2022 Kia Telluride complaints

On January 28, 2026, I brought my vehicle to Kia of Fayetteville for brake pads, rotor replacement, and brake fluid service. I paid approximately $900 for these services and was provided a dealership loaner vehicle. Upon entering the loaner vehicle, I discovered a loaded firearm inside the vehicle as I was gathering my items. The firearm’s serial numbers appeared to be scratched off. Law enforcement was immediately notified. No apology, acknowledgment, or remedial action was taken by dealership management. During this incident, the service manager, Alex Prat, acted in an aggressive, disrespectful, and unprofessional manner. Shortly after retrieving my vehicle, my husband who was driving the vehicle experienced a complete loss of braking ability. The vehicle was towed to another authorized Kia dealership, Southern Pines Kia, where technicians documented that multiple brake system components were improperly installed and/or unsecured, including missing or improperly fastened hardware. The vehicle was deemed unsafe to operate.

Sunroof suddenly exploded while driving.

Infotainment screen is blank most of the time. Backup camera works intermittently. Dealer confirmed head unit failure and stated software updates cannot be performed. Quoted approximately $7,500 for full replacement. Issue has been occurring for over two years, beginning while vehicle was still relatively new. Creates unsafe reversing conditions due to unreliable federally required backup camera display. Dealer classified as infotainment module failure. No recall issued despite widespread owner reports of similar failures.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's side seat belt buckle failed latch immediately, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side seat belt buckle unlatched unintendedly, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the seat belt buckle was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

Our Kia Telluride caught fire after sitting for about 3 hours. My husband had driven it that day with no issue. After it sat in our driveway for 3 hours, we noticed that it was on fire. The fire started in the back/underneath part of the vehicle. It was a complete loss.

Driver LCD screen went blank

Upon starting car, digital odometer cluster is blank. While the cluster is down, the gas tank cap is also unable to be opened. In researching on Google/kia forums, the fix has been to turn off the car, lock the doors and then unlock and restart the car. This is a 2022 and has happened approximately six times since purchase, the most recent time being today’s date again, the Kia forum suggested fix worked to remedy the problem today. Unable to “log these” with the dealership, unless it is brought in for service, but as the online remedy works, no service appointment is needed and therefore cannot on the spot replicate the issue as it randomly occurs. Unaware that these incidents could be logged on this site to establish potential patterns outside previous recalls for same issue.

Was driving heard a noise and then lost power to gas peddle and bunch of smoke and then flames coming from front of car got out and there were flames coming from hood eventually flames died down and was just smoking police &fire department were called. Piston blew through engine block these engine have a known oil consumption issue and I have kept up with oil .

My wife must use a cushion or pillow to sit in the passenger seat. This causes the Passenger Occupancy Seat Sensor to fail. The seat does not recognize that she is there. The seat belt alert does not chime and the air bag is turned off. I have called KIA and they have no fix. I have talked to the dealer and they have no fix. I can not override the air bag and turn it on manually. We have tried multiple cushions and pillows. It does work without the cushion but this is not an option for her body. How can this be safe??

I am reporting a safety issue with my vehicle’s electronic door locking system. Vehicle: 2022 Kia Telluride SX Prestige with Nightfall Edition Issue: The door locks randomly unlock on their own multiple times without any input. This behavior happens specifically when the child safety lock is enabled. While driving or after locking the vehicle, the locks will unexpectedly unlock, creating a serious safety and security concern. Safety Concern: This issue poses a risk to passengers, especially children, because doors may unlock unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion. It also creates a security risk when the vehicle is parked, as the car cannot be reliably kept locked. Additional Notes: I have seen multiple similar complaints from other Telluride owners reporting the same behavior. This appears to be a recurring defect rather than an isolated incident. I am requesting that this issue be investigated for a potential defect and safety recall.

The infotainment system, which also allows for use of backup cameras and safety alerts went black and has ceased working. Despite a technician diagnosing it to see if it was a simple fix. It looks like a complete malfunction of the unit.

The oil filter housing cracked on the car, causing all the oil to leak out. In researching this, I have found that this is a common problem with the Kia Telluride and Kia Sorrento. The problem is that the oil filter housing is made of cheap plastic and not durable material such as aluminum or steel. This allows the oil filter housing to easily crack under stress. In speaking with the dealership, this is not an uncommon problem. I feel that this should be covered under the Powertrain warranty or through a recall. A quick Google search will show that the problem is widespread in the Sorrento and Telluride models. This repair cost me a total of $425. If I had not replaced or repaired oil filter housing, the engine would have locked up as all the oil at escaped onto the pavement.

While driving our 2022 Kia Telluride under normal operating conditions, the panoramic sunroof glass suddenly and spontaneously shattered outward with a loud explosion-like noise. The sunroof was fully closed at the time of the explosion. There was no impact with any object, no debris strike, no road hazard, and no external cause observed. Weather conditions were clear, traffic was normal, and the vehicle was traveling at a normal speed. The failure occurred without warning. There were no prior cracks, chips, noises, warning lights, or messages before the incident. A large hole immediately formed in the sunroof glass, and glass fragments fell into the vehicle and were caught by the shade. The sudden shattering and loud noise scared the driver and passengers and created an immediate safety hazard, requiring us to pull over right away. Occupants were placed at risk of injury from falling glass and sudden driver distraction. For safety reasons, loose and hanging glass was removed after stopping the vehicle. At the time of this report, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by a Kia dealer, manufacturer representative, or independent service center, as the incident occurred recently (we have an appointment in two days). The remaining sunroof components and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. This appears to be a sudden and spontaneous glass failure occurring during normal vehicle operation.

I had noticed a 1" wide crack had formed in the center of the windshield after first night of cold weather (~10°F). There was no prior damage to the windshield before the crack formed. I'm concerned that the crack will continue to spread as we progress into the winter in the upper Midwest, ultimately shattering while I'm driving.

Plastic oil filter housing cracked after oil change around 100k miles.

Noise over bumps from the rear

This is a very well known issue among all model years of the Kia Telluride. The plastic filter housing is made out of plastic and over time it ends up failing causing an oil leak. I ended up having to pay out of pocket for a aftermarket housing that was metal and not plastic that won’t fail.

My 2022 Kia Telluride is experiencing several serious safety-related defects. The backup camera does not work, the second-row bucket seats fold up on their own while driving, and the electronic parking brake becomes stuck on and will not disengage. The transmission hesitates and shifts harshly, creating a risk during acceleration and lane changes. The engine is consuming oil between changes. The heating and air conditioning stop working when the vehicle is idling at stoplights, and electrical components including the front phone charger and heated passenger seat have failed. The exterior window trim is deteriorating. These issues are ongoing and have not been resolved by Kia. Several of these failures match known defect and recall categories. These create a significant crash and safety risk for my family. I am requesting investigation and manufacturer action.

The vehicle intermittently fails to shift gears and loses acceleration without warning, creating a serious safety hazard. The problem began in October 2024 when the check-engine light first appeared and has continued since. Despite multiple repair attempts by the Kia dealership—including replacement of the fuel pump, fuel pressure sensors, and ECU—the root cause remains undiagnosed, and the defect persists. When the vehicle was brought back in August 2025, the dealer’s latest recommendation on 9/30/25 was to replace the injector harnesses and front wire assembly, but they cannot guarantee this will resolve the issue.

My daughter was trying to get into the backseat of our Kia Telluride. She had one leg raised with her knee resting on the stepping area inside the rear passenger door. While in this position, she pressed the handle to fold the rear seat. The lower portion of the seat suddenly swung forward and closed with fast, strong force onto her folded knee joint, pinning it between the moving seat and the vehicle floor. She screamed immediately in pain and could not free her leg. I had to run around to the opposite side of the vehicle (the rear passenger side) and physically lift the seat off her knee to release her. The impact left a noticeable bruise just above her left knee. The folding seat mechanism appeared to move too quickly and with excessive force, and it did not stop or slow down once it encountered her knee. This presents a potential safety hazard, especially for children or passengers entering the vehicle who may accidentally activate the seat handle.

Borescope inspection of the engine shows multiple signs of internal mechanical failure involving oil control, piston ring integrity, coolant intrusion, and cylinder wall damage. Excessive oil buildup is visible above the oil control ring, far beyond what is expected at 59k miles. Cylinder walls show heavy polishing where cross-hatching should be visible, indicating loss of lubrication and abnormal wear. Carbon deposits are extremely thick; in several areas carbon has flaked off and been pulled downward into the cylinder, creating scoring. Straight vertical scoring marks cut through the normal diagonal honing pattern, confirming blow-by and damage to the cylinder sleeves. Evidence of coolant intrusion is present, including orange discoloration consistent with rust/coolant contamination, excessive moisture, and steam-cleaned areas of the combustion chamber. The intake valve and combustion surfaces appear abnormally clean, consistent with coolant steam-washing. This suggests head-gasket failure, a block or head casting defect, or ring damage (possible cracked scraper ring). Coolant in the cylinders can wash away oil from the bore, leading to rusted pistons and accelerated scoring. Multiple pictures show severe scoring and loss of lubrication. This compromises the ability of new pistons or rings to seal, meaning the cylinder walls would continue to allow blow-by, oil burning, coolant intrusion, and friction. Even attempting to polish or recondition these bores would enlarge them,

The passenger side headlight randomly goes off. An alert comes on on the dashboard to check the headlight. The headlight comes back on randomly. I made several appointments to get it checked, but would be back on again when at the appointment. Diagnostic check showed no issues. The dealer replaced the bulb (not under warranty) and it worked for 1 year. The issue started again, another diagnostic was done, and a found no issues because the headlight came back on. A few weeks later it was out again and the whole lamp assembly was replaced. Not covered by warranty.

Sunroof glass exploded

2022 Kia Telluride Issues: 1. **Sunroof:** Completely broken. 2. **Exterior Window Moldings:** Fading and discoloration. 3. **Axel Boots:** Need replacement with less than 60,000 miles on the odometer. 4. **Child Lock:** Malfunctioning. -

PAINT IS FLAKING ON HOOD

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the infotainment system and instrument panel displayed black screens. A dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the middle rear passenger’s seat independently folded with or without a passenger seated in the seat. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the instrument panel and infotainment system needed to be replaced. The instrument panel and infotainment system were replaced on several occasions. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The dealer was contacted, and the contact was informed that no additional assistance would be provided. The approximate failure mileage was 83,000.

White Paint Chipping prematurely

The Telluride has developed a shimmy. At first, the shimmy was noted at lower speeds, around 35 to 45 mph while under minimal load such as going uphill and slightly accelerating. The car was taken to the dealership. The tires were balanced. We were told no other problems. A month later, same thing, same result. We just took a 2700 mile trip. The shimmy is apparent at higher speeds and in all transmission modes of operation.

We went to get the vehicle serviced at a dealership we did not buy the vehicle from. we told them to knock out the open decals and when we came to pick up the vehicle they said that the recalls had already been completed. We have owned the vehicle for over 2 years and not had any of the completed. They printed off a form with all of the recalls and it showed the dealership we bought the vehicle from in Missouri as completing the recalls. It’s not possible for them to complete them as we have lived in Texas for the last 2 years. I called the dealership multiple times with no reply. I contacted Kia corporate and they were told by the dealership in Missouri that they had completed them on a different vehicle but marked them as complete on ours. After months of not hearing back with a way forward from the dealership or corporate. I do not know where else to go to get this corrected. It is in very poor taste to have to fight to get an error on the dealerships side fixed. The recalls are for safety issues with the vehicle.

⸻ The issue I’m experiencing is with the power windows. The problem comes and goes—sometimes none of the windows in the car will roll down at all. When this happens, there is nothing I can do to get them to work. Other times, the windows work normally. This is a safety concern because if the windows won’t roll down, we have no emergency exit from the car besides the sunroof. The sunroof has not had any issues. There have been times when only the driver’s side window will work, but none of the other windows will, even though each seat can normally operate its own window without a problem. I have not had the car inspected yet by a dealer or service center. I was first checking to see if there were any recalls or other complaints, and I did notice other people reporting the same issue. No warning lights, messages, or other symptoms appeared before the problem started. It just happens randomly.

Engine seized while driving down the road.

The vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure due to burning oil. At no point did warning lights or alerts appear on the dash. This failure occurred well within the terms of Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. I was informed by the dealer that warranty coverage is being denied because I do not have every oil change or service record available. I want to emphasize that under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Kia cannot deny warranty coverage solely due to lack of receipts unless Kia can prove that the absence of maintenance directly caused the failure. Premature engine failure due to excessive oil consumption is a known defect and not the result of neglect. Kia is refusing to replace the engine, the vehicle has been at the dealership for 3 weeks now with no resolution.

Back seat locks repeatedly engage and disengage when activating childproof lock. This is intermittent and since dealership couldn't get it to occur they wouldn't fix it. Today it happened again. There are multiple reports online regarding this issue with 2020-2022 Palisades and Telluride. This is a huge safety issue and makes the childproof locks completely unreliable.

Vehicle has been exhausting small amounts of smoke since 20,000 miles. between recommended oil changes, car will lose a quart or more of oil in its reservoir. there is every indication that the vehicle is burning oil. painted trim around windows is fading, failing. some areas are completely without paint.

For months I had been having issues with the vehicles oil consumption and the vehicle not keeping oil in it and it just buring out and having to get oil changes every month or month in a half my car begin stalling and shutting off in the middle of traffic due to the issue and now I need a new engine and the car is fairly new, I’ve kept up on my oil changes regularly and KIA refuses to fix the issues because the mileage is outside of the warranty allowance. This has been told to me that this is a common issues for tellurides

Windshield cracked for no reason. Developed a crack from the edge to the center of the windshield about 2 ft long.

We are replacing a second windshield in less than 2 years. Small pebbles start a chip, and the window companies try to fill the chip, but it cracks anyway. In both instances, the crack spanned from one side toward the top and affected my line of sight. The glass companies say they fix a lot of these cars. I'm afraid to go through the car wash with the high speed dryers for fear that the windshields strength is compromised and something can happen. Kind of makes my car wash membership useless...... That's over $2000 for 2 windshields and even then I have no guarantee that it will last. I'm seriously thinking of selling it as soon as I get it fixed. I'll definitely check the newer models to see if they are still having a problem. Maybe they can do us a favor and at least manufacture a better quality window for our next installation?

Vehicle oil change recommendation is 7500 miles. my car has burned through oil through past 4 oil changes to a very low level (almost empty) at less than 5000 miles. there was never any low oil alert sensor warning. as a result the transmission began jumping and gear slipping upon acceleration to the point of mechanics saying it needs a new transmission. On one occasion my vehicle actually froze/ ceased up in middle of rush hour traffic. I pressed the gas pedal and it had zero acceleration. the car completely shut off. Kia blamed me for having oil changes done outside of Kia service center as reason for the problem.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a clanking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.

My windshield had a light crack and it ran pretty easily. It should not have done this so quickly. The crack should have been isolated and given me time to get it repaired before I have to replace the whole windshield. I can feel the break. I wouldn't think with a laminated windshield that all US cars are required to have, that I could actually feel the sharpness of the broken glass.

The door locks will continually cycle to unlock on their own for up-to 90 seconds and then an error reads in the dashboard "child safety lock failure." Once that error occurs, the rear doors can be opened from the inside or outside of the vehicle when the child safety lock should be properly functioning. This error has been occurring for more than two years, and we have video of it occurring on many occasions. The dealership will not resolve the error unless they witness the error occurring. We've had it at service at least six times and they claim they cannot duplicate the error. The error occurs daily when the car is in our possession. I have researched this and found many Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade owners who have experienced the same problem and it is always traced to the rear door lock actuators being faulty.

Vehicle Information • Make: Kia • Model: Telluride • Year: 2022 • Approx. Mileage: 30k 2. System Involved • Component/System: Forward Collision Avoidance, Automatic Emergency Braking, Brakes, or Electronic Stability Control 3. Incident Description On 6/7/25 while driving my 2022 Kia Telluride on neighborhood street in Windsor Park austin Texas at approximately 25-30 mph the vehicle suddenly and forcefully braked on its own with no warning and no visible obstacle or vehicle in front of me. This unexpected braking occurred under normal driving conditions, with clear weather and dry pavement, and almost caused a collision with the vehicle behind me. No warning lights appeared on the dashboard, and no manual braking was applied by me. I believe this may be related to known technical service bulletins SC243 and SC252 concerning faulty automatic braking logic and the hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU). This is a serious safety concern, and I am submitting this complaint in the hope that Kia will address this potential defect through recall or repair. There are reports similar to mine at highway speeds which would be deadly. 4. What Happened Next? I have contacted my local Kia dealership for inspection and plan to request that they document and diagnose the incident fully. Their online scheduler is showing next service appt not for over a week out which is not soon enough. I will call them first thing in the morning. I am also submitting this report to NHTSA to ensure that thi

Sunroof glass exploded while traveling down the interstate at 75 MPH. All occupants were covered in broken glass but there were no injuries. All of the windows were closed at the time, and the sunroof was not struck by a foreign object or anything. Definitely could have caused an eye injury or triggered an accident. It sounded like a shot gun blast. The vehicle is out of warranty so I'm going to report it myself and not waste time with Kia.

I was driving my 2022 Kia Telluride and my windshield crack, on the road and the crackline still running across my windshield. I think is dangerous to drive, but I don't if Kia will replace or do I need to pay my self

My Kia Telluride backup camera and screen has become unusable with random colors, screen dark spots, blacking out, and pixelation. This is becoming a widespread problem according to multiple message board posts for Tellurides. I cannot use the backup camera. Most users are reporting Kia refuses to cover as a safety issues and is charging over $8000 to replace the entire infotainment system. There were no warnings, just starting happening randomly and is now seemingly permanent.

The paint on the front of vehicle is peeling on both sides under the hood. The color is Glacial white

—-Engine problem, I was driving then dash board screen show up the red light of overheat suddenly, I pullover my car to see what’s going on, I don’t see no smoke no fire or leak. Very strange issue. I keep driving the car and everything is fine for the moment. This happens in the other Kia telluride that I had, that’s why I change it for this one 2022. And did the same thing of over heating. I took the car to the dealer but they prefer to sell me this 2022 Kia telluride like I said it did have the same problem. No solution. —-Suspension, the car bounce too much and it hit the floor hard, The car feels like don’t have suspension, I have to change the road system to get comfortable way and dont feel that situation, when I park the car move side to side that happen when a another car pass in certain speed, very uncomfortable situation.

I have an ongoing problem with this vehicle that KIA will not address. My alternator was replaced under warranty last April 30 and when I got it back, the CV boot was leaking grease all over the underside of the car. It took 6 weeks to get them to replace the cv boot (June 14). After that it continued to spray grease all over the underside of my car and there is an increasing amount of vibration going down the road. KIA said they didn't notice a problem when I took it back in August. I took my vehicle to an independent shop who said that at a minimum the front passenger cv axle needed replacement but that there is also a lot of play with the lower center motor mount. KIA did ended up replacing both cv axles when I took it back because at that point I had a significant wobble in the front end when I drive at speeds of 40-60mph. When I got my car back from cv axle replacement the problem was improved but there was still a vibration that has been increasingly worse. I returned my vehicle to KIA in January and they said they don't feel anything in the drive train but that now my tires have worn unevenly and need replacement. My tires were rotated every 6,000 miles and the vibration/wobble contributed to their uneven wear. I have replaced the tires and an alignment has been done, but it the symptoms are worse. Searching through social media and various sources show that the front passenger cv axles are a common issue for the Tellurides and a lot of people are experiencing similar

As part of the fix to address a recall related to a a drivetrain defect and potential rolling issues, Kia installed software that would automatically apply the emergency brake when the car was put into park and the door was opened, and/or turned off. The problem with this fix is that once the car is off, the driver can not disengage the parking brake, thus creating an issue related to towing or moving the vehicle out of the road after an accident. This also makes it impossible to perform a rear brake replacement as the parking brake cannot be released. This software update needs to be amended so the the driver can disengage the parking brake when needed.

22May2023: 2022 Kia Telluride had a complete brake failure while exiting an elementary school garage, leading to a collision with the closed gate. ABS warning lights came on and witnesses heard ABS sounds despite dry pavement and slow speed. Driver stopped car by throwing into park. CCTV captured the incident. Can send higher res but your site won't allow large files. Inspections (22-24 May 2023): Multiple ABS and electronic stability control (ESC) errors were detected by local repair shops and a Kia dealer. Other Reports: Owner found other Facebook with similar ABS-related brake failure. They claimed they had contact with about 7 others with same issue - allegedly signed secrecy agreements with Kia to receive compensation/buy back. Dealer Inspection Blocked (30Nov2023): Kia scheduled another brake inspection at dealer, but a regional Kia executive intervened and canceled it last minute. No explanation given. Kia's Refusal (8Apr2024): Kia denied ABS issues could cause brake failure, despite evidence. 20May2024 Recall: Kia recalled a wheel sensor linked to ABS malfunctions but claimed it does not affect braking ability. Settlement Offer: Kia offered compensation but required a secrecy agreement and other terms not acceptable to owner. I have documentation for all.