Table 1 shows one common suspension related problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Telluride.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Suspension problems |
I have 2021 kia Telluride with 38000 miles on it. When I wash my car, I normally wash the roof and in order to do that I put one foot on 3 step ladder and one foot on the back tire. I always had a plenty space above the tire and under the fender and I could stand up on the tire while I was washing the roof. On my last wash after the harsh winter weather, I notice I can not place my foot on the tire anymore. I google the height from the bottom of the fender to the ground and I noticed is way down. I read on google that is covered by kia for 15 years or 180000 miles. I contacted the riverhead kia and they replaced the shocks. When I came out of the dealer I immediately noticed the height has not been improved. I informed the service advisor, he said that is not going to be like a new 2026 vehicle and it should be ok. Two days later over the weekend I noticed roaring sound and when I hit the bump it seems my chasing banging on the axle. I am planning to go back to dealer tomorrow.
Rear shocks unstable. When on rough roads or small imperfections in the road it’s hard to control vehicle and items/people get abruptly jostled. The dealership has been notified but says it’s not a recall and will look at it but can only take pictures and send it off to main office. No warning of this failure.
Rear shock failure for the second time. This time in under 9 months. Front crash detection constantly goes off in cold snowy weather or rain. Engine issue is frequent popping sound in exhaust and causing dirty oxygen sensors.
The rear frame of my 2021 kia Telluride has a broken weld. This is a structural failure that compromises the safety and integrity of the vehicle. The kia dealership mechanic who inspected it confirmed the weld was defective and also stated they have heard other Tellurides with the same issue. A broken frame weld poses a serious risk to vehicle occupants in the event of a crash and may affect handling, towing, and long-term durability. This appears to be a recurring defect and should be investigated as a potential safety hazard. After several trips to the dealership, for the loud metal to metal type bang, they have replaced struts, rear stab links and shock absorbers. On 9/17/2025 the mechanic was given a list of items to inspect and the dealership informed me that one of the items on the list was to check the frame welds. I was informed that they found the broken weld and have forward pictures to kia engineers. I was informed that the car is safe to drive and they will get back to me within a couple weeks. They offered me a loaner car but it would be a kia soul which is too small for my wife that has bad knees to get in and out of. I do not have pictures of the problem and the dealership didn't want to copy me.
There is an ongoing problem with the nivomat self-leveling shocks on every model year of this vehicle. The problem occurs at nearly every speed but is more noticeable at lower speeds (35mph or less) while going over uneven terrain or hitting small bumps. The vehicle produces a clunking noise from the rear of the vehicle and there is no cushioning or rebounding from going over the bump or uneven terrain. Instead, there is more of a jolting knock when hitting small bumps and a constant bouncing around/floating feeling while driving over uneven terrain. This is dangerous because passengers and cargo in the vehicle gets bounced around and the vehicle gets harder to control especially at higher speeds. Many of these shocks are failing early in the life of the vehicle. Mine is at 27k miles, however I believe the problem started before and probably closer to 18-20k miles. Kia knows about this issue but has failed to come up with a reliable solution. This is four model years now with the same issue. Kia has released TSB after TSB on this, only replacing certain parts of the shock (isolators, etc. ). However, there are still reports of replacement parts and even new full shock assemblies failing around the same amount of milage. It would be great if a wider recall can be issued to address this ongoing problem that seems to affect every model year so hopefully kia can find a more reliable, quality part to replace the consistently failing part.
Rear shocks are defective, bounces around, diagonal pitch and rough / harsh ride. Dealers idea of fix is shock isolator replacement. They don't have in stock and make you wait several days for repair. There should be a recall on this.
In the summer of 2023 I started hearing a clunking noise from the rear of the vehicle that became louder when going over bumps. Took the car to the dealer and I was told the rear shocks were bad and needed to be replaced. Aug of 2023 the original shocks on the car were replaced which was premature for the average life of shocks. Then months later the same things started and I had a puddle of fluid on my garage floor. I took my vehicle back into the same dealership in June of 2024 only to find the rear shocks had failed again. This time in less than a year. Now in September, I can feel the back end getting loose when I go over bumps, which is what happened previously before the shock completely failed. The ride is continuing to regress. Up until this I thought I would go into another Telluride but the lack of longevity in the ride comfort has changed my mind. Something has to be wrong for brand new shocks to fail so shortly after installation.
. Cannot drive the vehicle because the rear end bounces up and down and side to side violently making it difficult to control ehile driving. Kia dealership said rear shock absorbers need replacement and kia warranty does not cover $1800 repair. Kia dealer said this has happened previously. There are many comments on the internet from other kia Telluride owners about the same problem. I opened a case with Kia Motor company requesting they cover a portion of the repair given the numerous online complaints, and the obvious safety risks. They refused. Kia is clearly installing defective parts on this vehicle.
The rear shock is leaking/bad. My car only has 30k miles. It caused my wheels to wear unevenly, which could have led me and my family to have a car accident if a wheel popped while driving. An independent service center has confirmed this when the vehicle failed inspection. No warning of the issue.
Rear self leveling shocks failed, confirmed at 65,000 miles but issue had been present for months.
Around 65,000 miles rear self-leveling shock absorbers started making clunking noises, now they're extremely stiff, not compressing with weight, even small speed bumps affect the rear of the car, rear/cargo bouncing up violently over mild speed bumps, rough on 2nd/3rd row passengers. The standard front shocks which are still good. The problem, reproduced on a drive, verified by a dealership service department tech. Local dealership reported problem to kia, and kia offered to cover parts but I'd be charged over $500 labor. A premium package car shouldn't have such a rough ride because of failing suspension parts. Kia should fix the rear shock issue on the 2021 Tellurides ordered w/ "self-leveling rear suspension" under a recall. Thanks for your attention.
Rear suspension harshness, rough ride, and asymmetric rear ride quality body movement. Medium to large bumbs on road causing body to pitch latterally causing all passengers to have accessive headtoss. Driver fatigue sets in quickly.
The rear self-levelling shocks have failed completely, providing no shock absorbtion whatsoever. The vehicle is extremely difficult to control on bumpy roads even at moderate speed as it bounces so violently it is difficlult to maintain steeering. My vehicle is a 2021 Telluride sx with towing package.