Model year record

2020 Kia Telluride

7 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 1,265 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 26V430000

Seats: front assembly: power adjust

Component
Seats: front assembly: power adjust
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
462,869
Reported to NHTSA
2026-07-02
Owners notified
2026-08-13

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

A fire increases the risk of injury.

Manufacturer 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 campaignNHTSA 24V407000

Seats: front assembly: power adjust

Component
Seats: front assembly: power adjust
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
462,869
Reported to NHTSA
2024-06-05
Owners notified
2024-07-30

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

A fire increases the risk of injury.

Manufacturer 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 campaignNHTSA 24V214000

Power train: driveline: driveshaft

Component
Power train: driveline: driveshaft
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
427,407
Reported to NHTSA
2024-03-20
Owners notified
2024-05-15

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.

Manufacturer 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 campaignNHTSA 24V148000

Exterior lighting: headlights

Component
Exterior lighting: headlights
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
35,031
Reported to NHTSA
2024-02-26
Owners notified
2024-08-09

Defect description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.

Safety risk

Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V626000

Trailer hitches

Component
Trailer hitches
Manufacturer
Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected
36,417
Reported to NHTSA
2022-08-15
Owners notified
2023-04-12

Defect description

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.

Safety risk

A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturer 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 campaignNHTSA 20V436000

Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control

Component
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
86,921
Reported to NHTSA
2020-07-28
Owners notified
2020-09-10

Defect description

Kia 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."

Safety risk

Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 19V594000

Seat belts: rear/other

Component
Seat belts: rear/other
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
30,168
Reported to NHTSA
2019-08-13
Owners notified
2019-08-30

Defect description

Kia 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."

Safety risk

If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Engine24791,300 mi
Unknown or other1974,000 mi
Exterior lighting1853,500 mi
Visibility/wiper1404,400 mi
Power train1149,500 mi
Electrical system822,400 mi
Structure: body821,273 mi
Suspension3650,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system30
Service brakes1873,000 mi
Vehicle speed control184,900 mi
Seats1630,000 mi
Steering147,976 mi
Engine and engine cooling1386,000 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly1045,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: warnings6
Visibility: windshield617,000 mi
Back over prevention: warnings5
Exterior lighting: headlights472,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control4
Seat belts4
Air bags315,000 mi
Trailer hitches345,000 mi
Electrical system: alternator/generator/regulator2100,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights: high/low beam dimmer switch266,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights: switch260,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking2
Structure230,000 mi
Structure: body: roof and pillars2
Back over prevention: sensing system: camera1
Child seat: vehicle latch anchor1
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication150,000 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights: bulbs144,100 mi
Lane departure: assist1
Lane departure: blind spot detection1
Lane departure: warning120,000 mi
Latches/locks/linkages118,000 mi
Parking brake140,000 mi
Parking brake: electrical150,000 mi
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring1
Vehicle speed control: cruise control1
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system185,000 mi
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system: heater core185,000 mi
Visibility: rearview mirrors/devices: exterior1
Wheels1

The 2021 model has 2 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.