2020 Kia Telluride exterior lighting problems
184 of the 764 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Kia Telluride name the exterior lights (NHTSA’s “Exterior Lighting” heading — as ODI groups the complaints it receives). Filed under the same heading: 17 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 1 NHTSA investigation. 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 exterior lights
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 184 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2019: 5 · 2020: 16 · 2021: 10 · 2022: 24 · 2023: 97 · 2024: 20 · 2025: 7 · 2026: 5
Half of the 33 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the exterior lighting problem between 2,000 and 66,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
764 complaints in all about the 2020 Kia Telluride, 5 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 “Exterior Lighting” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Telluride exterior lighting problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the exterior lights. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The headlights on this car are dangerous at night and are especially dangerous when it's raining. The lights do no illuminate speed limit signs, stop signs, caution signs, yield signs etc... The headlights do not illuminate far enough ahead on the roads. If your going up or down a hill to see a safe driving distance ahead
When driving at night in the ex trim, the halogen lightbulbs are ineffective for lighting the roadway ahead. Outside of city driving where outside lighting is minimal, it is nearly impossible to see a safe distance ahead of the vehicle.
Headlights on lx trim are extremely dim. Insufficient for night driving, curvy/hilly roads, rainy conditions. Lane markers are nearly impossible to see
The headlights on this car are dangerous at night on streets with no lighting and especially dangerous when its raining. The lights do no illuminate speed limit signs, stop signs, caution signs, yield signs etc. they do not illuminate overhead interstate signs.
This is an ongoing issue. The headlights on my ex model are seriously deficient and dangerous, especially during driving in low light area during turns. At my own expense i've purchased LED bulbs, which have improved visibility ahead of me, including being, now, able to see the sides of the road, however, visibility during turns is…
What is on file about the exterior lights
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 24V148000 ModerateFeb 26, 2024 · 35,031 vehicles
- Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.
NHTSA investigation
- PE23002 Complete Loss of High Beamsopened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Apr 17, 2024
- 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 bul…
17 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 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.
Other systems with a record on the 2020 Kia Telluride
Source: the same files- engine problems 155 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 70 complaints
- electrical problems 59 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre exterior lighting problems common on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 184 owner complaints naming the exterior lights on this model year (24% of everything owners filed about it), and 17 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall, 1 NHTSA investigation 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 exterior lights on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 24V148000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do exterior lighting problems show up on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 12,000 miles; half of them between 2,000 and 66,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Exterior Lighting" heading cover?
The area of the vehicle ODI files the complaint under. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.