Recalled components: seats, trailer hitch, powertrain, exterior lighting, and 2 more. Most-described problem: a cracked or shattered windshield (124 complaints, 16%). Most-reported area: exterior lighting (185 complaints, 24%; median mileage when it happened: 9,200).
More complaints than a typical Telluride year
The 2020 drew 246 owner complaints in its first three years, against 190 for a typical Telluride year.
No Telluride year stands out enough to avoid. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia 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.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles.
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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia 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.
The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Risk: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles.
Risk: Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles.
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."
Risk: Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC).
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."
Risk: If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2020 Kia Telluride; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Complete loss of high beams
Preliminary evaluation PE23002Closed Apr 17, 2024 (opened Jan 27, 2023)
On 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… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 24V-148, listed above.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 781 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Telluride. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Cracked or shattered windshield124 · 16%
Median 4,200 miles at failure, from 86 reports with mileage
Most named: headlights (4) · Median 9,200 miles at failure, from 36 reports with mileage
Engine154 · 20%
Visibility/wiper136 · 17%
Median 4,400 miles at failure, from 92 reports with mileage
Powertrain71 · 9%
Median 6,400 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Electrical system61 · 8%
Body structure56 · 7%
Most named: body (54)
Suspension33 · 4%
Unknown or other147 · 19%
Median 4,000 miles at failure, from 23 reports with mileage
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Telluride recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2020 Telluride drew the most (246).
Owner complaints
2020: 781 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Telluride
Model year
Complaints
2020
781
2021
378
2022
333
2023
214
2024
229
2025
126
Safety recalls
2020: 7 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Telluride
Model year
Recalls
2020
7
2021
5
2022
7
2023
6
2024
5
2025
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 781 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Kia Telluride, the problems described most are a cracked or shattered windshield (124), excessive oil consumption (80), and headlight or exterior light problems (50). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2020 Kia Telluride safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Kia Telluride earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2020 Kia Telluride?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2020 Kia Telluride. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on Apr 17, 2024.
How do I check if my Telluride has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: TELLURIDE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.