2020 Kia Telluride: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2020 / kia / telluride
known issues6 clusters (reviewed 2026-06-14)
complaints758 on file (2019-03-02 → 2026-09-15)
recalls7
investigations1
fars13 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Excessive engine oil consumptionENGINE49 complaints2025-01 → 2026-06 (sample of 200 most-recent of 715 total)telluride-2020-oil-consumption
  • 11742960 My 2020 Kia Telluride with the 3.8L V6 engine is experiencing excessive oil consumption between scheduled oil changes. The vehicle consumes a significant amount of engine oil without any visible external leaks. The oil level drops substantially…
  • 11718013 Cars burns over a quart of oil every 1000 miles. No oil light comes on on ever.
  • 11719166 EXCESS OIL CONSUMPTION
  • 11724782 I have been having issues with excessive oil consumption . No warning signs or notifications . Also had an issue with my car stopping in the middle of the road which could have been related to the above problem per my mechanic.
Engine knocking, power loss, and stallingENGINE20 complaints2025-01 → 2026-06 (sample of 200 most-recent of 715 total)telluride-2020-engine-failure
  • 11742832 Vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure while traveling approximately 70 mph on a highway. I heard a loud popping noise and immediately lost power. The vehicle would no longer accelerate normally and I was forced to pull over. White smoke…
  • 11742534 While driving on the [XXX] in [XXX] on XXX a connecting rod punctured the engine block of no fault of my own Kia has stated it was a manufacturing defect. This caused a vehicle fire under the vehicle and I had to get my family out of the vehicle 4…
  • 11702605 I was driving down the road and the engine started suddenly making a loud knocking noise. The car was immediately pulled over and put in park and towed to mechanic shop. Mechanic shop stated there was no oil on the engine dipstick and the engine was…
Torque converter and transmission shudderPOWER TRAIN18 complaints2025-01 → 2026-05 (sample of 200 most-recent of 715 total)telluride-2020-powertrain-shudder
  • 11710063 P0741 Error Codes - Torque Converter issue around 100k miles. Shuttering at low rpm between 2nd and 3rd gears. This is a known issue for owners of the 2020 model year. TCM software update and transmission oil change did not fix.
  • 11685585 My torque converter is failing on my 2020 Kia Telluride. This is a known issue among other owners of this model year, and I believe Kia knows about it and is refusing to acknowledge because of how expensive it is.
  • 11739512 I own a 2020 Kia Telluride currently with approximately 91409 miles. The vehicle has a repeatable transmission issue during acceleration, most noticeable around 40 mph when the transmission shifts. The vehicle shudders/hesitates/jerks and does not…
Exterior paint peeling and delaminationSTRUCTURE16 complaints2024-12 → 2026-03 (sample of 200 most-recent of 715 total)telluride-2020-paint-delamination
  • 11650833 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…
  • 11650372 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.
  • 11679570 We bought this brand new and have the paint peeling off. It's a 2020 so paint should not be pealing off. I have read that they are aware of this paint issue but nothing is done yet about it.
  • 11701473 Large chunks of paint are coming off of my vehicle.
Oil filter housing cracking and leaksENGINE8 complaints2025-01 → 2026-02 (sample of 200 most-recent of 715 total)telluride-2020-oil-filter-housing
  • 11711241 Kia equips their 2020 Tellurides with a plastic oil filter housing unit. Over time, the heat from metal and pressure causes the plastic component to crack, become warped and this leads to oil leaks.
  • 11703954 Plastic oil filter housing cracked causing all oil to leak out. If not noticed would have blown engine while driving. Brought to dealership and not covered under warranty
  • 11633062 Oil filter, housing leaks where it bolts to the motor this could become a fire hazard but the exhaust close to it
Headlamp high beam operation and aimEXTERIOR LIGHTING7 complaints2025-01 → 2026-04 (sample of 200 most-recent of 715 total)telluride-2020-headlamp-high-beam
  • 11709139 The headlights on this car are pointed too high. When driving on the road at night vehicles coming the other way often assume you have your bright lights on and flash you with their bright lights which can temporarily blind you - obviously a big…
  • 11649698 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…
  • 11635247 The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V148000( EXTERIOR LIGHTING) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount…

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
7582019-03-022026-09-1589EXTERIOR LIGHTING:183; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:143; ENGINE:142; VISIBILITY/WIPER:135; POWER TRAIN:70

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
19V59400013/08/2019SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHERKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
20V43600028/07/2020ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRINGKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
22V62600015/08/2022TRAILER HITCHESKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and a wiring harness extension. Dealers will also inspect and replace the tow hitch harness assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 12, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC247.
24V14800026/02/2024EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTSKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the high beam headlights, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC299.
24V21400020/03/2024POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFTKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will update the electronic parking brake software and replace any damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC303.
24V40700005/06/2024SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUSTKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.A fire increases the risk of injury.Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.
26V43000002/07/2026SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUSTKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob or an improper recall 24V407 repair, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.A fire increases the risk of injury.Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC374. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 24V407. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 17, 2026.

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
PE23002closedComplete Loss of High BeamsEXTERIOR LIGHTING:HEADLIGHTS2023-01-272024-04-1724V148On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23002 to investigate allegations of loss of high beams with no warning and no re-engagement resulting in reduced visibility at night in the 2020 Kia Telluride. The investigation revealed that the halogen bi-function projector beam, used in vehicles built between January 2019 and November of 2019, is composed of one halogen bulb light source that provides light for both low beam and high beam. The heat generated by the halogen bulb will inflict damage to the gear mechanism and as a result the shutter’s electric motor will n

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202413legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2020 Kia Telluride vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2020/kia/telluride
@misc{wrenchpro_2020_kia_telluride_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2020 Kia Telluride},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2020/kia/telluride}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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