AI Damage2023 KIA Telluride: common problems
Owners of the 2023 KIA Telluride filed 209 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and visibility. The maker issued 73 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 209
- involving a crash
- 6
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 73
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 24% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 18% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 11% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 6 Vehicle speed control 7% of all complaints
- 7 Forward collision avoidance 7% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 50 complaints (24% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 39.
- Visibility: 38 complaints (18% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 2.
- Powertrain: 24 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Engine: 23 complaints (11% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 14.
- Structure: 14 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 6.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cyl
- automatic, 8-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 209 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 50 | 3 | 39 |
| Visibility | 38 | 0 | 2 |
| Powertrain | 24 | 1 | 7 |
| Engine | 23 | 0 | 14 |
| Structure | 14 | 1 | 6 |
| Vehicle speed control | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Lane departure | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 8 | 0 | 8 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 8 | 2 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 0 | 5 |
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
My airbags did not deploy and though I was wearing my seat belt I was still propelled upward cutting my eye on the visor and bruising on my chin and lower lip from the steering wheel. I am concerned as to why the air bags did not deploy or the seatbelt lock.
For nearly two years, I have unknowingly driven this vehicle with multiple active safety recalls, including: •Airbag wiring harness defect (airbags may not deploy) •Seatbelt pretensioner/tensioner defects •Front power seat motor overheating (fire hazard) •Driveshaft engagement defect (vehicle may roll out of Park) Kia…
Contact is concerned about other trim pieces coming off and penetrating other vehicles at speed with "sharp and pointed edges", as well as electrical fire from water intrusion corrosion. Contact demands further investigation and action by vehicle safety regulators.
I was hit on driver side and no side airbags deployed. The collision cause over $16k in damage to my vehicle. There is no reason side airbags should not have delivered and if my child was in the car on the passenger side he would have slammed his head on glass.
The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument cluster displayed a blank screen. Additionally, the parking brake inadvertently engaged while driving. The Auto Start/Stop was intermittently inoperable, and the doors failed to unlock with the remote starter.
The vehicle electrical system could be a fire hazard since the vehicle electrical system is incurring parasitic draw down of the battery. Believe there is a class action lawsuit filed relating to the problem. It is well known issue wit KIA Corp while the dealerships play dumb. Thank you.
The contact was concerned that the recall posed a fire risk, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive or park. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and denied rental vehicle assistance.
A P0741 warning light comes on and off leading driver to believe the problem is intermittent when in fact it is a torque converter failed. The intermittent nature of the warning light could lead drivers to believe the problem is not a safety issue, particularly on a SUV with only 105,000 miles.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 314 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 15% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Telluride has 254 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 209, below average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
EXCESSIVE ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION: This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing a 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicle's engine, which may exhibit a symptom of excessive oil consumption. Follow the…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CLUSTER SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR LOWER THAN ACTUAL FUEL LEVEL INDICATION - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (Revision 1) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system software update for certain vehicles equipped with AVN5W and Navigation System listed in the table below…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: OIL FILTER HOUSING GASKET REPLACEMENT (WTY045) - This bulletin provides information regarding the ‘Warranty Extension Program (WTY045)’ for the inspection and, if necessary, replacement of…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive ‘4WD’ system software on some 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 08, 2019 through…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
REIMBURSEMENT FORM (WTY045) - This document is a Reimbursement Request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this same matter prior to the…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (WTY045) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for certain repairs related to an engine oil leak from the…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (WTY045) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage to all owners for…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY045) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage to all owners for certain repairs related to an…
- WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN
QUESTION AND ANSWER (WTY045) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Warranty Extension Campaign WTY045.
NHTSA lists 73 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2023 KIA Telluride?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, visibility, powertrain. Total complaints: 209. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: windows, sunroof (13%), warning lights, check engine (12%), infotainment or screen glitches (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2023 KIA Telluride?
NHTSA lists 73 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2023 KIA Telluride from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2023 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.