Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2022 Kia Telluride owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
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 .
On July 20th, 2020 while driving our 2022 KIA Telluride at freeway speeds with A/C operating we noticed a change in humidity in the cabin. Immediately looked at the engine temperature gauge and it appeared normal. A few minutes later checked engine temperature again and once more temperature looked normal. Shortly thereafter came to a stoplight and glanced at the instrument cluster and noticed the engine temperature needle was pegged to the far right side of the gauge - indicating a extremely hot engine - and a "Engine Overtemp" message appeared in the message portion of the instrument cluster. The alternator warning symbol was also lit. Immediately pulled off the road into a service station and shut down the engine. Upon opening the hood noticed that the electric fan was running and observed no coolant leaks. …
On three different occasions this car's engine shuts off on me sometimes at highway speeds. It is terrifying being in the left lane and losing all propulsion and power steering. I have to quickly put the car in park (in the middle of the highway) and then restart the car to go again. When it starts failing it keeps shutting off when we come to a stop in stop and go traffic. It's like the auto shutoff option shuts off the car abut won't turn it back on. I took it to DCH Kia of Temecula to get to the bottom of this issue. They are saying because there are no check engine lights and they cannot replicate the problem they can't do anything and want to return the car to us. We fought that and they started a techline report for engineering to help troubleshooting. Kia customer care was involved, but I was told I had 48 hours to pick my car up as is. …
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds and while stopped, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure. The vehicle was taken to a dealer on several occasions, but the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was then taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the ECM software needed to be updated. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred two days later. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed that the ECVVT motor was stuck and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred the following day with the battery warning light illuminated. …
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. …
Problem started 4-5 months ago and was very intermittent; about 2-3 occurences per month. Problem has become more frequent and become much more severe. When foot is on brake and just coming to stop, engine races to around 6000 rpm. Originally would return to normal rpm in a second or two. Most recent occurences were on Oct. 10 2023, problem manifested 9 times. At stop, engine raced to 6000 rpm and remained there. Some times returned to normal rpm after few seconds, other times shifting to neutral and back to drive caused rpm to normal; 3 times I had to turn off engine. Once when restarting, engine immediately raced back to 6000 rpm and I had to stop engine again. Problem is intermittent so dealer says cannot tackle problem until they can experience problem themselves despite my very detailed description. Vehicle is unsafe to drive. …
The vehicle began showing serious safety related symptoms before the engine failed. These included engine knocking, repeated sensor failures, the speedometer and odometer blacking out while driving, the navigation screen going dark, and the entire instrument cluster malfunctioning. These issues caused loss of speed information, loss of vehicle status, and loss of navigation visibility, creating unsafe driving conditions. Despite these warning signs, the engine later failed suddenly at around 71,399 miles with no warning lights, no oil pressure alerts, and no overheating indicators. The sudden loss of power created a highway safety hazard due to loss of propulsion and reduced steering and braking assist. …
I was driving the vehicle and came to a stop sign. When I accelerated to turn and drive what was a steep windy downhill Road my car jerked some and the check engine light battery light and oil light came on the dash when I went to push the brakes they went all the way to the floor and the car did not stop. I continued to try the brakes and had to use the emergency break to pull up and down to stop and drive up on a hill to not crash into other vehicles I have my vehicle at Kia and they are claiming there is absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle and I am to pick it up and leave the lot. They have not offered a loaner car or shown any concerns of my safety leaving the lot. I have asked for it to be in writing, but my car is safe to leave and they are not doing so this has caused major anxiety and PTSD to even begin to drive myself and my children are very shook up over this.
--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.
While operating my Kia vehicle, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking capability and loss of acceleration/power while traveling downhill. Multiple warning lights reportedly illuminated during the event, including the battery light, oil light, and check engine light. The incident created a serious safety concern due to inability to properly control vehicle speed and operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Kia dealership for inspection. However, the dealership has refused to provide written confirmation that the vehicle is safe to drive and stated they would not assume liability regarding operation of the vehicle. The dealership further recommended towing the vehicle if I feel unsafe operating it. I am requesting investigation into the safety-related condition involving braking/drivability failure and related warning systems.
Engine complaints in other Telluride years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2022 Kia Telluride?
NHTSA has 32 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2022 Kia Telluride, 10% of the model year's 327 complaints. The component named most often is engine › engine control module (ecu/ecm) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2022 Kia Telluride engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2022 Kia Telluride, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2022 Kia Telluride engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 82,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 2 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.