general problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Telluride - part 1

I have 2 issues going on with my vehicle. The trim on the outside of my doors is coming off which I know was a recall for some Telluride vehicles about this old. Also ive been having some electrical issues/hot smell like something is burning if the heated seats get turned on.

Opens sunroof and part broke.

Sunroof bracket broke off when opening.

1) what component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? the panoramic sunroof assembly — specifically the sunroof panel and its track/mechanism — failed. The sunroof panel came off its track and damaged related components (e. G. , guide rails/wind deflector arms). The damaged sunroof and broken parts are available for inspection upon request. 2) how was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? the sunroof panel dislodged unexpectedly during normal use. This could have caused objects or glass to fall into the cabin or onto the roadway, presenting a risk of injury to occupants or other road users. Sudden failure of the sunroof mechanism also poses a distraction while driving. 3) has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? yes. The dealership/service center inspected the vehicle and confirmed the sunroof panel was off its track and broken. (if the dealer refused to acknowledge it as a defect, state: “the dealership inspected the failure but did not classify it as a warranty defect. ”) 4) has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? the vehicle/sunroof was inspected by an authorized kia dealership service department. (if applicable: “insurance representatives were not involved. ” / “kia corporate has not inspected the vehicle. ”) 5) 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 lamps or dashboard messages prior to the sunroof failure. There were no abnormal noises or operational symptoms immediately before the sunroof panel disengaged from its track.

On 11/01/2025, while traveling on the highway traveling at a speed of 80mph, my vehicle suddenly would not accelerate beyond 60 mph. I managed to exit safely, but this created a dangerous situation for both me, my daughter and other motorists . The next day, firestone inspected the vehicle and informed me the engine contained zero oil—yet no oil light, check-engine light, temperature warning, or sensor alerts were triggered at any point. There were no visible oil leaks, suggesting internal oil consumption, which I had reported to kia in October of 2024. On 10/21/2024, I paid $3,300 for a flywheel/ignition repair at a kia dealership. When I dropped off the vehicle for that repair, I specifically reported abnormal oil consumption and requested it be checked. Kia did not diagnose or remedy the concern. The combination -complete oil loss -no warning indicators -sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate -occurring at highway speed constitutes a critical safety defect. Drivers cannot take preventative action if the vehicle provides no indication of catastrophic engine failure until it is already occurring. This defect exposes drivers, passengers, and surrounding motorists to severe risk of collision or injury. Additionally, the dealership later provided a carfax entry simple stating "car maintenance" on 10/22/2024. No record of what was repaired, indicating inaccurate or incomplete documentation. I am requesting that NHTSA: -review this incident as a potential engine safety defect. -investigate whether other 2021 kia Telluride owners are experiencing similar catastrophic oil -loss or lack of warning indicators. -assess whether current recalls adequately address this failure pattern. -determine whether an additional recall or investigation is warranted.

I tried to open the sunroof and it made a loud "popping" sound then would not close. I took it to the kia service center in SC (fred anderson kia greenville, SC)and the tech informed me this would be a $7000 fix. They also informed me to report this incident since they have also had numerous sunroof issues with this make and model. Kia also released a technical service bulletin " this bulletin provides information to perform a partial replacement of the sunroof wind deflector and mechanism arms on some 2019-2022my Telluride (on) vehicles produced from February 15, 2019 through January 19, 2022. The affected vehicles may experience the sunroof open/close operation inoperative and/or the sunroof wind deflector function inoperative. " a this is a known defect, this should be issued recall as it could result in sunroof glass break, causing injury to drivers, passengers.

The trim pieces on the outside of the doors are not properly on and are flapping.

I opened up my sunroof it became lodged, sideways and cracked.

While driving at highway speed, the moon roof cracked and blew outward with out any reason.

Sunroof fails to close. Problem is known as there are multiple reports stating that the sunroof deflector breaks within a few years on kia Telluride. Vehicle cannot be driven as you cannot lock the vehicle when a window is open/weather impacts drive-ability. .

I drive a kia Telluride and while driving down the highway two pieces of plastic fell down into the passenger seat. Next the window flew up into the air. I had to physically hold the window down while driving with children in the back seat. No warranty will cover the sunroof and I was quoted $6000 to fix it. Upon searching this information I found that this has happened to multiple people and kia is not trying to fix it. I spent all of my savings on this car to be able to transport my family safely. This did not happen.

On Sunday, August 31, at approximately 12pm, I was driving south on union blvd. , colorado springs, CO, between acacia dr. And circle dr. , when I heard a loud explosion coming from my roof. I did not feel anything hit my car and did not see anything or anybody that could be responsible for the loud sound. I drove to a safe place and got out of my car to discover a hole in and shattered glass from my sunroof. Fortunately, the sunshade was closed, keeping the glass from falling into my car and damaging its interior or hurting me. It was a clear 74-degree day with no traffic in front, or to either side of me. There was no indication that something hit the sunroof. -what failed or malfunctioned: the sunroof. -how was my safety put at risk: had the sunvisor been opened, shattered glass could have hurt or caused me to crash. -vehicle or component inspection: it is at the peak kia service center being looked at now. I am waiting for my insurance claims adjuster to get back with me. -any warnings or knowledge of the problem prior to the explosion: no. There was no advance warning or knowledge. The first that I knew about the sunroof was from the explosive sound, which scared the heck out of me. I have more photos, but can't upload them because I am struggling to convert them from heic to jpg.

Tried to open sunroof and it would not open. Seems to be a common issue on 20-22 Tellurides. Please make this a recall so people don’t have to pay out of pocket for a repair, like the dealership is telling me.

I was driving at approximately 65-70 mph on the freeway at around 7:40 am when the sunroof glass spontaneously exploded above me. The sound was terrifying. . . Literally like an explosion or gunshot going off. Thankfully, I did not jerk the wheel at this high speed from the scare and the sunroof shade was closed, preventing glass shards from falling on top of me. The sunroof was not hit by any debris and was not near any large trucks, so it was a huge surprise when it happened.

Sunroof has failed to close. A sunroof that does not close 1. Could allow for build up of moisture within the the vehicle causing mold which could cause respiratory issues. 2. An open sunroof could lead to theft of the vehicle the dealer has stated that sun roof fell off the track and will need to replaced. The kia dealer completed a diagnostic review. There were no warnings.

The sunroof button is defective. It allows both the “vent” and “slide open” functions to activate at the same time, which should not be mechanically possible. This causes the sunroof to jam and break the track system. It’s a design flaw that leads to physical damage and could easily become a safety issue if the sunroof fails while driving or during a storm. This needs to be addressed before more owners end up with broken hardware from a faulty control system.

My sunroof won't open anymore.

The sun roof exploded driving on a busy interstate highway, fortunately the sun visor was closed otherwise we and our dogs would have been wearing the glass. Lots of glass coming off the roof on cars behind us. Dealer has confirmed other failures. Dealer is servicing now at no charge. No warning of this failure and should be a recall as many of these early model kia Tellurides have this issue.

My stationary sunroof exploded with no impact while driving. You can tell from. Photos the hole is inside to outside. This happened may 1st, I had it repaired with oem glass on 5/10 and from day 1 after the repair had the shade vented to alleviate hot air getting trapped as they say they could be a factor. Well then it happened again today on Dec. 17th !! something is wrong with either frame or the glass kia is using !.

My wife was driving with my kids when there sounded like an explosion and the sunroof exploded. There was nothing around that hit the glass and we haven't been involved in any accidents that may have compromised the integrity of the glass. The sound sounds like an explosion and luckily when it scared my wife while driving, she didn't jerk the wheel and flip the vehicle. Also, thankfully the sunroof shade was closed otherwise glass would have exploded everywhere inside the vehicle hitting my kids and wife. It appears that it explodes up and in the middle of the sunroof by looking at how the glass was missing. It seems this is a common occurrence with the 2021 kia Telluride. There's no warning, no cracking, no signs of it going to bust; it just does it. I'm going rounds with kia to get it fixed but the keep sending me down an endless rabbit hole, so I have in the meantime I paid out of pocket for it. Because I paid out of pocket for it after I was told I could by cooperate I could and then be reimbursed, which is not accurate, kia doesn't want to inspect the car. The only thing the dealerships tell us is yeah, they've seen this happen before.

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.

Upon attempting to open the sunroof, a loud pop was heard on opening and sliding backward, and it was determined the air deflector arm had broken. The sunroof will not fully close nor fully open now, it is stuck partially open. The dealer confirmed the issue and has to order the part with no idea on eta to get it. The vehicle inside is exposed to the elements when driving and the rear of the sunroof is elevated which is a risk to objects.

I let the sunroof back and it pretty instantly snapped and a piece of the traction for the sunroof broke off. I don’t use the sunroof often (maybe 6 times total since buying the car). I let it back occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stop working from use. Now the back of the sunroof is titled upwards and will not close.

Vibration at highway speeds most noticeable when accelerating up an incline at around 70-77mph car vibrated strongly. Had tires balanced and after few days problem persisted. Vibration was not as strong with balanced tires but still noticeable. To reduce vibration I have had to reduce speed and move to slower lanes.

Opened sunroof and arm popped out/off track. Sunroof is stuck open.

The sunroof, which is hardly used, opened and will not close. It has gone off of the track.

I’ve taken my vehicle to kia a few times about my transmission sputtering and the first time they told me I needed a transmission flush, I paid $250. 00 to have it done just to have it continue to happen and every time I bring it there they say they aren’t seeing or feeling anything. It’s still doing it. Also I opened my sunroof and it hasn’t been used much since I bought it in 2022 and now it’s stuck open. Took to the dealer just for them to tell me I have to pay $140 diagnosis fee and my warranty most likely won’t cover to fix it. I purchased the platinum bumper to bumper warranty!.

I have a well-maintained 2021 kia Telluride, however the paint on the roof of the car is peeling off. In my research, I have found that many owners are experiencing the same issue especially in snow pearl white color. I have contacted my local dealership but they are refusing to address the issue and have quoted me $2,470. 74 to repaint the roof. I've had vehicles for decades and never had paint issues.

Opened the sunroof today for the first time in over a year. The sunroof opened with no problem. Tried to close sunroof, and it will not close all the way. Tried multiple times to open and close without success.

While driving, opened sunroof and it got off track and exploded the sunroof.

Sunroof deflecter broke. The small side arms plastic snapped on both sides. Sunroof won’t close flush.

Was opening the sunroof and heard a popping sound. Wind deflector arm broke and now the sunroof will not close all the way leaving the risk of interior of car getting wet and creating mold since I live in an already humid climate.

I have it so the doors do not automatically unlock when I arrive somewhere. When I arrive at a destination and put the car in park, the people in the backseat cannot pull the handle to get out. If the child safety lock (which is a button on the door handle with the window and lock buttons) is on, the back windows and the door latches do not work. If the child safety lock is off, the windows work but the door still cannot be opened using the latch. This seems like a safety issue to me, since most people will reach for the latch in an emergency, but they can't get out. I have to push the unlock button form the driver door. If it is pushed on the front passenger door, it will not unlock the back doors.

The barely used sunroof made a clicking noise, and now will not open or close. It looks askew and now cannot drive in inclement weather. There seem to be many people with this issue when you google it online and deserves a recall. Thanks.

Sunroof is stuck open. Some plastic has broken off inside the track while simply opening the sunroof. It cannot be closed. The dealer said 'sorry we can't close it. For $4,000 we can replace the entire sunroof". This is a safety issue. I have seen on other forums this happening a lot with this model. The glass can shatter, it can fly off the tracks. This is clearly a mfg issue and not an user issue. It should be recalled or at the very least warrantied.