repaired · 2026 Q3
Front assembly: power adjust
Park outsideNewRisk. A fire increases the risk of injury.
2021 Kia TellurideProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 378 owner complaints about the 2021 Kia Telluride, most often about the engine. It is covered by 5 safety recalls, and for recall 22V-626 the manufacturer reports only 80% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through November 8, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: BuickRiviera99, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Complaints by system
Where the 2021 Kia Telluride has problems
378 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
68Engine3 crash/fire/injury
65Visibility/wiper
43Electrical system1 crash/fire/injury
33Structure
29Power train
24Visibility1 crash/fire/injury
22Forward collision avoidance
21Suspension
14Service brakes
6116 other systems5 crash/fire/injury
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 68 | 3 |
| Visibility/wiper | 65 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 43 | 1 |
| Structure | 33 | 0 |
| Power train | 29 | 0 |
| Visibility | 24 | 1 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 22 | 4 |
| Suspension | 21 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 14 | 5 |
| 16 other systems | 61 | 5 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
5 recalls
2021 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 · 2025 Q4
Trailer hitches
Park outsideRisk. A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Show 1 more recall
repaired · 2022 Q4
Air bags: air bag/restraint control module
Risk. In 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.
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.
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.
Unknown or other
11 owners mentioned a cost$4,000median
Middle half: $2,735 – $5,500
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
2021 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
2021 Kia Telluride safety ratings
2021 Kia Telluride SUV FWD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.
★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side barrier★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★
- Rollover: 4 stars (15.5% risk)
- Stability control: Standard
- Forward collision warning: Standard
- Lane departure warning: Standard
In owners' words
What Telluride owners report
Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint – 2021 Kia Telluride I am the original owner of a 2021 Kia Telluride with approximately 78,000 miles. My vehicle has experienced recurring mechanical and drivability concerns, including an intermittent check-engine light, a previously reported camshaft-related…
I was attempting to accelerate on the freeway and the rpms kept going up but it felt like the engine didn't want to shift gears. Suddenly the rpms shot all the way up and then dropped to nothing and I was forced to coast off the freeway, thankfully we were by an exit. The vehicle had zero power and…
Vehicle was sitting all night and entered the garage in the morning and found the radiator fan at full speed. Car was not running, so backed it out, turned it off and the fan turned back on. Took it to a KIA dealer and kept it for a few days and just stated they couldn't duplicate the issue,…
Own a 2021 Telluride?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.