Bright headlights do not work. Known problem. Not covered by warrant after 60,000 mile. I unsafe condition of vehicle. KIA should address recall.
2020 Kia Telluride complaints
Owner reports filed with NHTSA about this vehicle, newest first and reproduced as filed. They are unverified accounts: one proves nothing, and a pattern across many is the thing worth reading. Back to the full 2020 record →
While driving the speed limit on I-285 near Atlanta, GA, something hit my windshield. It made a high pitched, popping sound and immediately made a small, star shaped chip on my windshield in my driver field of view. Within 1-2 minutes of the chip, it started spreading long lines throughout the windshield, all coming off the original star shaped chip.
The high beams on the headlights no longer work. This is a safety hazard where I live due to the number of deer around in the evenings. This problem was confirmed by Kia in many 2020 Telluride vehicles. This has not been inspected by anyone yet. It has been reported to Kia Customer Service and awaiting confirmation of warranty replacement. There was no warning when it stopped working. The high beam indicator on the dashboard still works, but the bulbs only perform at low beam. The relay was replaced but it did not correct the problem.
High Beam Headlight system both headlamps are malfunctioned and yes it is available for inspection. Due to high beam headlight system not working when I am driving down hill I am not able to see at a distance in front of my vehicle nor can I see animals jumping out of the road in front of me. My safety is at risk as well as others I meet on the road. Dealer is aware unable to get me in immediately. No warning as a matter of fact the vehicle indicates that high beam lights are working. Upon looking up consumer reviews there have been many complaints regarding this concern which has required KIA to replace both headlight assembly systems at the cost of $ 2500.00 my KIA just barely went out of warranty. My issue is these complaints were filed several times since 2020 and these issues have not been placed into warranty as a recall.
At a little over 63000+ mileage my vehicle's alternator have gone bad and now sitting in the shop for repairs that are not cover by my warranty because it was a little ove 60000 mileage. On the day my alternator gave in, I was on the freeway and all my hazards lights were lit. The steering wheel stiffen and it was hard to drive, I try to pull over and the vehicle went dead in mid freeway. All blinkers and lights were no longer working too so I was in the mid of a freeway at night in the dark. For all i know someone couldve side swipe me or crashed into me with the sudden power loss. I've only have this supposedly new car off the lot for 3 years with only 63k mileage and the alternator is bad already and drained my whole battery.
I unlocked the doors to get in the car. I let my son go by the back door (trunk) because his door was blocked by the car parked next to me. He went in and I put my purse in. The car was supposed to be unlocked since I was able to open my door and he made it in. By the time I walked up to my door, all the doors were locked, trapping my son in along with my keys and phone. The doors arent supposed to lock when the keys are in. I had to call 911 to get my son out of there quickly. He is too small to understand how to unlock te doors manually. It is the second time the doors locks while my keys are inside, but the first time with my toddler child in the car. It could have resulted in serious injury or worst.
Poor illumination of headlights and headlights high beam does not work. The bulbs were changed, and the high beam light fuse and the high beam relay were changed and the lights still will not go on high beam. I heavily rely on bright lights when possible to easily identify animals in or near roadway when traveling during hours of darkness. Night time visibility is very poor and unsafe,
High beam lights stopped working. Bulbs are ok. Lamp assembly has a part that physically moves to change high to low.
Both high beams stop working without any advice. While driving at night low beams provide low visibility and when I try to use high beam did not change at all from low beam. This truck comes with a system that moves low beam light to high beam light only one bulb ( one filament ) no two filaments. There is 37 complaints online and no recall. Visibility is a hazard in united states.
Basically the windshield is defective this model and Dan Obrien Kia Concord New Hampshire (lynn/ in service took pictures and said it would be two days to order it in ? says that they’re not gonna handle it basically even though they have for others? I got this info from Kia consumers affairs case# 14813171 Mike and Kayla . I’ve talked to Kia consumer affairs and haven’t got an answer but they were quicker to respond. Dan O’Brien never responded back to me. so the window started with a 4 to 6 inch crack now it’s been two weeks no answers other than no and Kia directly said that the Vin is within the guidelines of the letter that they circulated so they replaced it for others but they can’t do this one? I keep getting the phone tag game transferred to different states and also they’re not covering their warranty that they promised. On drive train
I noticed a small crack in the windshield one day. The next day it grew longer. Then it split out on two sides. It appears to be growing rapidly and I need the windshield repaired. There is a Kia Telluride Good Faith repairs I would like to utilize for the repair/replacement.
We were driving down a road on San Juan Island on May 1, 2022 when a small pattern of radio cracks appeared in the middle of the front windshield. No collision of any kind occurred, and there was no evidence of road gravel damage. We did not hear any impact. There were no other vehicles in front of our vehicle when the cracks appeared. The weather was partly cloudy and the temperature was moderate. We are at a loss to explain the cracks. They interfere seriously with driver visibility and will definitely require the windshield to be replaced.
Got a small ding in the bottom right hand corner of the windshield which was barely visible when it happened. Although I heard the slight sound of something hitting the windshield there was no obvious damage like a smashed glass appearance. However parked the car in the garage and next day when I went out to the car there was a crack that went up the right side of the windshield and then went 1/2 way across vertically to stop just under the mirror. I have no choice but to replace the windshield. I've never seen a window crack like this from such minor damage. It clearly has to be defective.
The high beams stopped working.
Windshield glass instant webbing and cracking
High beams do not switch on from low beams. Safety is put at risk due to not being able to have visual on roads with no street lights in rural areas. The problem has been reproduced even with new bulbs. No warring messages have appeared.
We have repaired the windshield several times and replaced it, and even the new windshield is cracked with the smallest of pebbles. We have never had problems like this on our other vehicles. We have gone 15+ years without a windshield claim on insurance, and now we have ½ dozen on one car that is less than 2 years old.
WINDSHIELD: Vehicle sustained small rock chip to windshield while driving approx 25mph. Chip was on lower corner of passenger side. Small chip quickly turned into a crack and rapidly shot up and across to driver’s side of vehicle. Claim filed with insurance and sent to Safelite Auto Glass for repair. Been having issues after repair with both HU display and rain senors.
The 2020 Kia Telluride has a major, yet well-known design flaw regarding the heater block/heater core causing the blowing heat to drop when the car is at idle or moving at low RPMs. As someone living in Minnesota, it's absolutely absurd that a car can be considered "operating as designed" when the car literally has no heat during traffic or at idle - this has the potential to cause occupants serious injury or even death while waiting for assistance in the event of a flat tire or spinout during cold months. We noticed the issue in December 2021 but the dealer was so backed up with Kias that it couldn't get in for service until February 1st. The car was taken to the dealer on 2/1, 2/15, and 2/25 - the thermostat was replaced but I was told at the last visit that there is nothing else that can be done. The tech at the dealer agreed with the problem but was told by the Kia Techline that everything was within the specifications of the design. How can Kia ethically (and knowingly) sell a vehicle that doesn't provide heat in a state that is regularly below zero (and even below freezing) for over half of the year?
While operating the vehicle and braking, the dashboard warnings lights began flashing. The brake pedal went to the floor and did not brake the vehicle. No amount of pumping of the brakes helped. At about 3-5 MPH I struck the stopped vehicle in front of me at an intersection. Later that day the same thing happened, and this time I pulled the emergency brake lever and held it. The warning alarm sounded but the brakes never slowed or stopped the vehicle. I drove the vehicle safely to a repair shop and it was then towed to a Kia dealership. Where it is available for inspection. The error codes on the ECM indicate that the right rear ABS Speed Sensor has lost communication. I do not know if the component has been inspected by KIA. When the failure occurs the BCW light goes on, the ABS light goes on, the Master warning light goes on, the Electronic Stability Light goes on, and the AUTO HOLD lights amber. The dealership has reviewed the codes on the ECM which follows: ABS/ESC(+EPB) 2 Codes 1.C121102: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Invalid/no Signal 2.C121002: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Range / Performance / Intermittent Integrated Body Control Unit- BCM 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault Integrated Body Control Unit- SMK 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault Integrated Body Control Unit- TPMS 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault PSM (Power Seat Module) 1 Code 1.B163700: System Not Initialized BCW (Blind-Spot Collision Warning) 2 Codes 1.C169381: E
Low beam headlights cause oncoming traffic to swerve and to flash bright lights, as if they are being blinded by low beams in this car. Car has no load or extra weight, and yet this happens dozens of times per week with oncoming cars flashing their lights as I am approaching. Dealership refused to look at this concern, saying that if I did not purchase a new $15,000 engine, then my factory warranty would not be honored. The car is running fine. Other mechanic shops not affiliated with Kia say the headlights are perfectly adjusted to factory specs and there has been no shift or movement. One offered to bend metal to lower the beam, but he said this was not factory specs and so I declined. While refusing to address this issue, the Kia dealer that sold me this car also refused to repair the recalled trailer brake light harness, which is violation of federal law. The Kia owner's online portal is also non-responsive. I tried to address this there, where they assigned Case # 14685919. I am concerned about endangering other drivers with this, but Kia will not address this customer's concerns. Perhaps attorneys who query NHTSA database will force a solution before someone is harmed by this.
Windshield was repaired September 2020 after a rock chip spread immediately after impact. The recall covered the expense of that replacement. However, the new windshield has the same defect and another rock chip spread immediately and was quite large on impact March 2022. I was driving in a parking lot when it happened, so not a high enough speed to have the rock have much velocity to it. Kia needs to fix the issue when they have a recall, not replace it with the same issue.
I have replaced the windshield twice. A small pebble hit it in both incidents. It went from an invisible nick to cracks over 1 foot in length after driving no more than 5 miles to my destination. The cracks continued to grow to about 2 feet in length overnight. Kia sent me a letter which I did not realize until a few months after the first replacement acknowledging there was an issue and was gracious enough to reimburse me for the first one. I assumed they also fixed the manufacturing process of the windshields as well but ended up with the same issue with the first replacement. I find this to be a safety issue outside of the inconvenience and the second one I did not get reimbursed for. The structural integrity of the windshield is immediately compromised. You are not given a chance to get off the road before something worst could occur like the windshield fully shattering. The other concern is the windshield does not appear to be structurally sound enough to take on the other safety features it is to provide like holding the airbag in place when it is deployed or helping to prevent the roof from caving in during a rollover. I hope you do not wait to force a recall after someone is seriously injured or a death occurs as a result.
Transmission would engage into neutral and anytime. Engine would RPM would inceease, 5-7000rpm without pressing the accelerator. When engine was at high RPM transmission would then engage into gear causing a violent lurching. Transmissionseems to be locked into 5th gear. Transmission would also slip/disengage while trying to accelerate.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that previously the vehicle was involved in a crash and the air bags were removed from the vehicle. The local dealer was contacted and the contact was referred to the body shop for the repair. The contact was informed that the replacement air bags were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact had not experienced a failure. No further information was available.
I reported a suspected defect on my vehicle 1/26/22. With 44,000 miles, the car began stalling and having difficulty accelerating from a stop at busy intersections. Germain Kia Dealership on Georgesville Rd in Columbus, OH where I purchased the vehicle new has refused to adequately investigate this issue, and has refused to make any repair for the open recall on this vehicle involving taillights and the trailer hitch. Dealership stated it would only make repairs if I bought a $15,000 new engine from them, and they stated that Kia would not honor my manufacturer's warranty, nor would Kia honor my extended warranty sold to me for $2,000 at time of purchase. Dealership was acting as an agent of Kia when taking this action. I filed a complaint to Kia headquarters, but this scheme to defraud was endorsed by Kia through a lack of action. I was assigned case number 14636950 by Kia, but the automaker took no action. My recall item was not repaired, and the suspected defect that involves stalling on my two-year old engine was not addressed at all. My records show 5 oil changes since buying this car, but Kia's Columbus, OH dealership says only oil changes done by their own dealership count. None of my oil changes done by other ASE certified repair facilities will be recognized. Dealership says Kia will not honor any warranty due to lack of maintenance. I can prove vehicle was maintained properly. When I escalated this matter to the dealership sales manager, service manager, and general
The high beams are no longer operable.
I’ve owned over 10 vehicles and had glass chipped from rocks or hail and understand that happens. My Kia Telluride simply with no vehicles around on a paved road driving 55 miles an hour just cracked like it had been hit by a bullet and then proceeded to spread over 6” from the time the crack happen until I got it into my garage 5 miles down the road. The weather outside was 56 degrees according to vehicle and no rain or abnormal driving conditions. I have seen in numerous forums this is a common problem with the 2020 Kia Telluride. This should be a recall issue.
Both headlight high beams went out at the same time. I no longer have working high beams and from the internet research this is a known problem with no recall issued.
The low beams to high beam headlight stared working intermittently in Aug 2021. Maybe one side worked or the other or neither. I took it to KIA and they said a bulb was about burned out. Replaced both bulbs but was still having the same issue. Took it back in Sept 2021, they said they did a diagnostic test and everything showed it was ok. Left, same problem. Called again had appointment in October 2021, finally said there was a problem with the "curtain" or cover that moved to change the lights from High to Low beam. They ordered only the left side. Replaced that in December 2021. Left dealership and the left one works great, the right one only intermittently. Called again and asked that they replace the right one, tech had to ask someone if they were ok to do that. Got that approved and the part just came in. Setting up appointment soon. This has taken 4-5 months to get resolved, and I'm still not done. Too long if you ask me.
Rear Struts/Shocks have been replaced twice due to failure and they have failed again. The first time was due to horrible noises coming from rear of vehicle going up inclines. The second time they were replaced noises came from the rear going over any slight bump or rough terrain.
The high beam headlights fail to activate, yet the blue dash indicator shows lights are on high beam. Furthermore, when on low beam the headlights do not broadcast a sufficient distance ahead or to the side to enable driver to see the road sufficiently for safe driving. This issue has been reported by almost 100 other drivers, many of whom have North Carolina addresses, but the reports also list other states such as Nevada. This is a major safety issue that is evolving currently and hopefully, you will make it a priority to contact the manufacturer for a recall. This was first noticed on 12/23/2021, but became prominent when spouse driving me home from hospital ER for unrelated injury on 12/28/2021.
Dash gage cluster (tach, speedometer, fuel, and engine temp) all go to zero while driving. The digital speedometer readout is also zero. Basically the entire dash is dead minus the entertainment system which functions perfectly.This also shuts down all adaptive cruise and collision avoidance systems. Restarting the vehical will not bring dash instruments back. Ocassionally cycling to door locks and or disconnecting negative battery lead will bring dash instruments or they will begin randomly begin functioning again on their own. They always malfunction and come back as an entire cluster. I also have video of the vehical in motion with the instruments dead.
Windshield keep getting chipped unnecessarily, I repaired it 3 times already and its being chipped 4th time. Called Kia and they told me to bring the car in to dealership for inspection and none of the dealership has any openings till 3 weeks later, and when i tell them to book appointment the call is dropped , all others are not picking up calls. called Kia Cerritos CA , Riverside CA.
The high-beam lighting system fails - causing dangerous conditions while driving. They use a motor system that tilts the light and this is prone to failure.
Component Failure: Unsafe headlights, refusal of KIA corporate to address problem since vehicle was new. Component Failure: Unsafe headlights, cause Advance Driver Assistance Systems to malfunction. Failures include: Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Warning, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keeping Assistance, and Pedestrian Avoidance. Safety risks: 1) Multiple near collisions with Pedestrians and bicyclists. 2). Emergency braking engaged at night by irrigation stream, leaves and other Non Hazards 3). Near collisions with Pedestrians at night 4). Erratic maneuvers by Lane Keep Assist at night. 5). Lane Keep Assist shuts down at intermittently at night. 6). Departure from road surface at night during turns 7). Headlights do not illuminate Stop signs, Speed Limit signs, or caution signs at night. 8). Near collisions with Pedestrians and Bicyclists at night during turns 9). Collisions with road debris at night during turns and straightaways. 10). Multiple curbed medians hit during turns. Dealers and KIA corporate state systems are working as designed. Dealers and KIA corporate refuse to address the problems with this car The only warning light you get is the Lane Keep Assist / Warning light starts blinking sometimes.
High beams stopped working. Lights are terrible at night. No warning, just stopped working all of a sudden.
This is the 2nd chip and 2nd crack in my windshield. My vehicle had 16500 miles on it. and is my 11th Kia. I have never had an issue with windshields before this car.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the engine was idling and the brake pedal was being pressed for approximately 3 minutes, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a nearby snow plurer, lamp pole, and house stairs. During the incident, no injuries were reported. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 28,000.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH at night on a back road, the hi-beam headlights were activated but failed to illuminate brighter than the low-beam headlights. The contact continued driving to his residence. After arriving home, the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that the hi-beam headlights were not working as designed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the hi-beam bulbs were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,100.
The headlights in general are very dim and don't shine out to create an illuminated peripheral view. Also, both high beams have completely stopped working.
Since purchasing the vehicle new in May 2020 we have had to replace the windshield three times. On three separate occasions while driving down the interstate a small pebble hit the windshield, pitted it and the windshield immediately started to spider. In parking the vehicle in the garage out of the sun the crack continue to grow. In the short time we have had this car we have had Three new windshield that came from KIA. It has gotten to the point where I am scared to drive down the interstate- afraid that if I get close to any car that something will end up breaking the windshield. Once the windshield is cracked the car is basically not drivable because the crack just continues to grow.
Started car in 70 degree weather, heard a ticking noise coming from the hood, put car in reverse then drive, engine light came on (solid, not flashing), took it to get a diagnostic test and results state “Torque converter malfunction”. The car is now shifting hard through gears and shaking while driving.
While driving my wife had a small stone hit the windshield which caused a small pit and about an inch crack. When she got home, I inspected it and called and made an appointment for it to be repaired the next day. The suv was parked in the garage overnight and not driven. The next morning when I went to go to the repair place, I opened the door to the garage and found the one inch crack had grown to about 2 feet overnight. Not sure how that even happens
The sunroof exploded. I was driving on the freeway and the sunroof glass completely shattered leaving only a few fragments on the perimeter. No debris hit the car. There was no one in front of me and I was not passing under a bridge, etc. The sun shade was closed so most of the glass flew into the air outside rather than coming inside. The shock of the sound was an issue but I maintained control of the car. The glass shards hit the cars behind me but luckily they appeared to be small enough that I did not see anyone have issues from the flying glass. I drove straight to the dealership where my service is done. They inspected the car and, after 2 days, told me that they could not do anything without Kia corporate getting involved and approving the replacement. There were no warnings prior to this issue that there was anything wrong with my sunroof.
This has happened to my wife about 5 times and to me approximately 8 times. my wife will no longer drive the car because she feels it is not safe. i purchased the car new and it has about 7500 miles on it. when trying to accelerate from a stop and usually turning left, car will start to move and then fails to accelerate for approximately 3-5 seconds. very dangerous if there is oncoming traffic and you are turning in front of them. i have researched this issue on the web and i am not the only person with this issue. so far kia dealer cannot duplicate issue so there is no fix. currently dealer has the vehicle and i have a loaner vehicle.
The car was on cruise control at 70mph but cruising behind another car at 65 when suddenly the car started approaching the car in front of us at high speed.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle rolled away into the neighbor's yard. The contact was made aware of the failure by the neighbor. The contact had placed bricks in front of the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires and behind the rear driver’s and passenger’s side tires to prevent the vehicle from moving. The dealer and another dealer Serra Gardendale Kia (630 Fieldstown Rd, Gardendale, AL 35071) were made aware of the failure and both dealers scheduled an upcoming appointment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to contact a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? While traveling at night I attempted to turn on the high beams to better illuminated the highway but the high beams failed to turn on. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This resulted in limited visibility of the road and any potential hazards. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Unknown Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Unknown Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? There were no fault indicators displayed that might suggest a failure of the high beams. The blue high beam indicator light continues to function as it should, despite the fact there is no change in the illumination from the headlights.
Check engine light in March of 2021. 38,800 miles. Determined to be a timing issue and parts of the engine was replaced by Bill Barth Kia in Mandan, ND. Car was picked up on 4/21/21. On 4/28/21 all warning lights came on. Car was towed back to dealership. After multiple attempts at fixes over a 4 month period of time it was finally determined a new wiring harness was needed. The new harness seemed to correct the problem and I took possession of the car on 8/20/21. It was driven around 75 miles that day to drive home. On 8/22/21 the car was driven 8 to 10 miles and then parked and turned off in my driveway at 12:35 pm. No warning lights were on at this time. At or around 1:30 pm I was notified by my neighbors that the car was on fire. My husband grabbed an extinguisher and located a 12 inch flame in the front of the car near the engine. It was quickly extinguished. Once the fire was out I opened the door to put the car in neutral to remove/push it from the driveway. All warning lights were on once again. The battery cable was disconnected to hopefully prevent another fire. I have documentation of work done between 3/11/21 and 4/21/21 but all work done after that point is on an invoice that was denied to me by the dealer. I was told I could receive a copy of the invoice once compensation was made to them by Kia for a part.
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NHTSA publishes every complaint as the owner wrote it and investigates only a fraction. Spelling, capitalisation and judgement are the filer’s own. What carries weight is repetition: the same component failing the same way across many filings, and whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
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