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2021 Kia Telluride

Gas
Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
39 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls3 critical5
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA357
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 2021 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 5 recall campaigns for this model year, 3 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 357 complaints, most often about the visibility/wiper. 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: 42664, 42668.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 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 (5)

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.
!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

Air Bags

SC207
142 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."RiskIn the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
NHTSA campaign 21V164000reported Mar 11, 2021Kia Motors America

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
357complaints filed

7 involved a crash · 4 a fire · 9 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2020: 17 · 2021: 52 · 2022: 35 · 2023: 36 · 2024: 72 · 2025: 61 · 2026: 84

Most-cited components

Unspecified100
Visibility/Wiper62
Engine62
Electrical System39
Structure33
Power Train27

What owners describe

“While driving at speed no more than 55mph a small pebble hit my windshield by the mirror and created a small chip that within minutes changed into full blown crack on my windows. It’s a SAFETY issue. There is no option of fixing the windshield it needs to be replaced.”Sep 20, 2021 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report
“The brakes on my 2021 Kia Telluride failed while pulling into my side entry garage. The Telluride's brakes went limp, losing pressure and dropped to the floorboard. The Telluride crashed into the interior of the garage, coming to a complete stop after slamming into the foundation of the house. Once stopped, the Telluri…”Sep 17, 2021 · Service Brakes · NHTSA owner report
“On my wished a small object hit my windshield on the passenger side and within an hour it spread more by the best day it was almost on the driver side of the windshield. Second, the forward collision and lane departure lights came on. I took the SUV to Kia they said it was an issue with the camera and they where going …”Sep 14, 2021 · Visibility/Wiper · 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

2020 Kia Telluride

7 recalls · 750 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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