Equipment Problems of 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.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

Opened the sunroof. Used the automatic switch to close it. The sunroof jammed and would not close. It is popped up in the back. A piece on the left track broke off. The dealership wants over $6000 to repair the sunroof.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

The sunroof mechanism in the vehicle jammed and broke out of the track. When my wife drove the vehicle in the interstate the sunroof began to vibrate and move around. She was afraid the glass was about to fly out and possibly hit a vehicle behind her. She had to reduce her speed excessively and my daughter had to hold on to the sunroof all the way home. The vehicle is well maintained with approx 50. 000 miles. The warranty is out and I am being told that kia will not cover the repairs. I am still trying to get customer affairs to approve a fully covered repair at no cost but it seems the are not being CO operative so far.

Opens sunroof and part broke.

Driving on the highway with no obstacles or vehicles in proximity, the sunroof spontaneously shattered. If we had the sunroof visor (slide cover) open to let in light, we would have been rained down on by thousands of glass shards while driving at highway speeds. Luckily for us, the cover acted as a barrier from the glass. This part of the sunroof is over both driver and passenger seats. The vehicle was driven to the dealership which was very close to the occurrence location and the dealership would not inspect vehicle but did do a work order stating that they would not cover exploding glass. Dealer stated that we needed to contact our insurance company but I have held off due to feeling like it would be a fraudulent claim of damage since it was not caused by an object striking our vehicle. We have documented 24 calls to case manager with kia and no action or returned calls to date. (04/07/2026). On a call with the kia 800 number, the customer representative acknowledged he had heard of numerous problems with the sunroofs exploding for no apparent reason. The vehicle had been parked inside our garage and not moved or driven since the incident waiting for someone to investigate or inspect our vehicle.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

Friday, March 13, 2025, at approximately 11:50 am pst while driving on interstate 5 northbound, heard a loud explosion like a gunshot, with no vehicles in close proximity, then hearing the rush of wind, opened the interior sunroof cover, discovered the sunroof glass shattered.

I am the original owner of a 2020 kia Telluride. The white paint on the car is coming off in huge pieces all over the front. The primer is still attached to the metal. Huge chunks are coming off as we drive it. We have spoke to the dealership and kia corporate as well and they do not care because it is out of the 3 year warranty. We had a paint shop inspect it and get an estimate for it to be fixed and they have told us this is a paint manufacturer defect clearly considering the primer is noticeably on the metal still. The vehicle has never been in any type of accident ever.

My 2020 kia Telluride ex experienced a sudden engine shutoff / loss of motive power while driving in traffic. The vehicle stopped in the roadway, would not immediately restart, and restarted later after sitting. This was not normal stop/start operation, the car shut down. No low-oil warning appeared before the event. I am also aware of multiple similar owner reports online describing high oil consumption, stalling, and lack of warning in 2020 Tellurides, but this complaint is based on my own direct experience and concern. It was scary and life threatening!.

I was driving down the highway at 73 mph and the sunroof shattered sending glass into the interior of the car, onto me, and into my clothes. It sounded like a gunshot and was terrifying.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

After a long winter in northern illinois, we had a 70’ afternoon and I tried to open my sunroof and it stopped working. I heard a crunching sound and tried to reverse it and that may have made it worse. It had been working fine in the fall months September and October when I last used it. It did not cause a safety issue. No one was at risk. I’ve taken the car to the closest kia dealer to me . Castle kia in mchenry IL. The kia dealer gave me an estimate on cost . There was no warning signs of it being broken until it actually happened.

To whom it may concern, I am writing to formally complain about an ongoing issue with my 2024 kia Telluride, which has experienced four separate windshield cracks in a little over two years of ownership. This frequency is excessive and well beyond what I would consider normal wear and tear for a vehicle of this class and price point. Each incident occurred during routine driving conditions, such as normal highway or city travel. In all cases, the impacts involved very small rocks or road debris, not large objects, construction hazards, or extreme driving situations. These are conditions that most vehicles encounter regularly without sustaining immediate windshield damage. The repeated cracking raises serious concerns about the durability, thickness, or overall quality of the windshield glass used in the Telluride. Having to repair or replace a windshield this often is both inconvenient and costly, and it undermines confidence in the vehicle’s design and materials. A windshield should be able to withstand minor impacts from small debris without cracking so easily. I chose the kia Telluride based on its reputation for safety, quality, and reliability. However, this recurring issue has been frustrating and disappointing, especially given the relatively short ownership period and normal driving conditions involved. I respectfully request that kia review this matter and consider whether there is a known defect or design issue with the windshield on the Telluride. I would also appreciate assistance, goodwill consideration, or guidance on how kia plans to address this concern for customers experiencing similar problems. Thank you for your time and attention. I look forward to your response and a resolution that reflects kia’s commitment to quality and customer satisfaction.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

Approximately at 2:15pm on Tuesday, March 3, I was entering the highway and had yet to get up to freeway speed and no vehicles were in front of me. There was a loud boom / explosion and a glass shattering sound. I immediately exited the highway at the next exit which was less than a mile. I slowed my speed and still heard glass falling. I checked my back window and it was intact, and I realized it was coming from the front sun roof. I headed back to my home since there was no safe place to pull over, due to limited shoulder and street construction. When I had a chance to examine the sun roof, it was blown upward.

The sunroof on my 2023 kia Telluride spontaneously exploded. An authorized kia dealership inspected the sunroof and determined that the sunroof exploded outward - which is consistent with a manufacturing defect that should be covered under the vehicles bumper-to-bumper warranty. However, kia's consumer affairs department is denying warranty coverage and forcing me to file an insurance claim or pay out of pocket.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Telluride 🔎.

I have been waiting for kia to repair this recall for over 4 weeks. The local dealership states that the part is on backorder and hasn't arrived yet.

Front sunroof suddenly shattered while going down highway. Remaining glass was pushed outward and no sign of impact was seen.

Sunroof suddenly exploded while driving.

Vehicle locked while key fob was inside, resulting in infant being locked inside the car. At no point was a lock command engaged. No warning alerts or safety override activated. Incident posed a serious child safety risk. Vehicle required external intervention to unlock. Dealership and manufacturer have been notified, waiting for response.

Our kia Telluride caught fire after sitting for about 3 hours. My husband had driven it that day with no issue. After it sat in our driveway for 3 hours, we noticed that it was on fire. The fire started in the back/underneath part of the vehicle. It was a complete loss.

We were driving on interstate at 70 mph. It was sunny and 45 degrees outside. Suddenly with no warning, our front sunroof glass exploded. The bang was so loud that my ear was ringing hours after. Fortunately no car was following closely so no other vehicle was hit with flying debris. Also, our interior visor was closed so we were not struck by any of the flying glass. We pulled off and removed any loose glass that could fly off and proceeded to the dealership. They were submitting warranty information, etc. And provided a rental while we await the repairs. They did mention they had seen this before in a case where the visor was not closed and glass poured into the cabin and implied that it was a worse case than ours.

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.

Snow white pearl paint is peeling like a banana. Contacted kia and are aware of the problem but offered nothing.

Sunroof bracket broke off when opening.

The kia has an active recall sc347a because the side pieces can fall off. Two of ours already have, one of which flew off of our car and was definitely a hazard when it happened. Kia south atlanta , 7310 jonesboro road morrow road has repeatedly refused to fix it and have made it clear they have no plans to ever fix it despite the recall.

2023 kia Telluride: black digital cluster screen will not turn on, affecting the ability to monitor vehicle status, odometer, speedometer, and safety features. We purchased this vehicle brand new in 2023. The vehicle has been in the kia dealership service center (where it was purchased) from January 2026 to present. The dealership estimates it will be June 2026 before backordered parts can be replaced by a master mechanic. We have continued to make payments on a vehicle we are unable to use with no resolution in sight. The vehicle has also been serviced for 5 separate recalls since purchased new in 2023, and we just received our 6th recall notification for an additional issue.

Vehicle began shifting really hard and the rpm meter started going way up and down really fast. The check engine light also came on. It caused difficulties with control of the vehicle. Vehicle was parked and taken to a mechanic so said the issue was the torque converter and that it needs a new transmission.

The sunroof will not close. The closing mechanism broke.

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 display stops working or goes blank. Speed sometimes shows incorrectly on display. Today with a full tank of fuel it showed the Telluride was empty. Dealer service is scheduled for next week. No warnings.

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.

2023 kia Telluride – instrument cluster intermittently goes blank while operating the vehicle. This has happened multiple times over the last few years since we bought it brand new, even after the official recall repair (sc270). Dealer has told us to disconnect the battery as a temporary fix. This is my wife’s primary vehicle for transporting our children and it’s unsafe because she cannot see speed, warning lights or blinkers when the cluster fails. Today 11/24/25, I had to meet her to switch cars because she didn’t feel safe to drive it anymore when the cluster went out. On 11/17/25 it had gone out and I disconnected it, which showed to be a quick fix again. I would estimate the cluster goes out at least once a month. My research shows this is a common issue with this car and updates or the recall doesn’t fix it. As a law enforcement officer, I am held to high safety standards both on and off duty. A vehicle with a recurring and unrepairable safety defect like this is unacceptable, unsafe, and unfit for normal operation. This ongoing failure places our family and the public at risk.

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.

Sunroof glass exploded.

My son was driving home from work and the vehicle shut off. He got it to come back on and it stopped while he was at a red light and a by standard yelled for him to get out of the vehicle as it caught fire underneath the car from unknown reasons.

2022 kia Telluride issues: 1. **sunroof:** completely broken. 2. **exterior window moldings:** fading and discoloration. 3. **axel boots:** need replacement with less than 60,000 miles on the odometer. 4. **child lock:** malfunctioning. -.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I put the car in park, then turned off the vehicle, and removed my seatbelt. The car then began rolling back on its own. When I hit the break, it did not work to stop or slow the vehicle. Instead, the break hit the floor, and was "floppy". The car then crashed. The vehicle appears to have experienced a "roll-away event" despite being in park and off. (a term I learned from the prior 2024 Telluride recall, my VIN was not included). • the brake pedal went to the floor and did not stop or slow the vehicle as expected, and felt “floppy” with no normal resistance. • the electronic parking brake / brake actuator did not appear to engage (no sound, no holding force). How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I had removed my seatbelt, so I sustained whiplash and other bodily harm from crashing into our house. Had I stepped out of the car, I could have been pulled underneath it. It also crashed/crushed into our grill which could have caused an explosion. And most importantly, it could have been fatal to my daughters (22 months and 4yr) who usually stand (95% of the time or more) where the car crashed, waiting for me to get out of the car. My dogs also roam the drive way and it could have runover them as well. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I have notified kia customer support and am waiting their response for further steps. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no, not yet. (see above) were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? the brakes have malfunctioned a few times during reversing or driving. The auto stop has engaged itself when there was no danger of hitting anything, and has once stopped in the middle of an intersection, on its own.