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The Verdict
Worst problem area
Electrical
Electrical is the largest identified problem area: 53 of 214 complaints (25%) mention it. 62 complaints mention a component NHTSA leaves uncategorised. Complaints mentioning Airbags & Restraints include more reported injuries (2) than those mentioning any other identified area.
Complaints filed fell from 331 in 2022 to 214 in 2023.
At a glance
- NHTSA complaints
- 214
- Recall campaigns
- 6
- EPA fuel cost per year
- $2,700–$2,950
- Combined MPG
- 21–23
Complaints by model year
Where owners report problems
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Cost, Fuel Economy & Complaint History
| Category | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | vs. 2023 Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annual fuel cost ($) | 2,700–2,950 | 2,700–2,950 | 2,700–2,950 | 2,850–3,100 | 2,850–3,100 | |
| Combined MPG | 21–23 | 21–23 | 21–23 | 20–22 | 20–22 | |
| City / Highway MPG | 19–20 / 24–26 | 19–20 / 24–26 | 18–20 / 24–26 | 18–20 / 24–26 | 18–20 / 23–26 | |
| CO₂ tailpipe (g/mi) | 395–428 | 395–429 | 395–433 | 398–442 | 398–442 | |
| Complaints filed | 377 | 331 | 214 | 229 | 126 | |
| Recalls issued | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 3 | |
| Crash-involved complaints | 7 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 3 | |
| Fire-involved complaints | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Injuries reported | 9 | 9 | 4 | 4 | 5 | |
| Deaths reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Configurations compared | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
Not compared: this database has no vehicle sales or registration figures, so a raw count mostly reflects how many were sold, not how safe the vehicle is.
Common questions
How many recalls does the 2023 Kia Telluride have?
6 NHTSA recall campaigns as of Nov 7, 2026. Check your VIN with NHTSA to see whether one applies to your car.
What gas mileage does the 2023 Kia Telluride get?
EPA rates it 21–23 MPG combined.
How much does it cost to fuel a 2023 Kia Telluride?
EPA estimates $2,700–$2,950 a year in fuel costs, using EPA's assumptions.
Similar Vehicles
EPA-Rated Configurations (2)
| Configuration | Transmission | Cylinders | Displacement | Drivetrain | Fuel Type | Vehicle Class | City | Highway | Combined | Annual Fuel Cost | CO₂ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Configuration 1 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.8L | Front-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD | 20 mpg (high) | 26 mpg (high) | 23 mpg (high) | $2,700 (low) | 395 g/mi (low) |
| Configuration 2 | Automatic (S8) | 6 | 3.8L | All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD | 18 mpg (low) | 24 mpg (low) | 21 mpg (low) | $2,950 (high) | 433 g/mi (high) |
Complaints by Category
| Category | Complaints | Crash-Involved | Fire-Involved | Injuries | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 27 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Transmission & Drivetrain | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical | 53 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Brakes | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension, Wheels & Tires | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Airbags & Restraints | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Driver Assistance & Speed Control | 35 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Body, Seats & Latches | 18 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Visibility & Lighting | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 62 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
A complaint that names more than one category is counted in each, so the rows can add up to more than the total number of complaints.
Recalls (6)
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A fire increases the risk of injury.
- 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.
STRUCTURE:EXTERIOR TRIM
- Defect
- Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle.
- Consequence
- A detached trim piece can become a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the belt molding trim assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC347.
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A fire increases the risk of injury.
- 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.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT
- Defect
- 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.
- Consequence
- A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
- 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.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
- Defect
- Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
- Consequence
- A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
- Defect
- Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Telluride vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, the wire harnesses for the second row seat side air bags may become damaged, causing them not to deploy in the event of a crash.
- Consequence
- Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace, or secure the air bag wire harnesses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC262.