2021 Kia Telluride problems and complaints
Owners have filed 370 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Telluride. The most-reported areas: Unknown Or Other (102), Engine (67), Visibility/Wiper (64).
Key takeaways
- 370 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 7 involve a crash, 4 a fire, 9 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 102 | 28% |
| Engine | 67 | 18% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 64 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 42 | 11% |
| Structure | 33 | 9% |
| Power Train | 28 | 8% |
| Visibility | 23 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 22 | 6% |
| Suspension | 20 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 3% |
| Seats | 9 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Kia Telluride SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 Kia Telluride SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Seats - filed 2026-10-15
NHTSA Recall Number 26V430000.
Engine - filed 2026-10-09
I was attempting to accelerate on the freeway and the rpms kept going up but it felt like the engine didn't want to shift gears. Suddenly the rpms shot all the way up and then dropped to nothing and I was forced to coast off the freeway, thankfully we were by an exit. The vehicle had zero power and we were unable to mo...
Electrical System,engine - filed 2026-10-08
Vehicle was sitting all night and entered the garage in the morning and found the radiator fan at full speed. Car was not running, so backed it out, turned it off and the fan turned back on. Took it to a KIA dealer and kept it for a few days and just stated they couldn't duplicate the issue, although I couldn't get t...
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More for the 2021 Kia Telluride
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.