Most common 2020 Kia Telluride problems
Share of the 776 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia Telluride complaints by model year
Best Telluride years: 2025, 2023. Compare all years →
2020 Kia Telluride recalls (7)
Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust
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.
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.
Seats › Front assembly › Power adjust
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.
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.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
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.
Remedy: Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed.
Exterior lighting › Headlights
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.
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.
Trailer hitches
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.
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.
Forward collision avoidance › Adaptive cruise control
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.
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.
Show 1 more recall
Seat belts › Rear/other
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2020 Kia Telluride:
Complete Loss of High Beams
On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23002 to investigate allegations of loss of high beams with no warning and no re-engagement resulting in reduced visibility at night in the 2020 Kia Telluride. The investigation revealed that the halogen bi-function projector beam, used in vehicles built between January 2019 and November of 2019, is composed of one halogen bulb light source that…
What 2020 Kia Telluride owners say
Lights all 185 →
Continues to have issues with dealership to remedy/correct recalls. Have waited for 60+ days since recall remedy was initiated in August 2024 Headlights continue to be a hazzard and due to this we had unfortunate incident of a deer running out and inability to see in the dusk of 6am due to lack of head lights. This has caused immense hardship regarding finances and maintaining a job as we are down one car and Kia has not offered and:or received all parts for any repairs of the recall. Advised if we attempted to fix one recall (power seat) then our "ticket will be closed and you will need to pay out of pocket for the headlights". However this is not consistent or within the regulations of Recalls and good faith attempts. I have already contacted an attorney to pursue legal counsel. …
The contact's husband owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the high-beam headlights became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer several times, but the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken to a second dealer, Fred Anderson Kia of Greenville (2424 Laurens Rd, Greenville, SC 29607) where the high beam fuse and bolts were inspected, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.
Engine & cooling all 159 →
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. …
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while he was servicing the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was a hole in the rear upper part of the engine block. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was contacted. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at various speeds, there was an abnormal burning oil odor coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where the contact was informed that the engine would need to be disassembled to determine the cause of the failure. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that three oil changes needed to be performed, and the engine needed to be flushed and replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact to follow the dealer's instructions. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. …
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 151 →
Continues to have issues with dealership to remedy/correct recalls. Have waited for 60+ days since recall remedy was initiated in August 2024 Headlights continue to be a hazzard and due to this we had unfortunate incident of a deer running out and inability to see in the dusk of 6am due to lack of head lights. This has caused immense hardship regarding finances and maintaining a job as we are down one car and Kia has not offered and:or received all parts for any repairs of the recall. Advised if we attempted to fix one recall (power seat) then our "ticket will be closed and you will need to pay out of pocket for the headlights". However this is not consistent or within the regulations of Recalls and good faith attempts. I have already contacted an attorney to pursue legal counsel. …
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while his fianc was driving at an undisclosed speed, she attempted to close the sunroof however, the sunroof became inoperable. The contact stated that upon inspection, he noticed that the sunroof was off track and in a bind. As a result, he was unable to close the sunroof cover. The contact was concerned that the glass would shatter and cause an injury. The dealer was notified of the failure and the contact was able to schedule an appointment. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact was able to leave a voicemail but had not yet received a response. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000. The contact stated that since the sunroof is not securely attached, it could fly off the vehicle at any moment regardless of the speed.
2020 Kia Telluride engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 26 / 23 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2020 Kia Telluride a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Telluride to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 776 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Kia Telluride?
The lights — 185 complaints, 24% of all complaints for this model year, most often about headlights. Next are the engine & cooling (159) and windows, wipers & sunroof (151).
How many recalls does the 2020 Kia Telluride have?
There are 7 recalls for the 2020 Kia Telluride, the most recent from July 2, 2026 (power adjust). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Kia Telluride?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2025 and 2023. See the full Kia Telluride years comparison.
At what mileage do 2020 Kia Telluride problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 6,000 miles; 83% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.