2020 Kia Telluride · symptom sheet
Engine stalls or loses power while driving
- 61owner reports
- 60,000median miles
- $5,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
247 of the 763 complaints on this car are about the engine. 61 of those describe stalling.
Tick what matches of 61 reports
Stalling on other Telluride years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2027.
What this problem usually is
Stalling reports are some of the most alarming on the site. The engine quits while the car is moving, sometimes on a highway and sometimes at a stop. Many owners say it restarted right away and the dealer found no stored code, which is part of why these complaints pile up before anything gets fixed.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the engine (9 reports), the ignition coil or plugs (4 reports) and the battery (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
2 recalls on the engine cover the 2020 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
When a trailer is connected to the vehicle, the trailer brake lights will not illuminate when the SCC applies the brakes.
All 7 recalls on the 2020 Kia Telluride, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
What owners paid
9 of the 61 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $350 to $12,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 3,000 and 85,808 miles, from the 35 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Loss of oil that is going out the heads and exhaust. This causes loss of power. Oil light doesnât come on. This happened twice. Once in March and we took it to the dealership to have it fixed. Unfortunately, the issue wasnât fixed and it happened again in August.”
Filed Sep 15, 2026
“i was driving home from work my 2020 Telluride shut off at stop light. I was able to turn the car back on and continue my drive after about 30 minutes into my continued drive i started hearing extreme banging noise coming from the front of the car. i then drove to kia dealership where they had inspected and diagnosed as the engine had failed and i would need a whole new engine.”
Filed May 10, 2026
“I was just driving down the block and stop at the stop light when I went to pull off and make a left turn the car completely shut off with no warning or anything. Just stopped completely went off in the middle of the road and all of the dash lights came on. It started right back up thankfully but it stopped and locked up”
Filed May 1, 2026
“The engine is stalling, knocking and the check engine light will occasionally come on. You can smell carbon monoxide and hot oil. We are having to add a quart of oil weekly.”
Filed Mar 12, 2026
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 61 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Headlights too dim or fail 160 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 149 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 76 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 57 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 37 reports
- Paint peels or body rusts 34 reports
- Suspension noise, struts or alignment 31 reports
- Engine leaks oil 25 reports