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2020 Kia Telluride

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
35 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls3 critical7
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA750
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg
2027202520242023202220212020
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2020 Kia Telluride is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Telluride FWD, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 750 complaints, most often about the exterior lighting. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Telluride FWDGasFWD3.8L 6-cyl202623$2,700
Telluride AWDGasAWD3.8L 6-cyl192421$2,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 41229, 41232.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2020 Kia Telluride is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (7)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Seats

SC374
Park outside462,869 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob or an improper recall 24V407 repair, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.RiskA fire increases the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install an electronic fuse assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed August 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC374. This recall replaces NHTSA recall number 24V407. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed. Vehicle Identification
NHTSA campaign 26V430000reported Jul 2, 2026Kia America, Inc.
!critical

Seats

SC316
Park outside462,869 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.RiskA fire increases the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.
NHTSA campaign 24V407000reported Jun 5, 2024Kia America, Inc.
▲high

Power Train

SC303
427,407 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.RiskA vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.FixOwners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will update the electronic parking brake software and replace any damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC303.
NHTSA campaign 24V214000reported Mar 20, 2024Kia America, Inc.
▲high

Exterior Lighting

SC299
35,031 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.RiskInoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers will inspect and repair or replace the high beam headlights, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC299.
NHTSA campaign 24V148000reported Feb 26, 2024Kia America, Inc.
!critical

Trailer Hitches

SC247
Park outside36,417 vehicles
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.RiskA fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and a wiring harness extension. Dealers will also inspect and replace the tow hitch harness assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 12, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC247.
NHTSA campaign 22V626000reported Aug 15, 2022Kia America, Inc.
▲high

Electrical System

SC194
86,921 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."RiskInoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
NHTSA campaign 20V436000reported Jul 28, 2020Kia Motors America
▲high

Seat Belts

SC181
30,168 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."RiskIf a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
NHTSA campaign 19V594000reported Aug 13, 2019Kia Motors America

NHTSA defect investigations

Exterior Lighting:Headlights — Complete Loss of High Beams closed

On January 27, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE23002 to investigate allegations of loss of high beams with no warning and no re-engagement resulting in reduced visibility at night in the 2020 Kia Telluride. The investigation revealed that the halogen bi-function projector beam, used in vehicles built between January 2019 and November of 2019, is composed of one halogen bulb light source that provides light for both low beam and high beam. The heat generated by the halogen bulb will inflict damage to the gear mechanism and as a result the shutter’s electric motor will no longer be able to move the shutter to the open position to reveal the high beams. A loss of high

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Apr 17, 2024 · action PE23002

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
750complaints filed

8 involved a crash · 9 a fire · 11 injuries · 1 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2019: 73 · 2020: 71 · 2021: 52 · 2022: 50 · 2023: 151 · 2024: 122 · 2025: 126 · 2026: 105

Most-cited components

Exterior Lighting183
Unspecified141
Engine139
Visibility/Wiper135
Power Train70
Electrical System57

What owners describe

“This is the 2nd chip and 2nd crack in my windshield. My vehicle had 16500 miles on it. and is my 11th Kia. I have never had an issue with windshields before this car.”Nov 25, 2021 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the engine was idling and the brake pedal was being pressed for approximately 3 minutes, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and crash into a nearby snow plurer, lamp pole, and hou…”Nov 22, 2021 · Vehicle Speed Control · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH at night on a back road, the hi-beam headlights were activated but failed to illuminate brighter than the low-beam headlights. The contact continued driving to his residence. After arriving home, the contact inspected the vehicle and noticed…”Nov 19, 2021 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆14%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Telluride model years

C

2027 Kia Telluride

3 recalls · 27 complaints

C

2025 Kia Telluride

3 recalls · 106 complaints

F

2024 Kia Telluride

5 recalls · 215 complaints

F

2023 Kia Telluride

6 recalls · 206 complaints

F

2022 Kia Telluride

7 recalls · 320 complaints

F

2021 Kia Telluride

5 recalls · 357 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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