repaired · 2026 Q3
Front assembly: power adjust
Park outsideNewRisk. A fire increases the risk of injury.
2020 Kia TellurideProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 783 owner complaints about the 2020 Kia Telluride, most often about the exterior lighting. It is covered by 7 safety recalls, and for recall 24V-148 the manufacturer reports only 64% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 10, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: Gold Pony, CC BY 3.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2020 Kia Telluride has problems
783 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
186Exterior lighting2 crash/fire/injury
154Engine5 crash/fire/injury
137Visibility/wiper1 crash/fire/injury
71Power train3 crash/fire/injury
61Electrical system4 crash/fire/injury
57Structure2 crash/fire/injury
33Suspension
19Fuel/propulsion system
17Visibility
9116 other systems12 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior lighting | 186 | 2 |
| Engine | 154 | 5 |
| Visibility/wiper | 137 | 1 |
| Power train | 71 | 3 |
| Electrical system | 61 | 4 |
| Structure | 57 | 2 |
| Suspension | 33 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 19 | 0 |
| Visibility | 17 | 1 |
| 16 other systems | 91 | 12 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
7 recalls
2020 Kia Telluride recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2026 Q2
Front assembly: power adjust
Park outsideRisk. A fire increases the risk of injury.
repaired · 2026 Q1
Driveline: driveshaft
Risk. A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
repaired · 2026 Q2
Exterior lighting: headlights
Risk. Inoperable high beam headlights may reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Show 3 more recalls
repaired · 2025 Q4
Trailer hitches
Park outsideRisk. A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
repaired · 2022 Q2
Electrical system: wiring
Risk. Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
repaired · 2021 Q1
Seat belts: front
Risk. If a child seat is not properly secured, there is an increased risk of injury to the occupant in a crash.
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Kia.
Mileage at failure
When do exterior lighting problems start?
9kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 36 exterior lighting complaints. 92% were reported before 100,000 miles.
Only 25% of complaints for this model year include a mileage.
20under 30k miles33under 100k miles3100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Exterior lighting
12 owners mentioned a cost$1,750median
Middle half: $1,450 – $2,093
Engine
12 owners mentioned a cost$2,504median
Middle half: $1,833 – $6,000
Visibility/wiper
9 owners mentioned a cost$868median
Middle half: $750 – $1,200
Electrical system
8 owners mentioned a cost$3,400median
Middle half: $2,054 – $4,250
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2020 vs. every other Telluride year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Telluride median. How we score
'20'21'22'23'24'25'27
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
NHTSA crash tests
2020 Kia Telluride safety ratings
2020 Kia TELLURIDE SUV AWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (14.3% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard
- Lane departure warning: Standard
1 investigation
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2020 Kia Telluride, and the recalls they led to.
- Complete Loss of High BeamsLed to recall 24V-148
In owners' words
What Telluride owners report
Recent exterior lighting complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Vehicle: 2020 Kia Telluride S Exterior Color: Sangria Red Component: Exterior Lighting / Rear Turn Signals Description of the Problem: I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding the inherently dangerous design and placement of the rear turn signals on my 2020 Kia Telluride S. The rear turn…
LED running light of driver's side headlamp assembly inoperable On 10/14/24 BOTH headlamp assemblies were under recall warranty and replaced at Sons Kia in McDonough GA. On 10/8/25 I returned to Sons Kia for service and to have the LED checked on the driver's side as it was no longer operable, less…
Everything with paint that everyone else with the pearl color is dealing with flaked all off.. electrical my seat caught on fire... lighting headlights constantlyfail have changed multiple.. I can keep going on but there isnt enough time or room
Own a 2020 Telluride?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.