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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 2023 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,VISIBILITY/WIPER | The front wiper blades get stuck when in use. This most often occurs when they are at their upper most point, but happens in a lower position as well. I had a previous issue where the left blade components had to be replaced because of stripped nuts/gears. This does not appear to be the same issue. I’ve taken it to the dealer and to another mechanic, neither of who could recreate the problem. This is quite dangerous as it impedes my visibility while driving in precipitation. The other issue is with buttons on the steering column that either do not work or miscommunication. This has been repaired/replaced but with the same issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | SUSPENSION | Rear suspension harshness, rough ride, and asymmetric rear ride quality body movement. Medium to large bumbs on road causing body to pitch latterally causing all passengers to have accessive headtoss. Driver fatigue sets in quickly. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | As I was driving down the interstate heading to a doctor’s appointment the unexpected happened with my Kia Telluride. My Telluride is a 2021 and only had roughly 37,000 miles on it, and I believe it is important to notate that I’ve never had any issues with this car since purchasing it. However, on this particular day, as I was driving down the interstate the entire window located on the drivers side at the rear back seat shattered. I thought someone may have hit me but as I pulled over there was no evidence of any damage besides the window shattering. There was no sign of rocks, material, or anything that would have caused the shatter. I called the police prior to examining the vehicle who stated that the window appeared to have shattered at its own discretion and therefore they could not file a police report. I did however pay to have the window replaced, and pay to have glass removed from every inch of my car as the glass shattered everywhere. The biggest concern was that the chunks of glass/shatters were mostly in my one year old daughters car seat. The police stated that if she was in her car seat at the time of the window “explosion” she would have been severely injured or even possibly death due to the large amount of glass. As a driver of the vehicle, I myself had pieces of glass fly into my arms while I was driving, but I thank God my Duaghter was not in the car with me that day. Not only is this harmful to the driver or passengers but also harmful to other drivers as it could have caused an accident. I am still nervous to this day about having my kids in my telluride as I never know if the window may shatter. This is a worry I never had before and believe this is worth investigating. I never had any signs, warning lights, or any warning of this event, as I was simply driving, heard a loud boom and realized the window had shattered and glass was everywhere. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY | The sunroof got stuck in the open position. It is available for inspection. Wind/rain/foreign objects are able to enter stuck sunroof and cause injury and or vehicle damage. Kia dealership confirmed that this has happened to others with the same male and model. Others have reported issue causing whole sunroof glass to crack/break/explode. No warning lights or signs. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Went to open sunroof and the plastic rail that Kia uses broke causing the sunroof glass to derail. Not able to retract the glass back in. In addition to the guide rail failing the wind deflector also broke. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | The head lights are focused/aimed too far up. Maneuvering around curves at night creates hazardous driving conditions due to the issue. There are dark spots where lighting should be. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2023 | STRUCTURE | Tried to open Our Sunroof and it went off the rails, sounded like something broke off while driving. When we went to close it, to see if it was an easy fix, it popped completely off and is now just bouncing. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Sunroof glass panel stuck when opening, broke from track and became unattached from vehicle. Safety risk if I had been driving at high speeds as the sunroof could have flown off of the vehicle and hit another vehicle. There were no warnings or prior issues to indicate the risk of problem encountered. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | TELURIDE 2021 OWNERS MANUEL, PAGE 5-64, 5-63 AND THE KIA” FEATURES AND FUNCTIONS GUIDE. “PAGE 15, SHOWS DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE FCA, OR FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE. BUT THERE IS NO SUCH SAFEY OPTION IN THE CAR. FURTHER THE DRIVERS ASSIST - - - FORWARD SAFETY OPTION, SHOW IN THE OWNERS MANUEL, IS NOT ON MY ONBORD SCREEN. THERE IS NO DISCLAIMER SUCH AS “IF SO EQUIPPED”. FOR ME THIS IS A IMPORTANT KIA FAILURE. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Harness and wires damaged and chewed by woodchuck causing multiple warning lights and malfunctions including headlight; turning signal and temperature to suddenly stop working, resulting in front wiring harness replacement and repairs costing over $7k in damage. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2023 | POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | As I was driving down the highway in the rain, my check engine light came on and I was unable to accelerate my vehicle over 30mph and the speedometer stopped working. I was turning onto the road I live on, so I was able to make it home. I then shut my car off and turned it back on about 5 minutes later, and that issue was no longer happening. I had an upcoming appointment for an oil change at a Kia dealership, so I told the dealership about the issue. They told me that they hooked their computer up to the car and it was showing that there weren’t any issues showing and the only way that they would be able to see that there was an issue is if the vehicle was brought in while it was malfunctioning. Also, the mirror function on my vehicle where the side mirrors fold/unfold when locking/unlocking the vehicle, the mirror(s) don’t fold/unfold every time I press the lock/unlock button on m key fob. Another issue, my windows don’t roll/unroll when I try to use that function. I can sometimes roll the front window up/down while the rest of the windows won’t roll up/down. I then have to shut my vehicle off, open the driver door, then turn the vehicle back on. Sometimes the windows will work, sometimes they won’t. It’s an ongoing issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY | The sunroof track assembly broke when the sunroof was opened. Causing the sunroof to be stuck in the open position | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Well, what I thought to be a solid build has succumbed to the known issues with this vehicle. The car has 17,7862 miles on it. I always follow the ‘severe’ maintenance schedule along with babying the heck out of it. I was driving the vehicle on city street, roughly 35-40mph when I got the Xmas tree of death light up on the dashboard (all the indicators went crazy), and a slight loss of power with engine and transmission. I shifted the gear shifter into manual so I could at least control the car and make it safely back home. Once I parked, I shut off the car and then turned it back on. The indicator lights turned off, however the check engine light stayed on. I swapped out the battery for a new one and that fixed the problem for a few hours until later that day the same thing happened again. At this point I know there is something more happening electronically that is not right. Hence the problem: The UB module assembly behind the dashboard needs to be replaced because it is defective (full disclosure, this is what I believe to be the issue, but will be scheduling appointment with dealer to have them look). Ah, but thank goodness for the Telluride forum that has brought to my attention many issues that I also experience with my vehicle. I too have a crack in my windshield that happened three months in (thankfully I have a film on the windshield that has kept it from spidering), I too have to hand wash or touchless wash car due to nightfall trim peeling (thankfully I have car ceramic coated so hopefully that is helping the longevity), I too feel the binding and slipping in my AWD system as I try to accelerate a turn from a stop. It would behoove Kia to address the ongoing issues with their ‘top selling SUV’ as clearly there are still many vehicles popping up with problems. I will say pay attention to the warning signs. Roughly a month ago, the forward parking sensors failed due to ‘blockage’. I should’ve known it would lead to a larger problem. This could’ve been bad! | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2023 | STRUCTURE | On 7/8/23 I noticed the paint on my 2021 Kia Telluride peeling off. After some research, the peeling of the paint on Kia cars seems to be prevalent in several Kia models. I've made an appointment with the dealer for next week, 7/17/23. At this point, the vehicle has not been inspected regarding the peeling paint by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative, or other business. I've inspected my Telluride, and as of today, 7/10/23, the paint has only peeled off of the read door in one spot. I will include a picture. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY | I was pulling out of a parking lot going about 3 mph. There were no other vehicles around and the windshield cracked right in front of me. I called my insurance and explained to them the strange event that just took place, and they said that it would be a deductable of $500.00 or around $1000.00. Reasearch has proven that quote. The next day I went out to the car to start it up so the kids wouldn't be so hot. I watched the 6 inch crack from the day before, turn into a a 3.5 foot crack. Kia dealer says it's a rock chip so outside of warrenty. There is absolutly no way that a rock hit my windshield with no other cars around, and me going 3 MPH. I contacted Kia customer service, and was told that the dealer said it was a rock chip, therefore it was out of warrenty. At this point I am so terrifed to put my kids in that car, because look what happened when going at very sluggish speeds. On top of all of that, the replacment windshields are also prone to cracking, so all of us Telluride owners are between a rock, and a hard place. Someone, please look into this and force Kia to make it right to all of us who just bought a new family vehicle. I do have pictures of the windshield, however I cant upload them due to the very low upload space on this NHTSA website. Please reach out with an email and ill get them to you ASAP. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield cracked overnight with no visible chips or damage to windshield | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2021 Kia Telluride. Driving home from work 6/8/23. Small crack developed in the windshield on passenger side lower corner. Has spread quickly across windshield. Left message with service department of local KIA dealership in Murfreesboro Tennessee inquiring about Kia "Customer Satisfaction Initiative" concerning windshield cracking. No call back after 8 days. Left email on KIA Corporate Customer Service Website on 6/12/23 inquiring about windshield "Customer Satisfaction Initiative". No response from Kia after 6 days. The Kia Web Site claims they will respond to inquiries within 48 hours but have not. Because this defect affects driver visibility I would consider this a safety issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | The front windshield is pitting. There are many divots in the windshield. I purchased the car brand new and have noticed new marks over the 2 years of ownership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2023 | FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while engaging the Forward Collision Avoidance system per the manufacturer’s instructions, the Forward Collision Avoidance system failed to engage. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance system was inoperable. The contact stated that while driving and approaching another vehicle, the Forward Collision Avoidance failed to engage. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The dealer test-drove the vehicle and informed the contact that the Forward Collision Avoidance system was operable when the Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) mode was activated. The dealer diagnosed that no issues were found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 9,300. | Crash: No Fire: No | 9,300 |
| Apr 2023 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | My windshield has suffered a crack and several knicks from road debris hitting it. The windshield does not seem as resistant to damage from small pebbles/road debris as it should be. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | SUSPENSION | The rear self-levelling shocks have failed completely, providing no shock absorbtion whatsoever. The vehicle is extremely difficult to control on bumpy roads even at moderate speed as it bounces so violently it is difficlult to maintain steeering. My vehicle is a 2021 Telluride SX with towing package | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | While at a red light after exiting the highway, the vehicle lost all power and functionality. The car was in drive, and the brake was pressed in. No buttons had been pressed to shut down the vehicle. I had no power and no ability to restart the vehicle. I placed the vehicle into park and attempted to turn on my hazard lights. Unfortunately, there was no response from the vehicle, and though I was interrupting traffic, I could not provide any visual indicators to oncoming traffic. After moving the vehicle into park, I was unable to move the car into neutral. After approximately five minutes, without the brake being pressed or any button is pressed, the vehicle turned on its own. I was able to move the car into drive and continue to function as expected. Prior to this, I had used the vehicle to drop off my kids at daycare (which required turning on the vehicle, driving, and turning off the vehicle). This event occurred roughly 40 minutes after a mix of highway and city driving. From a safety perspective, this was very concerning as I had no way to indicate to other drivers that my car was not driveable. Fortunately my children were no longer in the car. I was very concerned that not only the car lost all power and functionality, but was more concerned that the car started on its own. I was also concerned that if I had not moved the car to park and somehow it turned back on if left in drive what potential damage could have been done to me, another vehicle and potential injury 30K service and all recalls had been satisfied prior to this by an authorized Kia dealership. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | My wife had placed our two children in the car in their car seats. She attempted to start the vehicle by pressing the brake and the starter button. Though all the dome lights and other normal electrical items were on at the time, as soon as she attempted to start the car, it instantly went dead. There was no power to anything, and all the interior dome lights did not work. No matter how often she attempted, she could not start the vehicle, even with accessory mode. It was almost as if the battery had been suddenly removed from the vehicle. At no point was the car moved outside of park. My wife removed our two kids from the vehicle, and shortly after, they were secured in our other vehicle; without my wife being in the Telluride, the car turned on itself. All interior lights were on, and the car was functional. She found that while the radio was on, the HVAC that had been on was now off. In addition, the fuel performance reset to zero. She turned off the vehicle, and we could not reproduce the issue. From a safety perspective, this was very unnerving as it involved our children in our car, but also that the car started on its own after five minutes. If we were not at home and the car could have been running in the garage without our involvement. All regular maintenance and satisfaction of recalls had been completed by a Kia-authorized dealership before this event. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | While driving, an error illuminated (inconsistently), signaling a battery discharge warning. This indicator was not consistent and would come and go at different times. The ambiguity of indicator lights and the inconsistency of how they were displayed raised concerns of safety of the vehicle and operations. All regular maintenance and satisfaction of recalls had been completed by a Kia-authorized dealership before this event. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | While in drive, the battery discharge warning was displayed inconsistently, similar to what had occurred sporadically on January 21 and January 23. Without notice, multiple indicator lights started flashing, including low tire pressure, Safety features such as check forward collision assist system, and more. Power steering failed, and ultimately had to coast into a safe location. This resulted in a tow to the dealership, where after multiple days, the dealership found that the alternator failed and replaced it under warranty. This could have negatively impacted not only my safety but the safety of others as the vehicle safety features were not operational and I lost full functionality of the vehicle such as power steering loss. All regular maintenance and satisfaction of recalls had been completed by a Kia-authorized dealership before this event. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |