Electrical System Problems of Kia Motor Telluride - part 1

The left side of my screen where speed, gas and other essential safety features will not show.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

When driving, the vehicle will randomly shut off. Every warning light and alarm goes off. A message displays on the dash to put the vehicle on p or n to turn it back on. This happens unexpectedly. It's happened about 16 times on the road and 2 times on the highway. This is a huge safety issue. We notified kia in February of 2026, it's gone to the service department three times for this specific issue, but they are unable to recreate it and no codes are stored for them to see what it is. We have recorded the vehicle acting up once it's shut off. This is very dangerous that a new vehicle randomly shuts off, and no one knows what is causing it. Now, it's at the shop for the fourth time. This time the kia engineers have asked the service shop to replace the engine harness along with some sensors and send it to them. We have recordings from kia corporate stating they dont know what it is. We even have a service tech stating that there are others with this issue but no solution has been uncovered.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

The cluster screen on my 2024 Telluride is black when I turned it on today. No issues prior and turning the car off and on does not help. I cannot see my fuel gauge, speed, winshield wiper speed, tire air levels, what gear I am in nothing. I contacted dealer and they have heard of no issues and cannot get me in for repairs until at least two weeks. I feel this is very unsafe since I am not sure of my speed or my fuel level! there was no warning whatsoever, just a black screen.

2025 kia Telluride, rental vehicle, 29,450 miles at failure. Driving xxx w toward the [xxx] exit with my wife and two children (ages [xxx] and [xxx]), the cluster lit with simultaneous failures: electric power steering, electronic parking brake, abs, stability control disabled, tire pressure monitoring, forward collision-avoidance, lane keeping, master warning. I photographed it. Nothing about how the vehicle drove had changed. At highway speed traveling straight, steering effort felt normal. There was no progressive degradation and no warning I could feel. I noticed a slight difference changing lanes for the exit. On the ramp itself, a banked turn taken at speed, the wheel required extreme force to turn. The loss of assist was undetectable until significant steering input was actually required, which happened mid-maneuver on an interstate ramp. I am a large, physically strong adult and forced the wheel through the turn. I do not believe a smaller, older, or weaker driver could have completed it, and a crash at that interchange seems a likely outcome for many drivers. Stopping on an interstate shoulder with two young children seemed more dangerous than continuing two miles to the airport exit, so I continued, with abs and stability control also inoperative. The vehicle developed harsh, jerky shifting and audible clunking. In the rental return lot the wheel would not turn far enough to complete a tight turn. I shifted to reverse; the vehicle did not move, then shut down completely and would not restart. With the vehicle dead the front doors opened, but the rear doors and liftgate would not, and the windows were inoperable. My children were confined inside roughly 10-15 minutes at 86f until an employee climbed in from the front and released the rear doors from inside. The inability to open rear doors or the liftgate from outside after a total power loss is a serious defect in its own right. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

This is an update to my original NHTSA complaint (id 11755209) regarding an intermittent no-start/no-crank defect on my 2023 kia Telluride (VIN [xxx]). Since my original filing, the identical defect has recurred twice more, on xxx — once at approximately 1:01–1:30 pm est and again at approximately 5:03–5:17 pm est, the same day. In both incidents, the dashboard and infotainment system powered up normally, but the vehicle would not crank, consistent with all prior occurrences dating back to xxx. This brings the total documented occurrences to six between xxx and August 8, 2026, including two in a single day. In both August 8 incidents, my wife was stranded and had to be picked up because the vehicle would not start. This follows a dealer-confirmed and dealer-executed starter replacement (kia of cleveland, ro dated xxx, part #36100-3l160) that was performed after the dealer duplicated the fault on the vehicle and on a bench test — and a 4th recurrence on xxx, just 10 days after that repair. I have video evidence of all four August incidents (xxx, and the two on xxx showing the instrument cluster and infotainment fully powered with a no-crank condition. I am providing this update because the frequency of occurrences is escalating — two failures in a single day — despite a repair that was physically confirmed by the dealer's own testing. This strongly suggests the actual root cause (potentially an immobilizer/Smart-key system fault, ibu communication failure, or intermittent wiring/ground fault) has not been correctly identified, and the defect continues to pose an unreasonable stranding risk to occupants. I am concurrently pursuing a vehicle replacement request with kia America under customer care case #26211382. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

The contact owns a 2024 kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 26v430000 (seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle experienced a failure to start. The contact charged the remote battery pack, and a technician jump-started the vehicle at the residence. While attempting to schedule an appointment with the dealer, the contact was informed that the recall repair could not be completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts were anticipated to be available by the end of August 2026. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

Digital instrument cluster disappears upon startup of vehicle. Happened today August 4, 2026. When the digital instrument cluster disappears, the gas cap is also unable to be opened. Getting out of the vehicle and locking the vehicle and then getting back in and restarting the vehicle resets the system. I found this fix after the first time this happened in 2023 by googling and there were so many complaints a forum had been made about it. This is approximately the fifth or sixth time this has happened since purchase of the vehicle in 2022. Previous year 2022 models have a recall for the same problem, my Telluride is not included in that recall as it was built approximately a month after the recall dates. Was able to report the information to my dealer today and have it documented, previous attempt attempts to have them documented at the service department have been denied and was given the reason of “there’s nowhere to put that information if you don’t bring the car in”.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

Driving and brakes malfunctioned and would not stop causing an accident into a tree.

Just started the car and the whole dashboard went blank, no speedometer, gas tank, nothing is showing like the whole dashboard died on us while driving.

While driving this vehicle in route to philadelphia airport jfk, I experienced a total malfunction of the instrument cluster. All of the warning lights continued to go on and off and were illuminating on the cluster non stop along with a audible chiming, all of wich lasted the 3 hour trip. The car is available anytime. Warning lights/alarms were not only distracting but affected the spedometer which would shut down totally. No dealer or service center has been contacted yet.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

The Telluride was parked in my driveway on a hill. When the car was started by pushing the ignition all of the lights on the dash panel started flashing. The car was shifted into reverse to back down the driveway however the brakes didn’t work. We captured this on video via cctv footage. You can see the vehicle reversing and the brake lights are on as the pedal was pushed but not responding. As the vehicle went on to a lesser slope it slowed some but was about to crash into my neighbors home when the parking brake button was pushed and the vehicle came to a stop. The evening prior when starting the car on a flat surface the lights all flashed upon starting but the vehicle had operated normally.

The vehicle randomly has seatbelt alerts for seats that are unoccupied and does not have anything on the seat.

I am reporting multiple intermittent safety and electrical issues with my 2027 kia Telluride. The rear passenger seat on the driver’s side repeatedly detects or indicates that a person is occupying the seat when the seat is completely empty with no objects on it. When this occurs, the rear seat belt warning activates and the alarm/chime repeatedly sounds as though an unbelted passenger is present. The issue is unpredictable. Sometimes it begins shortly after starting the vehicle and driving away. Other times, the vehicle operates normally and the warning suddenly activates while I am already driving. I have also experienced an auto hold system error/malfunction as well as other intermittent electrical/dashboard errors affecting vehicle functions and warning indicators. I am a member of a facebook group for owners of this vehicle, and numerous owners have reported experiencing similar rear-seat detection/seat belt warning problems. I have also seen multiple reports from owners describing other electrical issues with their vehicles. This raises concern that these problems may not be isolated to my vehicle. I contacted my kia dealership regarding these concerns and was advised that there is currently nothing they can do because there is no recall for the vehicle addressing these issues. I am concerned that an electrical, software, sensor, wiring, or control-module defect may be affecting multiple systems. The false occupant warning is especially concerning because I cannot determine whether the vehicle’s occupant and safety systems will function properly when an actual passenger is present. I am requesting that NHTSA document and investigate these issues to determine whether they represent a broader safety defect affecting the 2027 kia Telluride.

Instrument cluster began failing intermittently (tachometer first, then other gauges), and the dealer determined the entire cluster had to be replaced at a cost of about $3,000. The vehicle had 78,000 miles, so it was outside kia's 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

Driver assistance warning (daw) warning bells and dash sign "driver needs a break" with coffee pot showing goes off constantly. Even with safest driving possible, on purpose safest driving, the warning and sounds goes off every few miles and few minutes. Kia dealer has kept car for 2 weeks and say they can not duplicate and I drive it (perfectly) and it goes off. This is a 2023 kia Telluride , previous year models and later models you could turn off or turn down sensitivity of this warning. Kia eliminated the owner the opportunity to disable or turn down this warning. It is a safety hazard because it is always going off, causing the driver to take his attention from the road to the dash every few minutes with the bells and coffee pot take a break warning . Kia will not do anything about it.

Twice I was making a right hand turn through a green light and an alarm sounded and the dash displayed an ”engine off” message. I was able to pull over and restart the car. I took it to the dealership but they were not able to replicate the incident. They told me that they tightened a few connections and sent me on my way. About three weeks later, I was driving straight at about 45mph and it shut off again. Fortunately I was again able to safely pull over and restart the car. This time I recorded it. I will return it to the dealership ASAP. I am afraid this will happen again while I am on the freeway or in heavy traffic and I won’t be as lucky as I have been.

On xxx, while driving my 2024 kia Telluride (VIN: [xxx]) with approximately 34,000 miles, the vehicle suddenly experienced a complete electrical failure without warning. The instrument cluster went completely black, I lost electric power steering assist, the transmission would not shift, and the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle lost motive power while I was driving, creating a significant safety hazard for me and surrounding traffic. After bringing the vehicle to a stop, it would not restart. The vehicle had to be towed to dutch miller kia for diagnosis and repair. The vehicle is still covered under the manufacturer's warranty. It has been at the dealership since xxx, awaiting diagnosis and repair. As of the date of this complaint, I have not been provided with a loaner vehicle or alternate transportation. I am filing this complaint because a complete loss of electrical power, steering assist, acceleration, and shifting while the vehicle is in operation presents a serious safety risk. I believe this incident should be investigated to determine whether it represents a broader safety issue affecting other vehicles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

System/component malfunction & availability: the vehicle's electronic safety and engine control systems malfunctioned while driving at speed. This issue has occurred twice under identical thermal conditions, with the first instance occurring on 5/19/26. The vehicle is fully intact and available for inspection upon request. Safety risk: during the first incident, a false dashboard warning triggered, but the physical engine remained running. However, during the most recent incident on 7/2/26, the defect escalated and the engine physically stalled while driving on the road in high 90-degree ambient temperatures. The stall caused an immediate loss of power and a complete loss of power steering assist, making the vehicle incredibly difficult to control and creating an imminent risk of a crash for my family and surrounding drivers. Dealer confirmation & inspection: following the first incident, the vehicle was brought to a certified kia dealership and left in their custody for 10 days for diagnostic troubleshooting. The service center stated they could not pull a hard diagnostic trouble code (dtc) and could not replicate the failure on a standard test drive. No other entities (police, insurance) have inspected the vehicle yet. Corporate kia was notified (case #26160914) but refused to authorize a specialized repair plan because the dealer could not replicate the issue. Warning symptoms & messages: there were no mechanical or performance warning symptoms prior to either failure. Both times, the issue began instantly with an audible cabin alarm and a prominent dashboard display message stating: "engine off! shift to p or n, then start engine. " during the first incident, the physical engine remained running despite the message, allowing us to safely pull over and reset the vehicle by cycling the ignition. During the second incident, under the same extreme outside heat (high 90s), the engine completely cut out mechanically, creating a severe stalling hazard.

All vehicle electronics shut down when isg / asg activates.

Bought car on a Saturday (6-20-26)and that night noticed the drive mode was broke and the forward collison is broke and will go on and off. Dealership said they did the whole inspection on the car before they put it on the lot to sell. Also, oil was extremely low when I left the lot and had to go back for an oil change. Took it to them on 6-22 to repair and have had to call to ask about my cars status when they said they would call me. Never would get an answer as to what was going on.

The engine cooling fan activates at high speed and runs continuously for an extended period — in one instance, overnight — after the vehicle has been turned off, locked, and left unattended. This has occurred on multiple occasions. No warning lamps or messages appear before or during the event. The vehicle gives no indication anything is wrong; the fan simply runs at full speed on its own, without the ignition on, for hours at a time. The component involved is the engine cooling fan and/or its control module. Based on owner community research, the likely cause is a faulty signal being sent to the engine control module, which triggers the fan to run even when the vehicle is not overheating and is fully shut off. The component is available for inspection. Safety risk: the vehicle is parked in an attached garage. An electrical component running uncontrolled and unattended for hours inside an enclosed structure attached to a residence poses a credible fire hazard. A bedroom is located directly above the garage. This is not an inconvenience — it is a fire risk to occupants of the home. The problem has been reported to an authorized kia dealer on multiple occasions. The dealer was unable to replicate the condition during the service visit and did not perform a repair. The defect is intermittent in nature, which makes dealer replication difficult, but video documentation of the fan running with the vehicle off and unattended exists for multiple incidents. The vehicle has not been inspected by police or insurance representatives. No warning lamps illuminate during or prior to the event. The fan simply activates after shutoff with no prior symptoms. Video link of both incidences: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have a 2020 kia Telluride. On 6/14/2026 I opened my sun roof and was unable to close it. I called my local dealership and was advised that they were unable to look at my car for at least 2 weeks. I am currently having it repaired by a licensed auto shop which will cost me $3800. 00.

Not due to recalls. My entire car was malfunctioning over the backup camera. Every system was being displayed on my dashboard as all lights were on. Turning signals and four ways would not work, my steering became tight and hard to turn.

Vehicle has 75,000 miles. The knuckle on the steering column and the rack and pinion became worn out causing the steering wheel to be loose and jump at high speeds. Mirrors would stop opening randomly. Rear camera stopped working making it very difficult to view when backing up. Replacing the camera did not work, the harness was tested to be ok. The only other option is the software in the head unit. This is the 2nd head unit as the first one was replaced for a failed bluetooth. Cost exceeds $5000 to replace it.

The wind deflector and track assembly on the sunroof of our 2020 kia Telluride (56k miles) broke when trying to open the sunroof and kia corporate is unwilling to cover the cost of the repairs ($4,000). Because the track assembly cracked, the dealer had to break another part just to get the sunroof glass to sit flush, and it is only being held down with gorilla tape. This happened in the drive way at our home and thankfully not on the highway at high speeds. We already had to pay $350 for kia just to break a part of the sunroof so that it sits flush and they are quoting $3800+ for the remaining repair.

The dash screen has gone out at random times. Currently there is not TSB or any acknowledgement from kia about this safety issue. Their dealers service department doesn't know what to do and aren't admitting there is a problem. The only fix from customers online was that kia replaced the entire gauge cluster which is a massive expense to kia. The consumers are suffering because of this and kia is not taking responsibility. They need to start a recall campaign or at minimum introduce a TSB so that kia service departments know what is needed to fix this issue.

While attempting to operate the sunroof on my kia Telluride, the sunroof mechanism failed and became completely stuck in the open position. The sunroof will not close, bypass, or reset, leaving the cabin fully exposed. Upon inspection, it appears the internal mechanism arms or wind deflector components have failed/broken, which prevents the glass from sliding forward back into its sealed, closed position.

The sunroof wind deflector broke and as a result the sunroof was jammed open. In order to close the top I had to break the mechanism and now the sunroof, while mostly shut, still shifts free occasionally when driving.

Following a recent $9,000 engine replacement performed by an authorized kia dealership, my vehicle suffered a catastrophic, simultaneous mechanical and electronic systems failure while in operation. Without warning, the vehicle triggered the knock sensor detection system (ksds) and entered "limp home mode," severely restricting vehicle power. Immediately following this, the vehicle experienced a total loss of essential safety and driving controls: steering failure: the power steering completely locked up, creating an imminent crash hazard. Dashboard & gauge failure: all dashboard warning lights illuminated simultaneously, and the speedometer completely stopped functioning, leaving me unable to monitor vehicle speed. Powertrain & shifting malfunction: when brought to a stop and placed into "park," the vehicle's electronic systems failed to recognize the gear change, indicating on the dashboard that the vehicle was still in "drive. " this created a severe vehicle roll-away risk. Ignition failure: the vehicle completely refused to shut off or power down when the ignition button was pressed. This event represents an extreme safety hazard involving sudden loss of vehicle control, steering immobilization, roll-away risk, and primary electronic communication failure immediately following a major manufacturer warranty/recall repair. The vehicle is currently un-driveable.

On 5/19, while driving over 60 mph on the highway, I started applying the brakes as traffic started to back up. While braking, the entire car turned off, and experience an unexpected engine stall. The electrical almost immediately turned back on with all dash lights flashing and safety warnings beeping. My car was still moving but I was unable to accelerate and was getting the message “engine off! shit to p or n, then start engine. ” this has happened to my vehicle twice in the last month, and I brought it into the kia dealership where I purchased it and they were unable to recreate the issue.

Ev shut down.

A continuation from my last post. I brought my car back to the dealer. The worker came out to inspect my car and he lifted the hood and he said I had a loose negative battery cable and that I had the wrong battery in my car. He said that might be the cause of the flickering lights. My car was at the dealership for three days before I was called to come pickup my car. He stated they found another service update that my car needed p0471 and that cleared my check engine light and the battery he said once again I have the wrong battery in my car and they were only able to tighten the negative cable so much. I explained to him that it was the correct battery because I went to walmart where the battery was purchased and they auto manger printed out that paperwork that shows it is the correct battery for that car. Then he had me sign for my car and I left. While driving home my battery light stared flickering again. So I called him and said I thought you were able to tighten the negative cable to the battery. He then said they did the best they can do because it is the wrong battery. After he got off the phone all my lights on my dashboard lit up. My car seemed possessed. My steering locked up and brakes were not working. Scared and crying I called him back and was telling him what was happening to my car. He said once again it was due to battery. Crying I said I'm scared what do I do?he advised me to put my car in netural and try to pull off to the side. I explained to him that I was on the freeway in 5pm traffic my hazards, signals and brakes aren't working. I then asked him what do I do once I can stop the car. Do I bring it back to the dealership? he said the only thing they can do if I bring it back is to have me buy a new battery. At this point the car completely turned off. I was able to roll off the freeway then my car stopped completely violently as if someone slammed the the brakes. Now they want me to buy a new alternator and transmission. Car had no issue before taking it in.

Took my 2020 kia Telluride for emission software update after being notified by the the dealership. Two days later my check engine light keeps coming on and off. I called the dealership and the said to bring it in only if the light is on. The next day my engine light once again keeps going on and off but now also my battery light keeps flickering on and off as well. My car is also slow to idle and when going slow speed my steering will shake. Also when I first start my car in the morning by rpm needle goes up and down as well as my a/c blow strong and then low matching rpm needle. My car seems to pull on hills it feels as there is not enough power to make it up the hill and my car also shakes. My car was running perfectly fine before I took my car to the dealership for this emission software update.

While operating my kia vehicle, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking capability and loss of acceleration/power while traveling downhill. Multiple warning lights reportedly illuminated during the event, including the battery light, oil light, and check engine light. The incident created a serious safety concern due to inability to properly control vehicle speed and operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized kia dealership for inspection. However, the dealership has refused to provide written confirmation that the vehicle is safe to drive and stated they would not assume liability regarding operation of the vehicle. The dealership further recommended towing the vehicle if I feel unsafe operating it. I am requesting investigation into the safety-related condition involving braking/drivability failure and related warning systems.

On 5 different occasions over the last month, I have had the car go into an engine shut off and said put it into p or n and restart while I am driving on the road!! 05/10-was going to a stop sign and going 5-20 mph. 05/17-happened twice that day, both driving around town 10-30 mph. 05/26- happened driving around town going around a curve 5-20 mph. 05/27 getting off the interstate and getting ready to stop and it happened again. This last time I had 20 cars around me and my car was going into this with all my lights flashing and that popping up. It is such a hazard to be driving this vehicle. The dealership could not find an issue last time I took it in. I just bought this car a little over a month ago. So disappointing and scary.