First generation (ON)
2020 Kia Telluride
The most reported problem on the 2020 Kia Telluride is headlights, with 160 complaints, usually around 60,000 miles.
- 763owner complaints
- 7recalls
- 8involved a crash
- 12,200median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Telluride doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2020 model year.
Is the 2020 Kia Telluride reliable?
The 2020 Kia Telluride has 763 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, 3.3 times the median of 233 for 2020 SUVs on this site. Of the 6 Telluride model years since 2020, it has the most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2021
- At 109 complaints for each year on the road, the 2020 runs above the 2021 (61). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- Two problems run close. Headlights has 160 complaints and windshield has 149, out of 763 in all. A quarter of the 31 owners who gave a mileage for headlights saw it by about 6,000 miles, and half by about 60,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- Only 22 of the 763 complaints (3%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, well under the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 8 reports mention a crash, 9 mention a fire and 11 people were hurt. The reports record 1 death.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- Headlights has a recall on the same system (24V-148). Windshield and oil consumption have none. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 151 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 126. So far in 2026, 118 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: headlights too dim or fail, 160 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
763 complaints is 3.5 times the median 2020 model on this site and 3.3 times the median 2020 SUV. Among the 7 Telluride model years here it ranks 1st for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2020 Kia Telluride
Kia filed 145 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2020 Kia Telluride. 23 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car, 2 of those a warranty extension. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Headlights too dim or fail 3 bulletins · 160 complaints
INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE This bulletin provides information relating to some Kia models that may exhibit fogging, condensation, and/or moisture inside a headlamp assembly.
HEADLAMP SOFT CONNECTION INSPECTION This bulletin provides information to inspect and ensure proper internal connections of the headlamp on some 2021MY K5 (DL3a) vehicles produced from March 27, 2020 through April 14, 2021 and some 2020-2021MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 9, ...
1 more on this problem
SERVICE ACTION: TELLURIDE (ON) HEADLAMP INSPECTION (SA380) This bulletin provides information on certain 2020MY Telluride (ON) vehicles, produced from February 13, 2019 through March 30, 2019, which may exhibit intermittent or inoperative Daytime Running Lamp (DRL) at the headlamps due to an internal connection fault.
Windshield cracks or distorts 3 bulletins · 149 complaints
PITSTOP: WINDOW LOGIC: INITIALIZATION PROCEDURE This Pitstop provides information regarding the door window logic on some 2020MY~ Telluride (ON) vehicles, by design to improve wind noise, the window glass may lower 5 - 10 cm below the top door frame weather strip when the window is being closed.
REAR WASHER NOZZLE IMPROVEMENT This bulletin provides the procedure to install an in-line washer fluid check valve on some 2020MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from February 6, 2019 through October 28, 2019, in order to improve a condition where the rear glass washer nozzle may leak ...
1 more on this problem
Letter to Kia Telluride owners advising them that as part of our ongoing monitoring of Telluride performance, we have identified that in some instances, customers have reported windshield chipping followed by extensive cracking within a short period of time, ...
Suspension noise, struts or alignment 1 bulletin · 31 complaints
REAR SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY NOISE This bulletin provides information to replace the rear self-leveling shock insulator and locking nut on some 2020-2021MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 1, 2019 through December 1, 2020 which may exhibit noise from the rear of the vehicle while ...
Engine leaks oil 2 bulletins · 25 complaints
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 oil filter housing gasket in certain 2020-2025 MY Telluride vehicles ...
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 certain repairs related to an engine oil leak from the oil filter housing gasket in certain ...
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 10 bulletins · 21 complaints
AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern.
AVN 5.0 WIDE SCREEN FREEZING OR MAP DELAY WITH WIRED APPLE CARPLAY This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy an inaccurate map location, freezing AVN screen, or experiencing a delay when using Google Maps or Waze through wired Apple ...
8 more on this problem
UNEVEN/SLIPPERY ROAD WARNING DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a warning sound accompanied by a 'Slippery road ahead. Drive carefully' or 'Uneven road ahead.
FRONT VIEW CAMERA REPLACEMENT FOR DTC C160449 & C160649 This bulletin provides information on the inspection and replacement of the front camera on some vehicles. Due to an internal control chip concern inside the camera, the vehicle may exhibit a Forward Collision Avoidance Assist Warning Lamp (A) and/or Master ...
FRONT VIEW CAMERA REPLACEMENT AND SOFTWARE UPGRADE INSTALLATION This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Front Camera (FR_CMR) system on the vehicles listed below, which have had a new replacement Front View Camera installed without software upgrade.
PITSTOP: BLUETOOTH MEMORY AND VOICE RECOGNITION CONCERN WITH AVN 5.0/W This Pitstop provides information for resolving a memory concern with the AVN 5.0 Wide head unit while downloading the contact list from a paired phone. The concern also affects Voice Recognition (VR) functionality.
SVM/AVM CAMERA DISPLAY IMAGE QUALITY AND TPMS LIGHT ON This bulletin provides the procedure to repair, the female coaxial cable terminals located in the respective locations as shown below on some 2020-2021MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced June 1, 2020 to September 2, 2020, equipped with Side View Monitor or ...
PITSTOP: MFC, CONCERNS FOR DISABLED OPERATION This Pitstop provides information regarding concerns with disabled operation of Multi-Function Camera (MFC) on some Kia vehicles.
SERVICE ACTION: AVN 5 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE BLUETOOTH MEMORY ISSUE (SA386) This bulletin provides the procedure for updating the AVN 5 WIDE software on some 2020MY Telluride (ON) produced from March 23, 2019 through April 30, 2019 and Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from February 18, 2019 to May 2, 2019, which may experience Bluetooth ...
SERVICE ACTION: AVN 5 WIDE BLUETOOTH MEMORY ISSUE (SA386) This bulletin provides the procedure for updating the AVN 5 WIDE software on some 2020MY Telluride (ON) produced from March 23, 2019 through April 30, 2019 and Soul (SK3) vehicles produced from February 18, 2019 to May 2, 2019, which may experience Bluetooth ...
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard 1 bulletin · 20 complaints
4WD COUPLING NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive “4WD” system software on certain 2020-2022MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 9, 2019, through September 1, 2022.
Seat belt or seat problems 2 bulletins · 17 complaints
PITSTOP: FRONT SEAT BELT OPERATION This Pitstop provides information regarding concerns with the function of the front seat belt on some 2020MY Tellluride (ON) vehicles which may exhibit a seat belt that will not pull out or retract which may be caused by a twisting of the seat belt webbing or ...
SERVICE ACTION: 2ND ROW SEAT EASY ENTRY CABLE INSPECTION AND REPAIR (SA406) This bulletin provides information on how to inspect and repair the 2nd row easy entry cable on some 2020MY Telluride (ON) equipped with captain chairs or bench seat option, produced between June 03, 2019 through July 31, 2019, which may exhibit normal seat ...
Transmission jerks, lurches or bangs into gear 1 bulletin · 9 complaints
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 December 17, 2025.
Complaints filed by year
151 complaints came in 2023, 3.0 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
NHTSA investigations
Complete loss of high beams. Closed apr 17, 2024, led to recall 24V-148.
NHTSA summary
Recalls that include the 2020 Kia Telluride
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Kia 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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Owners 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 Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 17, 2026.
Kia 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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Owners 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.
Kia 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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Owners 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The high beam headlights may fail.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and repair or replace the high beam headlights, as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC299.
Kia 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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Owners 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles equipped with Smart Cruise Control (SCC). When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the front passenger, second, and/or third row seats may not tightly secure a child restraint system in the event of a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the vehicles and replace any incorrect seat belt assemblies. The repair will also include replacing the driver's seat belt which has a non-U.S. specified label, with a U.S. specification seat belt. The repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began August 30, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC181.
All 7 recalls on the 2020 Kia Telluride, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
Headlights, with 160 of the 763 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 60,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2020 Kia Telluride problems start?
Of the 287 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 3,000 miles and half by about 12,000.
Is the 2020 Kia Telluride better or worse than the 2021?
Counted per year on the road, the 2020 has more complaints than the 2021: 109 a year against 61.
How many 2020 Kia Telluride complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
22 of them (3%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for headlights on the 2020 Kia Telluride?
Yes, NHTSA lists a recall on the same system: 24V-148. Its summary says which failure it covers, and that isn't always the one owners describe.