. After a few days the dealer called and said that they could not get the car to replicate the noise they heard when they brought it in. It sat for 2 weeks before they decided to open a claim with Kia customer service. Kia recommended they do an internal investigation at the customer cost which we approved. They said they had found some build up and Kia was requesting the oil change records which I promptly provided. Kia then recommended to do a compression test on the cylinders. Again at customer cost. Even though the vehicle has less than 100,000 miles and the warranty is still valid. We agreed to pay for the compression test as well. After a few more days the service associate called me and said that the compression test had passed to my surprise. A few more days went by and we really had no answers. After pressing the dealer for answer they finally told me that Kia was not accepting our service records. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2024 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | When trying to open the sunroof, the wind deflector broke and knocked the sunroof off its track. I had to remove the sunroof and get it back on the tracks to get it to close and prevent water from entering the vehicle from rain. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |