2021 Kia Telluride problems and complaints
Owners have filed 364 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Telluride. The most-reported areas: Unknown Or Other (101), Visibility/Wiper (64), Engine (63).
Key takeaways
- 364 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 7 involve a crash, 4 a fire, 9 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 101 | 28% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 64 | 18% |
| Engine | 63 | 17% |
| Electrical System | 41 | 11% |
| Structure | 33 | 9% |
| Power Train | 28 | 8% |
| Visibility | 23 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 22 | 6% |
| Suspension | 20 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 14 | 4% |
| Exterior Lighting | 10 | 3% |
| Seats | 7 | 2% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Kia Telluride SUV FWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 Kia Telluride SUV AWD | 5/5 | 4/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train,engine - filed 2026-09-21
I purchased my 2021 Kia Telluride S new, with only 22 miles from the test drive. XXX (approx. 53,000 miles, vehicle age 18 months): The transmission failed while I was traveling approx. 75-80 mph on a major highway in [XXX]. Upon failure, the vehicle suddenly lurched as if the brakes had locked or the parking brake h...
Visibility/Wiper - filed 2026-09-19
The sunroof on vehicle is not able to open/close correctly due to track/clips broken. Vehicle was purchased used January 2023. The sunroof has been used less than 5 times during this period. I spoke to a service advisor at the local dealership, Bulldog Kia of Athens , Ga. He confirmed that there is a continual issue wi...
Electrical System,seats - filed 2026-09-17
My wife and I purchased a 2021 Kia Telluride brand new a few years ago when we lived in [XXX]. We are currently active duty USAF and brought our KIA Telluride with us here, while stationed in [XXX]. The vehicle is currently under two recalls SC316R and SC374 and is a fire risk. Under these types of recalls, vehicle shi...
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More for the 2021 Kia Telluride
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.