2021 Kia Telluride · symptom sheet
Burns oil or oil level rises
- 28owner reports
- 87,000median miles
- $10,500median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
69 of the 365 complaints on this car are about the engine. 28 of those describe oil consumption.
Tick what matches of 28 reports
Oil consumption 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, 2025, 2027.
What this problem usually is
Two different complaints land here. The more common one is an engine that uses oil: owners add a quart between changes, get a low-oil warning, or are told by the dealer that the rate is normal. The other is the opposite, where the oil level climbs and the oil smells of gasoline. Both deserve a proper test, and both are easier to argue with records in hand.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the piston rings (19 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2021 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
What owners paid
10 of the 28 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,600 to $11,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 65,000 and 102,000 miles, from the 17 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Was low on oil and check oil light don't go on have to put oil very 2 week because it get low and I don't have no oil leak at all I found out because the motor start shaking and making noise tow it home and mechanical came to check it out and didn't have oil he say I was lurking I was not in the highway because it could lock the mortar and cause a accident”
Filed Aug 12, 2026
“Bought the vehicle in February. The vehicle is burning oil too fast. In 1 week 5 qts. I don't drive much as I work from home. Kia dealer wants thousands of dollars. I paid for extended warranty.”
Filed Dec 31, 2025
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 28 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 Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found
Other problems on this car
- Windshield cracks or distorts 74 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 28 reports
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 28 reports