Engine complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle stalled. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle with no issues. The contact stated that while making a left turn on another occasion, the vehicle stalled and was nearly rear-ended. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and restarted. The contact stated that while making a left turn on a third occasion, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted. The immobilizer, oil, and check engine warning lights illuminated after the failure occurred on each occasion. The vehicle was taken to a dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 14,000.
The vehicle had been throwing different Electrical Codes for several months around August through December 2025. The last code it through was an engine management system error. On December 22nd 2025 the car caught fire in the engine and exploded while parked in the driveway. Fire investigators are leaning towards in electrical issue in the engine. I currently have an additional 2025 Kia Telluride vehicle which is also starting to display some of the same electrical messages
The contact owned a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that, while the vehicle was turned off in her driveway, she observed flames emanating from the interior of the vehicle on the driver's side. No warning lights were illuminated. Local emergency services arrived and were able to extinguish the flames. The contact was later informed that firefighters on scene believed that the fire originated at the driver's seat. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility and deemed a total loss by the contact's insurance provider. A fire report was filed. A police report was filed, and injuries were not reported. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V407000 (Seats); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 50,000.
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at undisclosed speeds, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for a routine oil change prior to the failure. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Van Nuys Kia (6115 Van Nuys Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91401); where it was diagnosed that the evaporator cooler and charcoal canister were leaking emissions. There was a small leak in the evaporator system. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there were no recalls or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, she was flagged down by another driver who informed her that there was a fire near the rear exterior of the vehicle. The contact merged to the shoulder of the road and discovered that the fire had extinguished on its own. No warning lights were illuminated. A fire and police report was not filed. No injuries were reported. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the inspection was being performed. The was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that the second-row seat belts failed to operate as designed. The alarms failed to engage when the seat belts were buckled or unbuckled. While there was a child using a car seat on the second row of seats, the seat belt was unbuckled, and there was no alarm to alert the occupants. While driving at unknown speeds, the information screen displayed went blank for approximately an hour. While refueling, the fuel gauge displayed that there was no fuel in the tank. The contact checked the fuel and noticed it was not depleted. While driving in hot temperatures, the engine overheated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the thermostat needed to be replaced. …
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. …
Related recalls (1)
Engine and engine cooling › Engine › Hard parts internal/mechanical
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024 Telluride vehicles. The engine valve springs may break while driving, which can result in a loss of drive power and possibly create a hole in the engine block.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the engine sub-assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 5, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC296.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Telluride years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2020 (159), 2021 (70), 2025 (48), 2022 (32) and 2023 (26) model years. Engine complaints make up 20% of all complaints for the 2020.
Is there a recall for Kia Telluride engine problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 24V-077 (hard parts internal/mechanical, Feb 7, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Telluride engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 55,000 miles; 46% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the engine › engine control module (ecu/ecm) (2 mentions), followed by the engine › oil/lubrication (1).
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.