IllustrationOpened the sunroof today for the first time in over a year. The sunroof opened with no problem. Tried to close sunroof, and it will not close all the way. Tried multiple times to open and close without success.
2021 Kia Telluride
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2021 Kia Telluride do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 215.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Telluride years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 40 of 360 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Visibility/wiper. Review the 63 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 62 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 40 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
7 crash reports4 fire reports7 injury reports
What owners actually said
360 reportsSunroof has got jammed in open position. You have issued a statement on this now Kia will not manufacture the parts to the roof (backorder really) and wants to charge you $5000 to put a whole new roof on -
Engine oil pan gasket and oil filter housing have failed shy of couple hundred miles of manufacturer warranty
Vehicle surges when at a stop. Normally RPM run about 500, when the vehicle surges the RPM's jump without notice to 1000 or more and the car acts like a race horse wanting to get out of the gate. Heavy pressure on the brake is needed at all times when stopped at a light, for a turn, at a stop sign. This started around 82K miles …
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Vehicle surges when at a stop. Normally RPM run about 500, when the vehicle surges the RPM's jump without notice to 1000 or more and the car acts like a race horse wanting to get out of the gate. Heavy pressure on the brake is needed at all times when stopped at a light, for a turn, at a stop sign. This started around 82K miles and was reported to the dealership. Dealership could duplicate issue and no codes were thrown. Again reported at 89.5K, 91.6K, 99.6K, 103.5K with same response from dealership. Contacted KIA and received a case number in case the issue is a warranted situation and is uncovered after 100K mile warranty expires.
The pearl white paint on my vehicle started to delaminate (confirmed by Wallace Kia Collision center). It started at approximately 24,000 miles, approximately 9 months past Kia's 3 year paint warranty. This is a known issue with the paint - pearl white, with many manufacturers affected. Kia, thus far, has refused to cover th…
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The pearl white paint on my vehicle started to delaminate (confirmed by Wallace Kia Collision center). It started at approximately 24,000 miles, approximately 9 months past Kia's 3 year paint warranty. This is a known issue with the paint - pearl white, with many manufacturers affected. Kia, thus far, has refused to cover the repair.
Vehicle sunroof has become stuck in it’s tilted open position. The spoiler at the front has detached. Since the sunroof cannot close, if there is a wind, hitting the car, the sunroof can’t detach from the car at this point, and fly into another car. This issue has been reported with the numerous Kia telluride’s as seen on the In…
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Vehicle sunroof has become stuck in it’s tilted open position. The spoiler at the front has detached. Since the sunroof cannot close, if there is a wind, hitting the car, the sunroof can’t detach from the car at this point, and fly into another car. This issue has been reported with the numerous Kia telluride’s as seen on the Internet. It is not nearly anesthetic problem. It is a safety issue.
I am the original owner of our 2021 Kia Telluride and we follow the manufacturers recommendations and ensure our oil is changed every ~10K miles. Our Kia was recently serviced at Nationwide Kia in Timonium Maryland in April 2024 and had the oil changed. As I was driving today, [XXX] the Oil Pressure Warning Light came on. When I…
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I am the original owner of our 2021 Kia Telluride and we follow the manufacturers recommendations and ensure our oil is changed every ~10K miles. Our Kia was recently serviced at Nationwide Kia in Timonium Maryland in April 2024 and had the oil changed. As I was driving today, [XXX] the Oil Pressure Warning Light came on. When I pulled over, I checked the dipstick and it was below the low level. I immediately put in 5 quarts of oil and the light remains on. I contacted Kia and will be taking the car in for them to assess; however, I am urging that a recall for this issue is addressed. This is a common problem that others are having as well. This could have caused significant issues as I work in the inner city of Baltimore and breaking down would not be a good thing for a [XXX] Please ensure Kia does the right thing and issues a recall for this issue. Thank you INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
While driving, opened sunroof and it got off track and exploded the sunroof.
Sunroof Deflecter broke. The small side arms plastic snapped on both sides. Sunroof won’t close flush.
Sunroof/moonroof will no longer close. It is stuck in the open position and this will cause water to enter the cabin if it rains. The vehicle was examined by the dealer and they confirmed that a component is fault and will need to be replaced. No warning lamps or additional symptoms were noticed prior to the sunroof malfunctioni…
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Sunroof/moonroof will no longer close. It is stuck in the open position and this will cause water to enter the cabin if it rains. The vehicle was examined by the dealer and they confirmed that a component is fault and will need to be replaced. No warning lamps or additional symptoms were noticed prior to the sunroof malfunctioning. The vehicle only has 44,100 miles.
Official recalls
526V430000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust
Jul 2, 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 or an improper recall 24V407 repair, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
24V407000 · Seats:front Assembly:power Adjust
Jun 5, 2024
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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
24V214000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft
Mar 20, 2024
Kia 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: 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.
22V626000 · Trailer Hitches
Aug 15, 2022
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. 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.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: 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.
21V164000 · Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module; Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Mar 11, 2021
Kia 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."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Additional source detail variants (2)
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger
Kia 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."
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Air Bags: Air Bag/restraint Control Module
Kia 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."
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.