2021 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.

vehicle2021 / kia / telluride
known issues4 clusters (reviewed 2026-08-19)
complaints362 on file (2020-08-20 → 2026-09-17)
recalls5
investigations0
fars13 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Panoramic sunroof deflector and track failureUNKNOWN OR OTHER81 complaints2024-03 → 2026-08kia-telluride-2021-sunroof-deflector-failure
  • 11678549 I was driving at approximately 65-70 mph on the freeway at around 7:40 AM when the sunroof glass spontaneously exploded above me. The sound was terrifying...literally like an explosion or gunshot going off
  • 11617314 The sunroof will not close. Kia published a technical service bulletin (#319) in July 2023 related to this issue. The plastic wind deflector and track appear to have broken
  • 11743201 The sunroof failed and is stuck open. This creates a hazard as you cannot secure the vehicle, it is open to the elements, and you have highway noise
Excessive oil consumption leading to engine failureENGINE46 complaints2024-03 → 2026-08kia-telluride-2021-oil-consumption-engine-failure
  • 11744031 My 2021 Kia Telluride (approximately 82,000 miles) suffered catastrophic engine failure caused by excessive and abnormal oil consumption. The engine consumed oil at a dangerous rate with no warning lights or dashboard indicators of any kind
  • 11723848 The 3.8L Lambda II GDI V6 engine suffered catastrophic failure at approximately 102,000 miles. The root cause is excessive oil consumption documented by an independent repair shop well before the 100,000-mile powertrain warranty expired
  • 11726203 I am a 2nd owner of a kia telluride and the engine failed without warning at less than 90,000 miles. No check engine light, no temp gauge, no low oil level light
Rear self-leveling shock absorber failureSUSPENSION7 complaints2024-05 → 2026-07kia-telluride-2021-rear-shock-failure
  • 11591240 Cannot drive the vehicle because the rear end bounces up and down and side to side violently making it difficult to control ehile driving. Kia dealership said rear shock absorbers need replacement and Kia warranty does not cover $1800 repair
  • 11615603 In the summer of 2023 I started hearing a clunking noise from the rear of the vehicle that became louder when going over bumps. Took the car to the dealer and I was told the rear shocks were bad and needed to be replaced
  • 11598814 Rear self leveling shocks failed, confirmed at 65,000 miles but issue had been present for months
Instrument cluster and driver-assist warning system faultELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE9 complaints2024-03 → 2026-07kia-telluride-2021-cluster-electrical-fault
  • 11754085 While driving this vehicle in route to Philadelphia airport JFK, i experienced a total malfunction of the instrument cluster. All of the warning lights continued to go on and off and were illuminating on the cluster non stop along with a audible chiming
  • 11578022 While driving the Kia Telluride, the forward collision avoidance warnings started flashing, then said it was failing, then the tire pressure system did the same, then the speedometer and tachometer failed as did the turn signals, gear shift, and lights
  • 11589381 This vehicle was purchased back in July 2023. On multiple occasions since then, the Automatic Emergency Braking system has activated and slammed on the brakes when not needed

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
3622020-08-202026-09-1774UNKNOWN OR OTHER:101; VISIBILITY/WIPER:63; ENGINE:62; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:41; STRUCTURE:33

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
21V16400011/03/2021AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULEKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
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.
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 →

none listed

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). 2021 Kia Telluride vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/kia/telluride
@misc{wrenchpro_2021_kia_telluride_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2021 Kia Telluride},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/kia/telluride}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

hub · known-issues · methodology · license · research (interpretation)