Reliable Auto DB

2021 Kia Telluride reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 Kia Telluride holds 365 complaints after 6 years, a rate of 47 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 5 Telluride years on this site. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Power adjuster, Driveshaft, and Trailer hitch.

2020 Kia Telluride
Photo by Gold Pony, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY 3.0
Complaints

365

Per year

47

Recalls

5

Years on the road

6

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (64 of 365), then Visibility and wipers (64) and Electrical system (41). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Next to 2020 and 2022

The 2020 Telluride has 761 complaints, 82 per year, and the 2022 has 324 complaints, 74 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2021 Kia Telluride. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2026-07-02 · NHTSA campaign 26V430000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall seats, front assembly, power adjuster 2024-06-05 · NHTSA campaign 24V407000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall Driveshaft 2024-03-20 · NHTSA campaign 24V214000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall trailer hitch 2022-08-15 · NHTSA campaign 22V626000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall air bags, air bag control module 2021-03-11 · NHTSA campaign 21V164000
Summary 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."
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.

Complaints by component (365 total)

Engine
64
Visibility and wipers
64
Electrical system
41
Structure
33
Powertrain
28
Visibility
23
Forward collision avoidance
22
Suspension
20
Service brakes
14
Exterior lighting
10
Fuel and propulsion system
7
Seats
7
Steering
5
Air bags
4
Back-over prevention
4
Seat belts
4
Speed control
4
Lane departure
3
Engine and engine cooling
2
Tires
2
Wheels
2
Electronic stability control (ESC)
1
Equipment
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Other or not sure
1
Show 17 more Show less
Crash-flagged

7

Fire-flagged

4

Injury reports

7

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

172020522021352022362023722024612025922026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Unfortunately, beginning in June 2025, I experienced a serious engine problem. While driving, the vehicle began sputtering and stalled twice in traffic. I immediately brought it to the dealer, where I was told the…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-24
  • "I purchased my 2021 Kia Telluride S new, with only 22 miles from the test drive. XXX (approx. 53,000 miles, vehicle age 18 months): The transmission failed while I was traveling approx. 75-80 mph on a major highway in…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-21
  • "The sunroof on vehicle is not able to open/close correctly due to track/clips broken. Vehicle was purchased used January 2023. The sunroof has been used less than 5 times during this period. I spoke to a service advisor…"
    Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-09-19
  • "I have owned this vehicle since new. This vehicle has never had an accident. In the last 3 months the FCAS started sending messages to the dashboard without a vehicle in front, in clear blue skies and the radar element…"
    Forward collision avoidance · filed 2026-09-17
  • "My wife and I purchased a 2021 Kia Telluride brand new a few years ago when we lived in [XXX]. We are currently active duty USAF and brought our KIA Telluride with us here, while stationed in [XXX]. The vehicle is…"
    Electrical system, Seats · filed 2026-09-17

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2021 Kia Telluride SUV AWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2021 Kia Telluride SUV FWD 5 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Telluride all-wheel drive 3.8L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) All-wheel drive 19 24 21 MPG $3100
Telluride front-wheel drive 3.8L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 26 23 MPG $2800

Specs and fitment

ON generation, 2020–present
Body styles SUV
Oil 0W-20 (3.8L V6) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 245/60R18 to 245/50R20 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Owner complaints for the 2020 launch year concentrate on exterior lighting and visibility/wipers. Safety recall 19V-594 covers certain 2020 Tellurides whose front-passenger, second-row, or third-row seat belts may not tightly secure a child restraint (FMVSS 208); dealers inspect and replace incorrect assemblies. Safety recall 22V-626 covers certain 2020-2022 Tellurides with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow-hitch harness where debris and moisture on the module PCB can short and cause a fire; dealers install a fuse and harness extension and replace the assembly as needed, and owners should park outside until remedied. Safety recall 24V-214 covers certain 2020-2024 Tellurides whose intermediate shaft or right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, allowing rollaway in Park; dealers update electronic parking-brake software and replace damaged shafts, and owners should set the parking brake until repaired. Safety recall 24V-407 covers certain 2020-2024 Tellurides whose front power-seat motor can overheat from a stuck slide knob and cause a fire; dealers install a switch-cover bracket and replace the knobs. Safety recall 21V-164 covers certain 2021 Tellurides among other Kia models whose OCS/ODS may not detect a child restraint in the front passenger seat; dealers replace that unit.

Compare

Previous year 2020 Kia Telluride Next year 2022 Kia Telluride See every Kia Telluride model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Kia Telluride reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2021 Kia Telluride holds 365 complaints after 6 years, a rate of 47 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 5 Telluride years on this site. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Power adjuster, Driveshaft, and Trailer hitch.

What are common problems with a 2021 Kia Telluride?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (64 of 365), then Visibility and wipers (64) and Electrical system (41). Those filings include 7 that report a crash, 4 that report a fire, and 7 that report an injury.

Is the 2021 Kia Telluride more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2020 Telluride has 761 complaints, 82 per year, and the 2022 has 324 complaints, 74 per year. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2020. The 2021 has fewer complaints per year than the 2022.

Has the 2021 Kia Telluride been recalled?

The 2021 Kia Telluride has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2021 Kia Telluride?

Owners have filed 365 complaints about the 2021 Kia Telluride with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2021 Kia Telluride get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2021 Kia Telluride is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Telluride take?

Viscosity and capacity depend on engine and model year; use the generation specs here and confirm in the owner’s manual.

When did the Kia Telluride launch in the US?

The first US Telluride model year is 2020 (ON generation on this site).

What tire sizes does a Kia Telluride use?

Common US sizes run about 245/60R18 to 245/50R20 depending on trim.