153 problems related to engine and engine cooling have been reported for the 2020 Kia Motor Telluride. The most recently reported issues are listed below. Please also check out the statistics and reliability analysis of the 2020 Kia Motor Telluride based on all problems reported for the 2020 Telluride.
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2020 kia Telluride because of excessive oil consumption that kia has refused to address. My vehicle currently has approximately 138,000 miles and consumes about one quart of engine oil every 500 miles. This level of oil consumption is excessive and creates an ongoing risk of engine damage if the oil level is not constantly monitored and replenished. After researching this issue, I discovered that many kia owners have reported similar excessive oil consumption problems. Despite the large number of complaints, kia has not issued a recall or provided assistance for owners whose vehicles experience this problem after the factory warranty expires. I sought assistance from my local kia dealership. At one point, the service manager attempted to advocate for me and other customers by bringing these concerns to kia corporate. I later learned that he was no longer employed there. They have completed oil consumption tests and agreed my car is consuming a significant amount of oil. They conducted a “band aid” fix that did not help. The last appointment when we brought it in, all they did was check oil levels again. Since then, my concerns have largely been ignored, and I have been offered no meaningful assistance. While I understand my vehicle is outside the warranty period, a vehicle should not consume one quart of oil every 500 miles under normal operation. This appears to be a widespread issue rather than normal wear and tear. I respectfully request that this complaint be investigated and added to the record of similar complaints involving kia vehicles. I also ask that kia be encouraged to provide assistance to affected owners whose vehicles suffer from excessive oil consumption caused by what appears to be a common defect. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Engine has a pcv valve issue that causes oil to leak from seals and burnt through the pistons causing loss of oil, engine damage and possible engine failure while driving. This could cause vehicle to lock up and possible cause an accident especially at freeway speeds. There is no low oil indicator or check engine light that comes on to let driver know that the oil is low.
Oil filter housing assembly- resulted in very low engine oil with no warning lights or engine lights potentially leading to engine damage. Yes the component was inspected and replaced by dealership. This was after getting the oil plan repaired for leaking oil as well.
My vehicle was consuming what I thought was a good bit of oil, I had an oils consumption test done, at 1000 miles it was 1 qt low, they said that is normal. So I drove away, another 1000 miles later my engine blew while I was driving, blowing metal everywhere! left me sitting on the side of the road and kia is saying it is not a known issue!! no lights car on indicating low oil or engine light.
My 2020 kia Telluride has been serviced repeatedly for what has been described as an oil pan leak. My car has stalled out on multiple occasions and at one point wouldn't go above 60 on the highway. This is a know issue with 2020 kia Tellurides, but the repair solutions are not solving the problem. My car stalled again and is idling rough and will now be serviced again for the same problem.
The vehicle is experiencing excessive oil consumption between oil changes, requiring frequent oil top-offs well before the manufacturer’s recommended service interval. No external oil leaks were identified when the vehicle had approximately 91,000 miles. At approximately 118,000 miles, the issue was identified during normal operation and routine maintenance, at which time potential engine-related concerns were noted. Excessive oil consumption raises concern for internal engine wear and the risk of sudden engine failure while driving, which could create a safety hazard. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized kia dealership and is currently undergoing diagnostic evaluation, including oil consumption testing. At this time, the cause has not been fully determined. No warning lights were present prior to discovering the low oil level.
2020 kia Telluride failed oil consumption test. Available for inspection upon request. A vehicle running on no oil will cause an engine to seize putting myself and others at risk. Confirmed problem by kia. I have documentation of 3 oil consumption tests performed on my 2020 kia Telluride at the dealership. Inspected at dealership by service department. No warning light to indicate low oil or to check engine. Stuttering and stalling of vehicle at stops caused me to bring in the car to kia.
For some time, I was noticing that my 2020 kia Telluride was consuming excessive amounts of motor oil - at least one quart per 1000 miles. I have had my car serviced regularly by a certified reputable mechanic and scheduled oil changes and other required service every 5000 miles. At around 69,100 miles the check engine light appeared and I immediately took the car in for service. I was advised that the spark plugs and valves were heavily carbon fouled. The spark plugs needed changing and the valves needed cleaning. It was also necessary to replace the coils. Total repair bill was $2008. 84. I was advised by my mechanic that excessive oil consumption is a problem with kia automobiles and after researching the issue myself, found this to be the case. Some engine design issues, most likely with oil leaking past the pistons into the combustion chambers, causing fouling. I have learned that ultimately, the pistons and valves will become fouled again, the engine warning light will reappear and possibly, the engine will break down - hopefully, not in a distant place without knowledgable service. The new car warranty for my kia was 100,000 miles but since I bought it used (I am the second owner) the warranty was reduced to 60,000 miles. I filed a complaint with Kia Motors and asked that they simply extend my warranty to 100,000 miles but since there is no pending recalls for this problem, my request was denied.
Around Dec 13 the cooling fan started running by itself while the vehicle was in the garage for a few hours with the engine shut off, so, engine is cold. . What we do in this circumstance is starting and shutting the engine, that takes car of the situation until it happens again, sometimes right away or a few hours later or next day. I can't identify a relay that controls the fan. So, at this point we don't know how to resolve this problem.
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.
I purchased this vehicle with 109,000 miles on it. After driving for about a month, I noticed a noise and took it in for an inspection. I was told there was no oil in the vehicle and to take it to kia. Kia told me that was a known issue the the oil consumption and wanted to start testing. I have an extended warranty but I am having to come out of pocket $5000 before a claim can even be started and I have only owned it for 5 months.
Vehicle manufacturers have certain basic rules and procedures that must be followed. When a vehicle manufacturer sells a vehicle, it has a duty to ensure that the vehicle functions properly and safely for its advertised use and is free from defects. When a vehicle manufacturer discovers a defect, it must explicitly disclose the defect and make it right or cease selling the vehicle. When a vehicle manufacturer provides a warranty, it must stand by that warranty. I believe kia has breached its duties and rules as follows. Specifically, these class vehicles (tellurides and others) have malfunctions regarding their incorrectly manufactured piston oil rings which can result in engine damage and failure, and even potentially cause a fire known internally and secularly as an ("oil ring defect”). Now, I purchased this car in January of 2023. Based on kia’s active and persistent promotions touting the quality of its vehicles and my partners admiration of kia vehicles, we considered kia a quality company with a strong reputation for producing reliable vehicles. In addition to kia's reputation through its marketing and promotion. We decided on the 2020 kia Telluride because we believed it was a high-quality vehicle, after a salesman convinced us that the vehicle was highly reliable and came with great technological features. Since purchasing this vehicle it has only taken the vehicle to the certified dealership for its routine maintenance as recommended by both the vehicle alert system and the service department at courtesy kia. However, through all our consistent visits to dealerships, we had never been told of any recalls or defects related to his vehicle’s oil ring system. Since 2015, kia has designed, manufactured, distributed, sold, and leased the class vehicles with this problem. As discussed earlier and in more detail below, the class vehicles contain a defect that causes a serious safety concern. The unresolved defect with the Telluride engine is an attack on owners.
The argument for the warranty claim to be honored and the work to be completed is as follows. Kia inc may not want to take responsibility for the engine. They may want to shy away from their duty by claim negligence on the part of the owner. Kia will ask the car owner to produce every receipt and service record you can scrape together just to prove that one was not done at an “authorized” center of some sort. Or they will argue the distance between intervals of oil change down to the smallest of detail to claim you abused the engine. An engine they know has a flaw. An engine with a ring flaw across multiple lines, years and models. That in multiple lawsuits they have in fact taken responsibility for and lost in cases so they are aware of the issue. But my argument is not necessarily these things. My argument is the oil warning light. That light is the real danger when combined with this fatal engine flaw. For a **3. 8l v6 gasoline engine** (like that of the 2020 kia Telluride) using * 5w-30 motor oil**, you can theoretically determine the oil loss level that would trigger a warning indicator based on the overall oil capacity and typical safety standards. Oil capacity and warning indicator calculation specifications of my 2020 kia Telluride according to anthropic ai. - * capacity**: 6. 9 quarts - **typical safe operating level**: generally, engines are designed to alert drivers when oil levels drop to about **1 quart** below the full capacity, which is critical to maintain proper lubrication. Oil loss threshold- - **full capacity**: 6. 9 quarts - *warning threshold*: -*safe level*: 5. 9 quarts (6. 9 quarts - 1 quart)safe oil level - the warning indicator would typically come on when the oil level falls to approximately **5. 5 to 5. 9 quarts. This range ensures the engine continues to operate safely without risking damage due to inadequate lubrication. Key aspects of fmvss 101 regarding oil pressure warning lights. S5. 2. 3. (the light must alert the driver. . .
Plastic oil filter housing cracked causing all oil to leak out. If not noticed would have blown engine while driving. Brought to dealership and not covered under warranty.
I was driving down the road and the engine started suddenly making a loud knocking noise. The car was immediately pulled over and put in park and towed to mechanic shop. Mechanic shop stated there was no oil on the engine dipstick and the engine was ruined due to lack of oil. No oil leaks were found. The car is kept in the garage and there is no oil on garage floor that would indicate a leak. The car was maintained with full synthetic oil changes every 6,000 miles. There was no indicator light on dash to alert to an oil problem. I called kia to report concern, as there is a class action lawsuit for this engine issue in other models, but was told there was no lawsuit or recall with the specific model of engine in my car.
Description of defect: my 2020 kia Telluride experienced catastrophic engine failure and excessive oil consumption, which is a known issue for this model year (to the point that I had to sell it just 1 year after I bought it). The vehicle consumes oil at an alarming rate without any dashboard warning lights, or low oil pressure indicators, leading to sudden loss of engine power and potential stalling while in motion. This failure occurred at 93,200 miles, well before the expected service life of the powertrain. Safety risk: sudden engine stalling or power loss while driving at highway speeds creates an immediate risk of rear-end collisions and leaves the driver without power steering or braking assistance. The lack of any 'check engine' or 'low oil' light prior to the mechanical crisis meant there was zero opportunity to safely maneuver off the road before the vehicle became disabled. Furthermore, excessive oil consumption in this engine type has been linked to potential fire risks under the hood. Failure/incident details: despite following all manufacturer-recommended maintenance, the vehicle suffered a major [engine/transmission] failure. Kia America has acknowledged the failure but refuses to provide transparency or assistance, despite technical service bulletins (TSB sa428 and TSB 089) existing for these exact powertrain issues. This represents a significant safety defect that puts my family and other drivers at risk.
I just recently purchased this vehicle used. I live in northwest indiana and as soon as the temperature went below 40 degrees I developed an oil leak. In searching this topic this is a known issue with these vehicles but a widespread recall has not been issued. All owners of these vehicles as well as the Hyundai pallisades have this issue due to having a plastic oil filter housing. This has been diagnosed by a non dealer certified repair facility already. The part is only around $60. 00 but the labor to install is very high. Upon contacting kia they informed me that I would have to bring it in to the dealership for diagnosis at a cost of $180. 00 and then go from there for them to determine if they will "goodwill" the repair. I feel that in a situation like this either a recall should be issued, a class action should be created to reimburse all owners that have had these repairs done. It will not affect owners in states with warm climates. Can someone please research this and discover the amount of complaints online associated with this and get back with me? am already $5000. 00 into repairs for known issues on these vehicle including rear suspension that is also a known issue but no recalls have been issued.
Purchased this car used in July of 2025 with 77,000 miles. When we went in for the first complimentary oil change at ~5,000 miles, there was no noticeable oil on the dipstick. The dealership continued with the oil change and advised us to come back every 500miles for an oil consumption test. We did this three separate times and each time we were at least a full quart low each time. It was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. Luckily for us, it was covered under warranty. Our engine was replaced with a remanufactured engine from kia. When we asked if this problem was going to happen again, we were told yes, but with no timeline. We now have no idea what to expect with this “new, but used” engine and why we were never alerted to the car being low on oil before the first complimentary oil change. Concerns for the purpose of this report are the reliability of these engines and the oil level/pressure sensing system.
Oil consumption, I use full synthetic restore and protect . I change oil every 3500 miles . . After every 500 I have to check it and it’s been low have to add 2-3 quarts . Today started acting sluggish checked oil and my oil was low yet again low this is ridiculous. I’ll never own another kia Telluride.
Engine light continues to come on and the vehicle sputters a lot while driving, it seems like it doesn't want to go. I have to give it more gas like I'm pushing it and when breaking the left front wheel wobbles when I'm trying to come to a stop I have to hold the wheel extra firm.
After 8 months of trips to the shop telling them the engine was bad, and spending thousands to do things it didn’t need trying to get warranty to cover engine, kia finally agreed it had issues. Tore it down and piston rings are bad. There was carbon build up despite regular maintenance and they are telling me warranty won’t replace.
Vehicle engine is using 1-2 quarts of oil every month or so. Vehicle only has 85k miles. Engine also has a rattle/tick when accelerating. I believe this is due to the excessive oil usage.
My 2020 kia Telluride consumes oil. At an alarming rate. About 2 quarts for every 1000 - 1500 miles. It currently has 125,000 miles.
Engine burns over a quart of oil every week. Kia states it's normal.
Right at 100k miles both our engine began burning oil at an extremely high rate with no clear resolution for the issue. We are adding 1-2 quarts ever week. Simultaneously, we received transmission solenoid codes from a check engine light. The sealed factory transmission had burn looking transmission fluid and after replacement the light continue to show and now the transmission is slipping and hesitating and we are being told it needs replaced.
For a while now I have had to add extra oil about a quart every so often (didnt chart mileage )between oil changes and I thought its just burning some oil. Last few months it went up to adding 2 quarts and recently I had to add 3 quarts of oil and I had just checked it 2 weeks ago. There is never a light or any kind of notice on dash panel about low oil. I have a epiletic daughter that requires a safe vehicle to get her to the hospital. So this is a real safety concern. I have been reading this is problem with Tellurides. Because of the oil consumption problem Tellurides have been stalling while driving. This could be a life threatening situation with my daughter not to mention for anyone driving the vehicle. The dealer will not do an oil consumption test since I'm at 113,000 miles. I paid $40,000. 00 for a quailty vehicle. It should not have these kind of problems. Kia manufacurer said call the local dealer, so its just a run around please help us figure this out.
The engine is stalling, knocking and the check engine light will occasionally come on. You can smell carbon monoxide and hot oil. We are having to add a quart of oil weekly.
Engine oil consumption issue. Engine is run dry due to overconsumption of oil, increasing likelihood of cracked engine block or engine fire. Secondary issue includes increased fuel consumption/ decreased mpg. First oil consumption test reflected 60% of oil used 1,000 miles after oil change.
I have this 2020 Telluride and it’s consuming a lot of oil I have to add a quart of oil every 600 miles. I was wondering if there is any open recalls for this.
Oven taken my car to jiffy line for more than regular oil changes and they always end up kinda jokingly saying man he’s always low on oil. I just blew a rod thru my block due to lack of oil and how fast it was burning. I feel so cheated out of my money. I’m stuck with a vehicle that I cannot drive and kia refuses to replace it.
My vehicle has an oil consumption problem that the dealership and every other kia dealership knows about. They are facebook groups about the kia Telluride oil consumption problems. I’ve had my vehicle in the shop countless times and it’s cost a lot of money. It now needs a new engine along with every other kia Telluride on the social media groups, complaining about the oil consumption and their engines going bad and needing replaced. The dealership refuses to replace my engine because there’s no recall.
Excessive oil consumption causing monthly oil changes. No low oil indicator causing engine to rattle.
History of engine randomly lurching/ hesitation when shifting. Have brought car in when it stalled out while driving, or at light. Largest problem now is oil leaking excessively. Kia has not been forthcoming on their history with this issue on 2020 Tellurides. Have been dealing with this the past couple of months and needed to bring it in for 'checks'. Service tech said that ½ quart of low oil after 1000 miles was not enough for kia to flag; told me to come in at oil change time. He said I did not need to worry as it was still covered under 100,000 warrantee. After checking it myself after driving another 1000 miles, I found that it was low. I brought this in for immediate concerns. I was told to 'wait' as my service tech was not there that day. He called me the next day to tell me I should bring in when I can so they can write up an 'approval ticket' for kia. I brought in the following week. Again he was off. I spoke with another tech who told me it was low 2 ½ q of oil - this was a week later. I now have to wait for kia to 'approve'. I was told this could take a week or longer. . I need my car. I asked for a rental and was told I may have to pay for it. This is frustrating and disturbing. I am told by other tech that I will probably need a new engine and I should not drive my car until it is addressed. This car is 4 ½ years old and has less than 70k miles.
Kia replaced oil filter adapter and now it burns through excessive amounts of oil. 3qts over 1000 miles. Kia wanted to do an oil consumption test but by the end it would have been out of warranty. Engine replacement would then not be covered.
The vehicle began burning oil around 61,000 miles, shortly after the 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty period ended. The issue was confirmed by an independent mechanic, who identified leaking lower engine seals and excessive oil consumption. The mechanic advised that the engine will likely need replacement due to internal seal failure. This condition presents a potential safety risk if oil levels drop unexpectedly, leading to engine seizure or loss of power while driving. There were no dashboard warning lights or messages prior to discovering the problem; the only symptom was an oil smell and the dipstick reading consistently below normal levels between changes. The problem has been confirmed by an independent mechanic. The vehicle has been regularly maintained according to the manufacturer’s service schedule. The manufacturer has declined to offer assistance, citing warranty expiration and second-owner status, despite the failure occurring only 1,000 miles past coverage and appearing consistent with a latent manufacturing defect. The vehicle and documentation remain available for inspection upon request.