Complaint volume
315 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
2021 Kia Telluride Complaints
315 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2021 Kia Telluride, grouped by component category.
315 Total complaints
7 Crash reports
4 Fire reports
6 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 unknown or other, visibility/wiper, engine. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 7 crash reports, 4 fire reports, 6 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 37 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 11,798 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, visibility/wiper, engine?
- 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 2021 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.
2021 Kia Telluride
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2021 Kia Telluride complaints?
7 Crash
4 Fire
6 Injury
0 Fatality
8 Towed
5 Medical attention
What are the most common 2021 Kia Telluride complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 66
VISIBILITY/WIPER 52
ENGINE 33
STRUCTURE 20
VISIBILITY 14
POWER TRAIN 13
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9
SUSPENSION 9
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 5
315 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 2021 | LANE DEPARTURE | The Blind Spot Warning light doesn't work all the time. I have read through the Kia owners manual and couldn't find an explanation for the malfunction. I have tested in local and highway driving both low and high speed during good days and nights. Warning only comes up sometimes, then stops and comes back only after vehicle restart, then repeats the issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | STRUCTURE | My wife came out of her place of work and there was a six inch crack on our Telluride windshield. She wasn't driving, it was just sitting in the parking lot. There are no signs of an impact like a rock chip or anything. The vehicle is three months old and has 4000 miles on it. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Located a crack on my windshield. The crack is below the windshield wipers towards the bottom and below the line of the hood. No bullseye nor a stone chip mark. Crack is about an inch long. Saw on Kia's website there were similar problems with the 2020 models. We've only owned the vehicle for about 4 months and have just over 6000 miles on it. No other signs of rock damage on entire vehicle. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Very rare for me to have an issue with the windshield, but appears to have a rock chip while no indication of impact was heard. Others with same make/model also reflect this issue. Rock chip was repaired and this resolved the issue for now. Insurance covered all expenses of repair. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | after 3 months the windshield has cracked by itself. No rocks signs, crack went from the top frame. We reported it to our Dealer and scheduled an appointment for them to take a look. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Component: Windshield Safety risk: Driver visibility Problem reproduced: No Inspected by others: No Symptoms prior to failure: very small rock chip, size of a pencil eraser. I had a glass company come out to repair a rock chip on our 2021 SX, production date 03/21/2021. When the technician applied the suction or pressure to remove condensation from the chip the windshield cracked. The repairman is professional and experienced so I don't think this was malpractice. He had done hundreds of windshield repairs and never ran into something like this. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The car is less than a year old and the windshield has cracked. A small rock pebble bounced against the top of the windshield and minutes later a foot long crack was going down and across the windshield. The windshield is very poor quality. I’ve never had this issue with any vehicles in the past and they were much more durable. Im concerned that this front windshield will shatter before I’m able to have it replaced. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Went to pick up our new car from the dealer on Saturday 4/17 and noticed the windshield had a chip. Waited a couple of hours for the dealer to fill the chip. On Sunday 4/18 I noticed a second windshield chip, so I called Safelite and scheduled an appointment to have it filled Tuesday 4/20 which was their first available date. However, the chip turned into a crack on Monday 4/19 even though it was parked in the garage overnight. The initial crack was about 4 inches long and since then it has traveled across the windshield. The cracked windshield impacts visibility, and I'm also concerned about the integrity of the windshield and the possibility of glass shards breaking away and becoming a hazard for the driver and occupants. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2021 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | DRIVER'S SIDE WINDOW REMAINED STUCK OPEN ABOUT 1 INCH WHEN DRIVER ROLLED DOWN WINDOW WITH SLIGHT TAP ON WINDOW SWITCH DRIVING MOTION AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS. WINDOW WOULD NOT GO UP OR DOWN WHILE IN MOTION WHEN USING SWITCH TO OPEN OR CLOSE WINDOW EVEN AFTER COMING TO COMPLETE STOP (ON SHOULDER OF ROAD) AND SHUTTING DOWN VEHICLE. WAS ABLE TO FIX WHEN PUTTING VEHICLE IN ACCESSORY MODE (NOT RUNNING OR IN MOTION) AND PLACE HANDS GENTLY ON BOTH SIDES OF WINDOW TO GENTLY MOVE UP TO HIGHEST ALLOWED POSITION THEN CLOSE WINDOW WITH SWITCH. THIS FIXED THE PROBLEM AND WINDOW SWITCH OPERATED AS USUAL. VEHICLE MILEAGE WAS AROUND 3,100. WE BELIEVE THE CAUSE IS A SAFETY SENSOR IN THE WINDOW SWITCH COMPONENT THAT DETECTS OBSTRUCTION IN WINDOW WHICH STOPS WINDOW FROM OPERATING. READ OTHER FORUMS THAT STATED WINDOW GOT STUCK OPEN AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THEIR FIX WAS TO OPEN SUN ROOF AND THEN SHUT DRIVERS SIDE WINDOW. THIS DID NOT WORK FOR US. HTTPS://TELLURIDEFORUM.ORG/THREADS/LESS-THAN-40-MILES-AND-THE-WINDOW-IS-BROKEN.912/ [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,100 |
| May 2021 | POWER TRAIN | I DROVE MY BRAND NEW TELLURIDE OFF THE LOT WITH 11 MILES ON IT. BEFORE I GAINED SPEEDS OVER 50MPH MY VEHICLE WOULD JERK AS IT CHANGED GEARS AND THE RPM INCREASED. AFTER I STOPPED AT STOP SIGNS OR RED LIGHTS AND THEN BEGAN TO ACCELERATE AGAIN, THE CAR WOULD JERK, THE ENGINE WOULD REV UP AND NO ACCELERATION WOULD HAPPEN. IF I KEPT PRESSING THE GAS, EVENTUALLY THE CAR WOULD JERK AGAIN, CATCH THE GEAR AND DRIVE. THIS HAPPENED EVERY SINGLE TIME I WOULD STOP AND GO AGAIN. OVER SPEEDS OF 50-60MPH I DID NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM. | Crash: No Fire: No | 11 |
| Apr 2021 | STRUCTURE | WHEN DRIVING THE VEHICLE AT HIGHWAY SPEED THE PASSENGER NAD DRIVERS WINDOW FLEXES AND WILL NOT ALWAYS ROLLUP. THE WINDOW FLEXES ENOUGH THAT IT CONTACTS THE DOOR GASKETS AND IT ASSUMES THERE IS A PINCH POINT AND ROLL THE WINDOW DOWN. THE ONLY WAY TO CORRECT THIS IS SLOW DOWN TO LESS THAN 55 MILES AND HOUR OR FIDDLE WITH THE WINDOWS TO TRY AND GET THE BACK PRESSURE REDUCED. THE KIA DEALER CAN REPLICATED THIS AND KIA TECH LINE SAYS THIS IS OPERATING WITHIN DESIGN.IT IS NOT A SEFEY ISSUE TO SLOW DOWN ON A HIGHWAY TO ROLLUP[ A WINDOW OR BE DISTRACTED WITH A WORKAROUND. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,500 |
| Apr 2021 | STRUCTURE | WHILE DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS ON THE HIGHWAY, WE HEARD A LOUD CRACK AND OUR SUNROOF BURST OPEN AND SHOWERED US WITH TEMPED GLASS. IT WAS VERY STARTLING AND CAUSED MY WIFE TO VEER INTO THE OPPOSITE LANE MOMENTARILY. THE SUNROOF BURST OPEN IN AN UPWARD FASHION. NOTHING HIT THE SUNROOF GLASS. THE WEATHER WAS CLEAR. OUTSIDE TEMPERATURE WAS APPROXIMATELY 55 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT. | Crash: No Fire: No | 4,400 |
| Apr 2021 | SEATS,AIR BAGS | TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 KIA TELLURIDE. THE CONTACT STATED UPON PLACING A SEAT CUSHION IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT, THE PASSENGER SIDE OCCUPANT SENSOR WOULD NOT RECOGNIZE THE WEIGHT OF AN OCCUPANT IN THE SEAT WITH THE CUSHION. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE CUSHION WAS A NECESSARY SAFETY FEATURE NEEDED FOR HER HUSBAND DUE TO A DISABILITY. THE CONTACT CALLED GRINDSTAFF KIA (3608 BRISTOL HWY, JOHNSON CITY, TN 37601, (423) 262-4200) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST HER WITH THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED THE SAME INFORMATION AS THE DEALER. NO FURTHER ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 500 |
| Apr 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE WINDSHIELD HAS A CHIP AND 12-INCH CRACK AFTER 2000 MILES OF HIGHWAY DRIVING. THERE WAS A MINOR ROCK HIT BUT NOTHING THAT SHOULD HAVE CAUSED THIS SORT OF ISSUE. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,900 |
| Apr 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | BOUGHT KIA TELLURIDE 2021 IN DEC 2020, ITS WINDSHIELD BROKE IT SELF WHICH APPEARS TO BE FRAME STRESS RELATED ISSUE, DEALERSHIP ENGINEERS CAME TO THE SAME CONCLUSION. I RESEARCHED MORE AND FOUND THE SAME REPORTED ISSUES ON YEAR 2019 AND 2020 TELLURIDE. LOOKS LIKE KIA HAS NOT FIXED THIS CRITICAL DEFECT AND REFUSING TO ACCEPT THAT THERE ARE SERIOUS DESIGN ISSUES WITH KIA TELLURIDE. I REPORTING THIS AS I BELIEVE THIS DEFECT IF NOT CORRECTED WILL RESULT IN INNOCENT DEATHS. THIS IS SHAMEFUL THAT A MULTIBILLION DOLLAR COMPANY DOESN'T CARE ABOUT THE LIVES OF THEIR PAYING CUSTOMERS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,850 |
| Mar 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD CRACKED, UNSURE OF WHEN OR WHERE, BUT WENT FROM 2 INCHES LONG TO WHOLE WINDSHIELD IN A MATTER OF A DAY OR TWO. CAN'T FOR THE LIFE OF ME FIGURE OUT HOW IT HAPPENED, NOTICED IT IN THE DRIVEWAY. MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 8K MILES. | Crash: No Fire: No | 8,000 |
| Mar 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WE JUST TOOK OUR FIRST TRIP IN OUR KIA TELLURIDE - 1,700 TOTAL MILES. THE VEHICLE HAD 1,200 MILES BEFORE THE TRIP. BY THE TIME WE RETURNED HOME, THERE IS ONE MAJOR CHIP, ONE MINOR CHIP AND OVER 20 MICRO-CHIPS/POCK MARKS IN THE WINDSHIELD. THE WINDSHIELD ALREADY LOOKS WORSE THAN THE SEVEN-YEAR OLD, 115,000-MILE HONDA ODYSSEY'S WE CAME FROM (WHICH TRAVERSED THE EXACT SAME ROUTE AT LEAST 10 TIMES). YOU WOULD THINK THE FRONT OF THE TELLURIDE WOULD BE A MESS IF THE WINDSHIELD IS THAT BAD, BUT WE CAN FIND ONLY ONE SMALL NICK IN THE PAINT ON THE HOOD. THERE WAS ONE, AUDIBLE ROCK HIT ON THE TRIP - WE ASSUME THAT IS THE BIG CHIP. THE AFOREMENTIONED ODYSSEY TOOK SEVERAL SIMILAR OR BIGGER HITS THAN THAT WITH NO DAMAGE WHATSOEVER. AS FOR ALL THE POCK MARKS, IT SEEMS THOSE WERE CAUSED BY SIMPLY DRIVING DOWN THE INTERSTATE. THEY ARE NOT CONCENTRATED IN A PARTICULAR AREA OF THE WINDSHIELD - THEY ARE ALL OVER. WE LOVE EVERYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE VEHICLE BUT NOW HAVE TO LOOK THROUGH WHAT SEEMS LIKE A 10-YEAR OLD WINDSHIELD AFTER SIX WEEKS OF OWNERSHIP, AND ARE LEFT TO WONDER IF ANY OF THE MICRO-CHIPS WILL LEAD TO FURTHER DAMAGE. THE TELLURIDE WINDSHIELD IS CLEARLY NOT UP TO PAR. WE ARE NOT INTERESTED IN REPLACING IT WITH NEW KIA GLASS UNTIL THEY RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE ATTACHED PHOTO IS OF THE BIG CHIP. ABOVE THE BIG CHIP (ABOVE THE BLACK DOTS), YOU CAN SEE A FEW OF THE POCK MARKS/MICRO-CHIPS MENTIONED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 1,200 |
| Mar 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | MY KIA TELLURIDE WINDSHIELD CHIPPED TWO MONTHS AFTER PURCHASED AND THE CHIP SPREAD INTO A SIX INCH CRACK IMMEDIATELY. NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO REPAIR THE CHIP. I WAS ON A REGULAR NYC STREET WHEN THE CHIP AND CRACKED OCCURRED. I DROVE LESS THAN 1000 FEET AFTER NOTICING THE CHIL WHEN THE SMALL CHIP TURNED INTO A LARGE CRACK. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2021 | POWER TRAIN | WHILE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AT 65-70MPH A HIGH-SPEED LOW-TONE OSCILLATING VIBRATION CAN BE HEARD AND FELT AND CONTINUES THROUGH 75MPH. | Crash: No Fire: No | 15 |
| Feb 2021 | ENGINE | 021 KIA TELLURIDE, FEBRUARY 13, 2021. TEMPERATURES ARE SINGLE DIGITS OR BELOW AND GOT WORSE AS THE WEEK WENT ON. STARTED THE ENGINE AND A LOUD SQUEAL OR WHISTLING NOISE CAME FROM THE TOP OF THE ENGINE. LAST ABOUT 30 SECONDS THEN SLOWLY STOPS. ENGINE ALSO STARTS TO SOUND LIKE IT HAS MORE POWER ONCE NOISE STOPS. BEEN GOING ON FOR THE LAST 8 DAYS. BELTS AND PULLEYS SEEM TO BE WORKING FINE AND CANNOT SEE ANY ISSUES. SOUND LIKE IT IS COMING FROM UNDER THE ENGINE COVER BUT DO NOT WANT TO REMOVE COVER CAUSE TOO COLD AND DO NOT WANT TO JEOPARDIZE WARRANTY STIPULATIONS. CONTACTED MIDWEST KIA IN WICHITA, KANSAS. SENT THEM A VIDEO AND THEY THINK IT IS A VACUUM LEAK OF SOME KIND. MIDWEST KIA SAID THEY CANNOT REPORT IT TO KIA UNTIL THEY CAN SEE THE CAR BUT WE ARE 2 HOURS AWAY AND CANNOT GET OFF WORK TO TAKE IT AND NEED OUR CAR FOR WORK. I OWN A MORTUARY AND HAVE FUNERALS AND MY WIFE IS A TEACHER AND CANNOT GET SUBSTITUTES DO TO COVID. I SAID BASED ON MY RESEARCH IT SOUNDS LIKE INTAKE MANIFOLD. ON THE KIA FORUMS, MANY PEOPLE EXPERIENCING THESE VERY COLD TEMPS ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME NOISE AND ENCOURAGED ME TO REPORT THE ISSUE. I FEEL IT IS COLD RELATED AND HOPE KIA LOOKS INTO THIS PROBLEM. THIS ONLY HAPPENS WHEN THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR SEVERAL HOURS. IF WE USE IT OFF AND ON WITHOUT SITTING TOO LONG THE NOISE DOES NOT HAPPEN. CAR RUNS GREAT ONCE THE NOISE STOPS. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2021 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | THE KIA TELLURIDE HAS A SERIOUS ISSUE WITH AIR FLOW BETWEEN SECOND AND THIRD ROWS AND ON LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE OUTPUT FLOWS. IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO KEEP AIR FLOW EVEN IN THE CAR AND WITH CHILDREN IN THE CAR IT REQUIRES FREQUENT STOPS ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD TO ADDRESS THE TEMPERATURE ISSUES OR ME TRYING TO CHANGE IT WHILE DRIVING WITH KIDS WHO ARE TOO HOT OR COLD AND HOPING I DON'T CRASH. IT'S A DANGEROUS SITUATION AND VERY INCONVENIENT. SECOND ISSUE IS THAT I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY NOT CLOSE TO ANY OTHER CARS AND I HEARD A FAINT NOISE AND IT LOOKED LIKE BIRD POOP BUT WHEN I LOOKED CLOSER I SAW A CRACK IN THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE DRIVEN FOR 22 YEARS AND HAD MUCH HARDER THINGS HIT A WINDOW WITHOUT BREAKING IT - WHATEVER DID HIT THE WINDOW WHICH WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HEAR SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CAUSE DAMAGE. THIS CAR HAS FAULTY WINDSHIELD AND FAULTY VENTILATION SYSTEM IN LAST TWO ROWS. | Crash: No Fire: No | 20 |
| Jan 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WE WERE DRIVING AT ABOUT 45-50MPH ON A STRAIGHT, SMOOTH, ROAD WHEN WE HEARD A LOUD POP OR THUD AND THEN GLASS FELL IN ON THE DRIVER AND FRONT PASSENGER PLUS SOME ON THE SECOND ROW, WHERE MY 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WAS SEATED. THE FRONT SUNROOF PANEL HAD EXPLODED OR SHATTERED SOMEHOW. WE WERE ON A SECTION OF ROAD WITH NOTHING OVERHEAD. OUR TELLURIDE ONLY HAD 190 MILES ON THE ODOMETER WHEN THIS HAPPENED. | Crash: No Fire: No | 190 |
| Jan 2021 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | HAVE NOT EVEN MADE MY FIRST PAYMENT ON MY NE 2021 TELLURIDE AND HAVE HAD TO REPLACE THE WINDSHIELD TWICE. BOTH TIMES THE DAMAGE WAS CAUSE BY ROAD DEBRIS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD, BUT THE CRACK QUICKLY SPREADS ACROSS THE WINDSHIELD. IT JUST SEEMS A LITTLE QUESTIONABLE WHETHER OR NOT THE WINDSHIELDS ARE DEFECTIVE SOMEHOW. THE TIME BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND OCCURRENCE IS APPROXIMATELY 5 WEEKS (TWO WEEKS BETWEEN THE FIRST REPLACEMENT AND SECOND CRACK.) I RESEARCHED ONLINE AND FOUND FORUMS WHERE OTHER TELLURIDE OWNERS HAD SIMILAR EXPERIENCES. NOT SURE WHAT THE CAUSE IS, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER HAVING A WINDSHIELD REPLACED MUCH LESS TWICE ALMOST IN THE SAME MONTH. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,380 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY | TL* THE CONTACT OWN A 2021 KIA TELLURIDE. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED DUE TO A SNOW STORM HOWEVER, THE NEXT DAY THE CONTACT WENT TO CLEAN OFF THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED A CRACK IN THE FRONT WINDSHIELD. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ROUTE 23 KIA (1 WINDBEAM RD, RIVERDALE, NJ 07457) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WOULD BE A FEE ASSESSED FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 3,500. | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,500 |
| Dec 2020 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | WINDSHIELD WAS FOUND WITH A 4 FOOT CRACK. IN IT .NOTHING HIT THE WINDSHIELD | Crash: No Fire: No | 3,200 |