2020 Kia Telluride electrical problems
59 of the 764 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Telluride name the electrical system (NHTSA’s “Electrical System” heading — wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading). Filed under the same heading: 71 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 59 reports a crash · 3 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2020: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 5 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 9 · 2025: 10 · 2026: 17
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
764 complaints in all about the 2020 Kia Telluride, 17 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Electrical System” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Telluride electrical problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the electrical system. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The instrument cluster periodically stops working. The speedometer and Tachometer stop working, and all warning lights flash on and off randomly. It shows the doors and hoods opening and closing on the display as well along with other warning lights.
Side view mirror motor is defective (30,000 miles, well cared for). Dealer service department needs to get clearance for repair and do not know when the mirror motor parts will be in. In the meantime, the driver's side mirror cannot be manually adjusted into proper position. This makes left lane changes very risky.
My vehicle is having issues with its digital readings of the temperature and gas miles. I went to get 25$ in fuel yesterday. When I got to the station I had 75 miles to the gallon on the monitor. After adding the 25$ the analog meter changed but not the digital.
I unlocked the doors to get in the car. I let my son go by the back door (trunk) because his door was blocked by the car parked next to me. He went in and I put my purse in. The car was supposed to be unlocked since I was able to open my door and he made it in.
Dash gage cluster (tach, speedometer, fuel, and engine temp) all go to zero while driving. The digital speedometer readout is also zero. Basically the entire dash is dead minus the entertainment system which functions perfectly. This also shuts down all adaptive cruise and collision avoidance systems.
What is on file about the electrical system
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 20V436000 HighJul 28, 2020 · 86,921 vehicles
- Kia 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."
71 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- SC357_OWNR EmissionsFeb 21, 2026
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC357) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic Control Module (ECM) for 2020-2025 MY Telluride vehicles to ensure compliance with emissions regulations.
- PS793 Service bulletinAug 1, 2025
- This Pitstop provides information regarding an inoperative sunroof switch on 2020–2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles. When diagnosing a vehicle for this condition, check that connectors R02 and R03 are connected in the correct cavities. If these connectors were previously interchanged unintentionally, the sunroof switch will not operate.
The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2020 Kia Telluride names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2020 Kia Telluride
Source: the same files- exterior lighting problems 184 complaints
- engine problems 155 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 70 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre electrical problems common on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 59 owner complaints naming the electrical system on this model year (8% of everything owners filed about it), and 71 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the electrical system on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 20V436000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do electrical problems show up on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.
What does NHTSA's "Electrical System" heading cover?
Wiring, modules, batteries, charging, infotainment and driver displays — NHTSA's broadest heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.