Body problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Telluride - part 1

The power sunroof and its sliding track/rail assembly failed. While operating the sunroof using its normal electric open/close function during highway driving, the sunroof glass/panel traveled to full open and the track mechanism broke at that point, preventing normal closure. The vehicle and damaged sunroof/track assembly are available for inspection upon request. The failure occurred while the vehicle was in motion on the road, creating a distraction and an unexpected open aperture in the roof at highway speed. An uncontrolled/stuck-open sunroof exposes the cabin to wind, debris, weather, and noise, and could distract the driver attempting to address the malfunction while driving. There is also risk of glass or track hardware detaching from the vehicle. A kia dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed the track is broken and quoted approximately $5,000+ to replace the sunroof assembly, citing no applicable warranty coverage. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior to the fail I have found other consumer complaints/forum reports describing similar sudden sunroof track failures on this make/model during normal operation, suggesting this may be a widespread component defect rather than an isolated incident or wear item. Despite this, the manufacturer has not issued a recall or extended warranty coverage for this failure mode, leaving owners to pay approximately $5,000 out of pocket for a repair caused by what appears to be a manufacturing or design defect rather than misuse.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the factory paint on my 2020 white kia Telluride has failed. The paint is peeling and flaking from the hood and the roof of the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request, and I have photographs documenting the paint failure. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the peeling paint exposes the underlying metal to the elements, which may lead to corrosion and deterioration of the vehicle over time. Pieces of peeling paint may also detach while the vehicle is being driven, creating a potential hazard for other motorists. In addition, the loss of the factory paint significantly reduces the value of the vehicle and raises concerns about the quality and durability of the manufacturer's finish. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? at this time, the problem has not been confirmed by a kia dealer or an independent service center. However, I have found numerous reports from other owners of white kia Tellurides experiencing similar paint peeling issues, suggesting this may be a widespread manufacturing defect. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? not at this time. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? there were no warning lights, messages, or other vehicle symptoms before the paint began peeling. The issue developed gradually as the factory paint began separating from the hood and roof under normal use.

Sunroof issue with the air dam that lifts up when the sunroof opens breaks off and throws the the sunroof off track so your stuck with it open or it breaks the track or glass.

My vehicle’s white exterior paint and clear coat are delaminating and peeling off in pieces while driving. Loose paint pieces fly off the vehicle, creating a potential road hazard for other drivers. The defect affects the hood, the front, and the area above the windshield. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The paint delamination has been visually confirmed and is worsening over time. I have contacted kia customer service multiple times by phone and email requesting repair or resolution. Kia has not responded or offered any remedy. The defect has not been inspected by the dealer as kia declined to address it. No warning lamps or messages are applicable to this defect. The peeling first became noticeable approximately June 1st, 2026 and has progressively worsened since.

The sunroof malfunctioned while I was attempting to open it, producing a loud pop and causing the glass to become misaligned while the vehicle was parked. There have been numerous reports of this same issue, including incidents in which the sunroof glass has shattered. This appears to be a known defect; however, kia has refused to acknowledge responsibility or perform the necessary repairs. Kia has quoted the cost of repair at $5,800.

Peal white paint peeling off in large patches started above the windshield, not the hood.

Several oil housing changes. I’m not the first owner, the oil housing has been changed once already and I’m going to have to do it a second time, the car is only 5 years old. I’ve only owned the vehicle 2 years. The dealership did no diligence to check it, I went to the dealership for years and due to negligence with my oil changes and recalls I stopped going, now I’m having to pay out of pocket for issues they’ve caused. I thought I messed up my car and had a part dragging at the bottom, when I took it in to the dealership they said it was previously not bolted down properly. I had a recall, I was told 3 times my lights were connected and I was “good to go” each time I got in and the car said my lights were not connected. After this I never came back! not sure if it’s the dealership issue or on the car for my oil housing leak.

The 2020 kia Telluride has an issue with the metal window trim pieces. It was purchased as a certified pre-owned vehicle and we have had to have the trim piece replaced at least three times by the kia dealer. The piece keep becoming loose and falling off. Some of the pieces on my vehicle have jus fallen off. At interstate speeds of 70 mph it would be very dangerous. Fortunately, no incident has happened that has hurt anyone, yet. The 2023-2025 models have been recalled for this exact same issue, and it needs to happen for all kia Telluride models including the 2020-2023 models. It is dangerous and ken ganley kia of new port richey is no longer assisting with any sort of warranty or repair unless I do the work. I am having to reach out to kia and open a case number every time and the dealership is no longer being helpful. This is our primary vehicle used for getting children to school, leisure travel, and daily commuting. Attached are three different incidents of the exact same issue happening. 8/24/2025, 8/11/2025, and 11/21/2025. The dealership also repair some when we initially purchased the vehicle. All work orders can be provided via ken ganley kia of new port richey.

Large chunks of paint are coming off of my vehicle.

White paint is chipping on car.

The original Telluride muffler developed a hole in the rear wall, hidden by the exhaust pipes. Within a week of the noise being noticeable I visited a car wash, afterwards someone asked me what I'd done to my rear bumper? I hadn't hit anything. When I looked, I was shocked. About 15" of the silver trimwork was torn off, still attached. Today I had the muffler replaced at midas here in toledo( (at a considerable cost) I asked the manager to look at the damage and told him it wasn't there until after the carwash. He said that the heat from the hole in the muffler had melted the bumper enough so that the brushes in the carwash were able to catch the edge and pull it off. Why is the muffler positioned so close to the bumper? tomorrow(11/18) I will visit the taylor kia dealership(where I purchased the Telluride in 2020. Can there be a recall? can future Tellurides be equiped with heat shield/different muffler placement?.

The satin window trim at the bottom the passenger and driver windows have come loose due to poor adhesive. The heat softened the glue over time and metal satin trim fell off in the middle of the expressway and the other 3 bottom trims have gotten loose due to the bad / wrong glue used to adhere them. The new model have this recall, but this issue is happening also to the 2020 sx trim. The issue is the trim is metal and it gets hot in the sun and the heat softens the glue which then over time the metal starts to separate from the plastic trim housing and fall off while driving which a can cause an accident / injury.

Paint failure and delamination on a 2021 kia Telluride with snow white pearl (swp) paint. The paint on the roof above the windshield and the hood has begun peeling in sheets, exposing the underlying layer. The vehicle has not been in any accidents and has never been repainted. The paint failure appears to be a manufacturing defect involving the adhesion of the factory paint. The issue began around year 4–5 of ownership at approximately 60,000 miles. The affected areas continue to expand as the paint separates from the vehicle surface. The vehicle is available for inspection. A dealership inspection appointment has been scheduled. This appears consistent with other reported cases of paint delamination on kia vehicles with snow white pearl paint.

We bought this brand new and have the paint peeling off. It’s a 2020 so paint should not be pealing off. I have read that they are aware of this paint issue but nothing is done yet about it.

Sunroof could not be retracted due to track breaking during normal operation. Repairs have been made and part is not available for inspection. Passenger safety put at risk due to exposure to rain and cold in the passenger compartment. Problem confirmed at an independent service center. Vehicle was inspected at the service center. This happened without warning. Other owners have experienced the same problem.

Paint is peeling off in patches.

Windshield cracked from minor item being thrown up by car in front of me. Engine burns out no oil on dipstick with regular maintenance engine tick transmission slips axle boot ripped oil pan cracked due to it being faulty.

I have the white pearl paint on my 2020 Telluride. It’s chipping in chunks on the roof and in smaller batches across the body. I paid extra for this paint and from recent research, I’m reading this is a common issue. I’d like this to be repaired. I only have 37,000 miles on the vehicle. I first noticed it as small chips and now it’s present in more locations and expanding in width and length.

The pearl white paint used on kia and Hyundai models does not adhere to the primer coat underneath causing bubbling and eventual paint peeling issues overtime that is premature in nature. This has been reported in numerous locations across the internet as found by a basic search for the issue. Consumers are left to foot the bill on a improper manufacturing issue that should be taken care of by the manufacturer.

Car was parked in the driveway when a large piece of the roof paint fell off. The car is the white/pearl color. Color is reportedly known to have defect.

Driver side power folding mirror is malfunctioning. It will sometimes get stuck in one position and won’t retract unless manually repositioned. It has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer. No warning lamps have appeared. A google search of the issue suggests this may be a common issue with the vehicle make and model.

The sunroof deflector assembly spring broke and caused the sunroof to hang up on the passenger side. I have opened the sunroof less than ten times. With the sunroof hung up on the passenger side it attempted to open and caused damage to the whole assembly. Now the dealership is wanting $5,000 to fix due to a faulty part.

The snow white pearl paint on my 2020 kia Telluride is rapidly peeling directly above my front windshield. It started as a small 2 inch area first and quickly turned into multiple large areas where the paint is pealing. The largest portion is now roughly 5-6 inches in width. I believe the entire care needs to be repainted as fixing one spot is not the solution. I have not contacted the kia dealership or any local repair shops but I could get a quote as needed. Please let me know how to proceed.

The white paint on our Telluride peeled and feel off for not apparent reason.

Paint is peeling above the windshield.

This 2020 kia Telluride has paint peeling in between the windshield and sun roof. I have seen tons of post of this happening to people. Kia should be held responsible for this.

Vehicle has pearl white paint that is peeling off the entire hood where the letters "telluride" are. Concern is future rust and issues. If vehicle rusts it can cause other issues and further rust throughout the vehicle. Appeared 11/10/2024.

Paint is delaminating from top and hood of vehicle.

The roof paint is delaminating . The problem has only gotten worst. The color is pearl white. Multiple calls to kia consumer service and dealer- no action and response.

Tonight I tried to open my sunroof for some fresh air while relaxing in my vehicle. My sunroof made some weird cracking noises and is jammed open. I only used my sunroof 2 to 3 times. However, it's in the stuck position and sounds like crushing glass when I try to open it. My rear right passenger folds down on its own. My grandson has been folded into the seat multiple times. I contact kia and got no resolution. This is dangerous. I went to retrieve my backpack from my backseat yesterday and when I set the sear back it made a auto sound, it slid completely forward hitting me in my face. The seat ejects by itself often and it a safety risk to my family and I. I checked kia forums only to find this is an huge issue and spoked about hundreds of times involving Telluride and sorento models. I'm afraid my sunroof glass with break.

The wind deflector/bug guard on the sunroof broke and pieces from the broken mechanism proceeded to lodge themselves throughout the track of the sunroof causing the entire track system to break/malfunction. There are several screws that were snapped from the plastic track, which then left the sunroof glass “bouncing” and unsecured on the car. If this was not noticed prior to hitting the highway or driving with any sort of speed I am confident the sunroof would have shattered causing a hazards for myself and children in the vehicle or flown off the car causing a hazard to others on the road. The car is currently at a kia dealership being looked at, to which they suggested this because it’s becoming more and more “common”. Additionally it is not a cheap fix, quoted just under $4000 for parts and labor. Absolutely no warning lights or indicators stating the sunroof was “open” or malfunctioning. Even once it was no longer attached to the track/bracket system it was not triggering the light indicating it was open like it does normally and with all other doors/windows.

I have a white Telluride purchased used in 2021 with 30,000 miles at the time of purchase. By 2022 paint started pealing above the windshield. It progressively is getting worse and worse. Kia dealership close by says there's nothing they can do it's not under warranty.

White pearl paint flaking off front of car above windshield.

Snow white pearl paint chipping off in chunks.

Pearl white Telluride paint chipping off with no explanation. Several body shops state that this is a well known issue.