2021 KIA TELLURIDE Complaints

I drive a Kia Telluride and while driving down the highway two pieces of plastic fell down into the passenger seat. Next the window flew up into the air. I had to physically hold the window down while driving with children in the back seat. No warranty will cover the sunroof and I was quoted $6000 to fix it. Upon searching this information I found that this has happened to multiple people and Kia is not trying to fix it. I spent all of my savings on this car to be able to transport my family safely. This did not happen.

Sunroof fails to close. Problem is known as there are multiple reports stating that the sunroof deflector breaks within a few years on Kia Telluride. Vehicle cannot be driven as you cannot lock the vehicle when a window is open/weather impacts drive-ability..

1. The engine consumed oil to where it soaked up all the oil in the engine likely as part of a piston ring failure. We have had it at the shop for the last 9 weeks, and cost to replace engine is $10,500 and because extended warranty explicitly wrote this out of the contract as this is a known issue and Kia has stated as such, but not a recall yet so nothing they will do to help. It is available for inspection, but we need the car back so likely not going to drag on much longer. 2. Yes, as no warning lights on the car came on, nothing out of the ordinary other than it just started acting weird and I took it in to get looked at, and was told there was no oil in the engine at all and this is known issue and engine is blown and we have to pay out of pocket to fix. This is extrememly alarming as we have 3 small kids that ride in that car daily and could have caught fire or broke down on the road at any point. 3. We have been told repeatedly by Kia and the extended warranty provider, JM&A, this is a known issue and many cases have been reported this year alone. 4. No, just the Kia dealership where we bought it. 5. There were no warning signs at all. No low oil light or notification came on at all leading us to believe there was a major problem.

Inspected by Kia for 2nd time due to vehicle suddenly shaking, overheating and turning off. First time fluids were low and replaced, kia stated should be fine but then while driving on the highway this past week same dangerous problem happened again suddenly where my vehicle started abruptly shaking making it hard to control, alerted overheating and immediately shut off. This time Kia diagnosed this issue is being caused by multiple hoses and seals failing due to degradation and leaking in multiple locations. Kia’s diagnostic repair inspection states heater core hoses(all), valve cover gaskets,Radiator Hoses upper & Lower, and other seals or connecting components are all leaking and need replaced. Have read online and communicated with other owners of the telluride in which many state same complaints of similar or same problem, therefore this seems to be a very common issue, a safety hazard and concern, not to mention a costly repair that seems to be a quality or manufacturing issue that may need to be evaluated further.

The rear frame of my 2021 Kia Telluride has a broken weld. This is a structural failure that compromises the safety and integrity of the vehicle. The Kia dealership mechanic who inspected it confirmed the weld was defective and also stated they have heard other Tellurides with the same issue. A broken frame weld poses a serious risk to vehicle occupants in the event of a crash and may affect handling, towing, and long-term durability. This appears to be a recurring defect and should be investigated as a potential safety hazard. After several trips to the dealership, for the loud metal to metal type bang, they have replaced struts, rear stab links and shock absorbers. On 9/17/2025 the mechanic was given a list of items to inspect and the dealership informed me that one of the items on the list was to check the frame welds. I was informed that they found the broken weld and have forward pictures to KIA engineers. I was informed that the car is safe to drive and they will get back to me within a couple weeks. They offered me a loaner car but it would be a KIA Soul which is too small for my wife that has bad knees to get in and out of. I do not have pictures of the problem and the dealership didn't want to copy me.

We own a 2021 Kia Telluride which we bought new, have changed the oil as expected and had the 100,000 mile check completed. It now has about 116,000 miles and has been a great and safe car, until now. On a random trip home, traveling on a busy highway, we had to pull over because we suddenly lost power. Our children were in the car and this was very dangerous on a very busy highway. We had it towed to our local garage and was told it was down 3-4 quarts of oil which wrecked the engine and we would need a new one! There were no warning lights for the engine or the oil at all. We are currently having the engine replaced at our very hefty expense as we have no other choice. I see this is quickly becoming an issue with the 21 Telluride and I hope that Kia will do something about it!

ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, AT APPROXIMATELY 12PM, I WAS DRIVING SOUTH ON UNION BLVD., COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, BETWEEN ACACIA DR. AND CIRCLE DR., WHEN I HEARD A LOUD EXPLOSION COMING FROM MY ROOF. I DID NOT FEEL ANYTHING HIT MY CAR AND DID NOT SEE ANYTHING OR ANYBODY THAT COULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LOUD SOUND. I DROVE TO A SAFE PLACE AND GOT OUT OF MY CAR TO DISCOVER A HOLE IN AND SHATTERED GLASS FROM MY SUNROOF. FORTUNATELY, THE SUNSHADE WAS CLOSED, KEEPING THE GLASS FROM FALLING INTO MY CAR AND DAMAGING ITS INTERIOR OR HURTING ME. IT WAS A CLEAR 74-DEGREE DAY WITH NO TRAFFIC IN FRONT, OR TO EITHER SIDE OF ME. THERE WAS NO INDICATION THAT SOMETHING HIT THE SUNROOF. -WHAT FAILED OR MALFUNCTIONED: THE SUNROOF. -HOW WAS MY SAFETY PUT AT RISK: HAD THE SUNVISOR BEEN OPENED, SHATTERED GLASS COULD HAVE HURT OR CAUSED ME TO CRASH. -VEHICLE OR COMPONENT INSPECTION: IT IS AT THE PEAK KIA SERVICE CENTER BEING LOOKED AT NOW. I AM WAITING FOR MY INSURANCE CLAIMS ADJUSTER TO GET BACK WITH ME. -ANY WARNINGS OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE PROBLEM PRIOR TO THE EXPLOSION: NO. THERE WAS NO ADVANCE WARNING OR KNOWLEDGE. THE FIRST THAT I KNEW ABOUT THE SUNROOF WAS FROM THE EXPLOSIVE SOUND, WHICH SCARED THE HECK OUT OF ME. I HAVE MORE PHOTOS, BUT CAN'T UPLOAD THEM BECAUSE I AM STRUGGLING TO CONVERT THEM FROM HEIC TO JPG.

On or about December 2024, we noticed a hesitation or sputtering in the performance of our Kia. I contacted Ancira Kia who reviewed the vehicle, which displayed no warning lights. Since they couldn’t duplicate the issue, nothing could be done. On or about [XXX], the vehicle’s cooling fan engaged on its own while parked in the garage and revved up extremely high. This was the second time this had happened. Ancira Kia couldn’t duplicate the problem although they mentioned another customer was experiencing the same problem. A few days later, I was advised to bring the vehicle in for a sensor replacement. So far, the problem hasn’t recurred but I won’t know if it’s fixed until it never happens again. On [XXX], while traveling from Del Rio to San Antonio, TX, we stopped at a rest area. There were no warning lights visible and no performance issues noted until this time. When we started the vehicle to leave, we noticed a slight knocking that went away when we put the vehicle in drive. After our next stop, we noticed the knocking noise again when we started the vehicle and the noise dissipate when we drove. After the next stop the noise appeared to be louder so we decided to stop for lunch and let the vehicle cool down so we could check the oil. When we checked the oil, we saw there was no oil marking the dip stick. I took the vehicle to Ancira Kia who also found no oil marking the dip stick. The engine was ruined and needed to be replaced. None of the Telluride’s warning systems illuminated. No check engine or oil pressure lights lit up. This is a catastrophic failure of the Telluride which placed my husband and I in severe danger. We could have been injured and possibly killed had the engine seized while we traveled on the highway between Del Rio and San Antonio, Texas (150 miles). My vehicle is meticulously maintained at Ancira Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Sunroof has failed to close. A sunroof that does not close 1. Could allow for build up of moisture within the the vehicle causing mold which could cause respiratory issues. 2. An open sunroof could lead to theft of the vehicle The dealer has stated that sun roof fell off the track and will need to replaced. The Kia dealer completed a diagnostic review. There were no warnings

Vehicle (2021 Kia Telluride) at ~94K miles received CEL P000A for (Camshaft Position - Slow Response (Bank 1)). Personally checked the oil before taking the vehicle to the dealership and there was very little oil, below the "L" line. Vehicle is burning oil fast, which more likley than not cause the P000A CEL. Vehicle would go im amd out of not being able to accelerate. Dealership wants me to pay diagnostic fees for them doing absolutely nothing other and resetting the code and conducting an oil change. Vehicle is a CPO which has a 10y / 100k mile warranty which seems like the dealership is trying to prolong until vehicle is out of warranty to diagnose it correctly. Engine is burning oil and needs to be replaced but the dealersbip wants to play games with customers.