Equipment Problems of Kia Motor Telluride - part 2

I was driving my brand new 2025 kia Telluride that was purchased from the dealership 3 weeks before the incident. The engine died while driving approximately 40 mph on a flat road. The engine died and then there was a loud beeping and a flashing alert on the dashboard in the circle where the righthand indicator camera view appears that said, “engine off-shift to p or n then start engine. ” this occurred at about 7:30 pm on may 19, 2026 with about 40% full tank of gas. The automatic engine auto-stop feature was on at the time. The car had been running for about 3 minutes before the engine died. The power steering was also affected. Once I pulled over and put the car in park the engine started again as normal and there were no alerts on the dash or when I checked the kia app. I dropped the car at the dealership the following morning, they have had it for 6 days so far and let me know that their diagnostics and test drives did not reveal any issues or defects with the vehicle.

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The moon roof has came off track.

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I was driving the vehicle and came to a stop sign. When I accelerated to turn and drive what was a steep windy downhill road my car jerked some and the check engine light battery light and oil light came on the dash when I went to push the brakes they went all the way to the floor and the car did not stop. I continued to try the brakes and had to use the emergency break to pull up and down to stop and drive up on a hill to not crash into other vehicles I have my vehicle at kia and they are claiming there is absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle and I am to pick it up and leave the lot. They have not offered a loaner car or shown any concerns of my safety leaving the lot. I have asked for it to be in writing, but my car is safe to leave and they are not doing so this has caused major anxiety and ptsd to even begin to drive myself and my children are very shook up over this.

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May 9, 2026 opened my sunroof for first time this year. Would not open all the way. Jammed sideways. Couldn't get it shut. The arms in the track to move the window back and forth disinegrated. Slight water damage to right side headliner. Currently at glass company for repair. Need entire unit. $1,450 for a used one $5,000 for new. Are there any current recalls? 2021 kia telleride purchased new; current mileage 38,000. Will attach copy of repair order when received.

I rented a car from avis on [xxx] (a Friday) for a 24-hour rental. I rented it in manhattan, and the car (a kia Telluride) had a new york license plate [xxx] ). I drove to boston to pick up my daughter from college and then returned the car Saturday morning (xxx). The drive was fine. But when I returned the car, the attendant took the key and wrote on the window and windshield that the car had been recalled (I've uploaded photos). I complained to the rental staff that they rented me a car that had been recalled. The attendant said they apparently didn't know about the recall until I returned the car. I find that hard to believe. I checked NHTSA's website a day after I returned the car [xxx] ), and it said that the kia Telluride I rented had been recalled on February 23, 2026. The reason for the recall was because "the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may fail to properly restrain occupants in a crash". That's a terrifying thought. According to avis's recall policy [xxx] they're not supposed to rent the car and they are supposed to notify me about the recall. Avis did neither of these things. Luckily the trip was accident-free and my daughter and I are physically fine. But I think avis should be held accountable for allowing me to drive a rental car that may have had a higher likelihood of killing us in a crash. At the very least they didn't notify me in any way. They weren't even going to mention anything about the recall, and I had to ask about it after I saw what they wrote on the windows. I also submitted a review afterward (avis sent me a standard email asking about my experience), and I explained my frustration about them renting me a recalled car. Avis replied, but it was just a standard apology and they didn't say anything about the recall. All around a terrible experience. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Standard vehicle component- shattered window. I was driving on highway I 275 and heard a loud sound, when I investigated I realized that the window in the second row to the right simply just shattered, glass flying everywhere.

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I have hit right below my right knee on several occasions while getting in the driver's seat to drive the vehicle. The seat is all the way back. I now have 2 knots below my knee with pain.

I was driving down the highway no cars were near me in any direction and I was not near an overpass it sounded like a giant explosion. I heard glass moving around and realized something happened to my sunroof.

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I was driving down the highway at approximately 70 mph, and a deer ran into the front driver's side corner of the car. The airbag fortunately didn’t deploy, but the hood flew up and covered the windshield, blocking my ability to see. I was somehow able to pull the vehicle over without being able to see. Within 30 seconds of pulling over—and while I was still in the driver's seat—I noticed flames coming out of the engine compartment. I screamed to my son to get out of the car, and within minutes the car was completely engulfed in flames. The car burned to the ground and is a total loss. I have no idea how this could have possibly happened. This shouldn't have happened from a deer. The vehicle was only 7 months old, was up to date on all required maintenance and recalls, and had approximately 11,000 miles on it. It was in perfect condition. We were able to escape, but for a moment I thought we might not be able to. We're lucky to be alive. I reported the issue to my insurance company and the manufacturer and have received no information on causation. A link to the video of the car burning is below: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Sunroof is stuck open after trying to retract it.

There is no incident that lead to this part breaking. My sunroof broke when it was opened. A part fell out of the assembly into the car. The sunroof will now not open fully or close fully. It's a hazard because I'm not sure if the glass is properly attached to my car and can fly off. I took this to a dealership the other day and was told this was common and not covered under warranty, costing owners thousands of dollars and days of repairs.

Standard opening of sunroof, the a part of the wind deflector snapped, without any abnormal incident or misuse. This caused the glass to be misaligned and other damage to the sunroof track. Estimated cost $6000. No warning and no prior damage for causation.

Not sure if this is electrical or engine related. . . . The vehicle has experienced multiple instances (6 times) of unexpected engine shutdown while driving, including a recent event while turning off a major roadway. During these incidents, the vehicle loses power and displays the message: “engine off – shift to p or n then start engine” this creates an immediate and dangerous situation, particularly when navigating traffic with passengers in the vehicle, including my grandchildren. Loss of engine power also impacts steering and braking assist, significantly increasing the risk of an accident. This condition intermittent and difficult to reproduce I am aware that many other owners have reported similar issues, which raises additional concern about a broader defect.

Sunroof - broken wind deflector arms.

I recently pressed the button to open the sunroof, and it only retracted a few inches before I heard a loud noise. The sunroof stopped, and simply would not go any further. Thankfully, the vehicle is garaged at home (I was stationary and heading out when this occurred), but with kia topping the list of most stolen vehicles, along with unpredictable weather, I'm sure you can understand why I was concerned about leaving my sunroof open!  after doing some research online, I found that this is a known problem with Tellurides. I took my car in as soon as possible for service to figure out what was wrong. Unfortunately, I was given an estimate of approximately $4,000 to repair. I purchased the car from fred anderson kia of raleigh, and took it to the same dealer for service and to report the issue. Video provided from service appointment: [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Sunroof wouldn’t fully close when a rainstorm hit, causing driver panic attack. This appears to be a known issue under TSB bod-319.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Catastrophic failure timeline (13 days) xxx: delivery taken at 105,439 miles. Xxx: my boyfriend noticed a cloud of smoke from exhaust as I pressed the accelerator pedal to leave the parking lot. I didn't notice because it was almost dark outside when leaving. He didn't notice again so he didn't stop me and told me when we got home. Xxx (day 12): check engine light (cel) on. Dipstick found dry. 2 quarts of oil purchased and added. Which brought the level right above the l line. Sent texts to both salesmen (freedom and driveway). Went to work in [xxx]. Xxx (day 13): got home with odometer: 106,974. Plugged code reader into the vehicle and got code p0597 logged at 1:04 am. Tried both salesmen again through texts, email and or call. Have yet to get a reply from either. Xxx posted review updates on both of my previous posted reviews for freedom and driveway. Received my first response from the driveway review team only. Xxx rear brake pads had been cutting into rotors a few days prior. I had to purchase a tool and pads to replace. Xxx documented loss of an additional 4 quarts of oil across 4 dates. Xxx subscribed to kia connect and the app also detected issue fault code p0597. And at a later date the app detected a 2nd fault code p0598 which went away a couple days later. May 14th finally got a hold of justin grable (gm freedom) to discuss options. Xxx trade-in is only option being given to me. Documented defects & root cause code p0597 (thermostat heater control/open): an electrical/mechanical failure that caused internal engine "hot spots. " engine failure: pre-existing piston ring tension loss causing catastrophic oil consumption (1 quart/wk). Consequential damage: chronic oil burning will poison the catalytic converters and foul all oxygen (O2) sensors. As of xxx my vehicle is now consuming 1 qt/day. Ac is not working and now giving me 6 codes for engine light. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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.

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.

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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.

Sunroof wouldnt close. Broken assembly.

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.

The sunroof on my 2021 kia Telluride broke and is stuck open. We had to take it to kia to have the repair quoted and they want to charge $6k to have it replaced. This is a huge safety issue, as it is winter and we have rain/snow getting in the car, as well as the potential for someone to break into my car through the sunroof as well. I have read numerous reports online of other 2021 kia Tellurides with this same issue. Please have kia issue a recall to have this issue addressed.

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.