2021 Kia Telluride Safety Report
2021 KIA TELLURIDE Safety Analysis
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2021 Kia Telluride
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2021 Kia Telluride. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | High (293) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 11 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Unknown Or Other | Compare unknown or other issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2025 | Compare against the 2025 Kia Telluride with 44 complaints and 3 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2020 | Check the 2020 Kia Telluride before buying across this generation. |
Kia Telluride Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Kia Telluride years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Kia Telluride | 287 | 6 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2020 Kia Telluride | 684 | 6 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2023 Kia Telluride | 168 | 5 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2024 Kia Telluride | 185 | 4 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
| 2025 Kia Telluride | 44 | 3 | Compare as a potentially cleaner alternative. |
2021 Kia Telluride Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2021 Kia Telluride, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Unknown Or Other
60 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Kia onlyVisibility/Wiper
51 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Visibility/Wiper issues Kia onlyEngine
29 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Kia onlyStructure
19 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Structure issues Kia onlyVisibility
14 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Visibility issues Kia onlyPower Train
13 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Power Train issues Kia onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2021 Kia Telluride
Reliability Score
The 2021 Kia Telluride receives a reliability score of 5 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates below-average reliability. Significant issues have been reported by owners and should be carefully evaluated before purchase.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2021 Kia Telluride
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2021 Kia Telluride
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2021 Kia Telluride:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine Failure Engine failures without warning have been reported, with one instance at 102,000 miles due to excessive oil consumption. Another instance occurred at 120,000 miles with no prior warning. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Sunroof Mechanism Failure Sunroof mechanism failures have been reported, with one instance where the sunroof broke while opening, requiring repair. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Air Bag/Restraint Control Module A recall was issued for air bag/restraint control module issues, though no specific incidents are reported. |
Low | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Cooling Fan Malfunction Cooling fans running continuously after the car is turned off has been reported, potentially draining the battery. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2021 Kia Telluride:
Engine failures without warning have been reported, with one instance at 102,000 miles due to excessive oil consumption.
Sunroof mechanism failures have been reported, with one instance where the sunroof broke while opening, requiring repair.
Cooling fans running continuously after the car is turned off has been reported, potentially draining the battery.
Suspension issues have been reported, though no specific incidents are detailed.
Recall Details for the 2021 Kia Telluride
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Kia Telluride by NHTSA:
Summary: 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.
Summary: 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 th...
Summary: 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.
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase 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 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 1-800-3...
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Consequence: 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.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2021 Kia Telluride
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2021 Kia Telluride with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. 2 involved fires.
Opens sunroof and part broke
I am a 2nd owner of a kia telluride and the engine failed without warning at less than 90,000 miles. No check engine light, no temp gauge, no low oil level light. No warning at all. Just failure of the "push rod bearing" ny Kia was regularly maintained and when I took it to the dealership, they told me it was down about 3.5qts of oil! Again no low oil light? It holds 7qts...9,000$ later out of my...
Sunroof mechanism failure in May 2025. Had sunroof repaired and paid out of pocket at KIA dealership. The sunroof was off track therefore the roof was exposed to elements. March 2026 sunroof mechanism has broken again. Sunroof has not been operated since repair in May 2025 for fear of getting stuck open again.
Driving on the highway when all the lights on the dashboard came on and heard a loud sound. Pulled over and noticed flames coming out. The front part of the car 911 was called. An incident report was made. The flames were out quickly. The car was towed and is at the dealership.
Kia had a safety recall which required a software update to address the potential of the car moving/ rolling away while parked. Kia addressed this by updating the software to automatically set the parking brake when the vehicle is turned off. In the northeast/ rust belt states where there is water/ salt and rust, the brake pads rust and freeze to the rotor. The brakes lock up, physically jerk a...
The 3.8L Lambda II GDI V6 engine suffered catastrophic failure at approximately 102,000 miles. The root cause is excessive oil consumption documented by an independent repair shop well before the 100,000-mile powertrain warranty expired. At 81,207 miles, during a routine oil change, the mechanic checked oil level before draining and found nothing on the dipstick. Only about 3 quarts drained from a...
There rear parking sensors have come up with an error message. After I looked into this it looks like a wide spread problem. The Kia Dealership said it was the rear bumper harness was faulty. I am just outside of warranty and Kia is trying to charge $850 for a problem that they are well aware of and are not addressing. They are also claiming that the oil filter housing is damaged and I have only e...
This car keeps burning excessive oil. I am on my 3rd oil consumption test each time it burns 0.75q in 1000 miles. The dealer states that that is not enough oil. My mile 3000, there is no longer oil on the dip stick, and we start the process all over again. This car has been burning oil that doesn’t even meet a standard oil changer interval since the cars had 70,000 miles on it. It now has 94k...
2021 Kia Telluride experienced sudden engine failure at approximately 120,000 miles. The failure occurred without any prior warning. There were no oil warning lights, dashboard alerts, or other indicators of low oil or engine malfunction before the engine failed. After inspection, the mechanic found no oil on the dipstick and discovered metal flakes in the engine and oil filter, indicating severe...
No oil in engine can cause fire. Meineke in walkertown inspects the vehicle. No lights or warnings. Vehicle just started running funny. Problem confirmed by Meineke in walkertown. They claim it is a consumption issue because there are no leaks.
Cooling fans running continuously after the car is turned off, which drains the battery. The dealership has identified that this is due to a faulty fan relay that will need to be completely replaced. The battery has been replaced once and the issue continued indicating that it was not a battery issue. The car ran out of battery in a busy location and caused risk to the passengers that were then e...
After owning this Telluride for a year the engine started stalling. I took it into the nearest Oil change company, and they informed me that the oil was completely out and dry. I always stay up to date with my oil changes, so this was a huge shock. There was no light that ever came on stating an oil concern and there was no light that came on even when the engine stalled. This company sent me dir...
I attempted to use my sunroof today 2/18/26 and I heard a popping sound and it sounded like something broke. I rolled the sunroof back closed and now the back of the sunroof (moonroof) is now propped open and won't close. I have tried the manual overide for 10 to 15 seconds and it just makes a clicking sound. I am pretty upset as I have only used my sunroof maybe 10 times in the 4 years I have ...
The seat belt buckle in the driver position is failing to latch. It has to be pushed in multiple times in a row and very hard to get the seat belt buckle firmly latched. There has also been more than 1 occasion that I have been driving and all of a sudden the seat belt unbuckles and my seat belt not buckled light and dinging goes off. So it seemed it was fully buckled, but was not. This would be h...
Component/System Failure: The engine and lubrication system appear to be malfunctioning. The vehicle has repeatedly experienced sudden engine shutdown while stopped at traffic lights and during low-speed operation. The dealership has identified oil leakage involving the oil pan and oil filter housing and has indicated there may be an internal oil leak within the engine. The vehicle is available fo...
Windshield developed a multipronged crack that does not resemble a normal road hazard crack. After having tried a mobile windshield repair, the results are not successful as the cracks seem segmented and will not accept normal repair. Files include a photo of outside and inside vehicle pic of windshield.
Sunroof bracket broke off when opening
The vehicle decelerated in the highway, from about 70mph to 40mhp with no warning, no check engine light, and no previous symptoms, sounds or other indicators. The vehicle was brought to the dealer who advised the high pressure fuel pump went bad as well as the solenoid and OCV harness, causing oil to be forced through the harness. KIA refused to cover the repairs at 74k miles and it was fixed at ...
On 12/24/25 the vehicle experienced the very same issue, on the highway, with my family in the car, coming from Christmas Eve festivities. The car decelerated and NO cel (check engine light) ever came on. when transporting to dealer, the car began rough idling like it wanted to die, but still no CEL. At this time, I am told there is a need for a new engine but no supporting documents or other diag...
The checked engine light came on with Code: P219C00. Vehicle was taken to the Kia Perris dealership for maintenance inspection. This happened after the vehicle had to be taken back to dealership for an oil leak post oil change service. The issue has been reported by multiple owners on Reddit. Seems like a manufacturer issue that should be addressed.
Showing 20 of 293 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2021 Kia Telluride
Has the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE been recalled?
Yes, the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE have?
The 2021 KIA TELLURIDE has 293 complaints filed with NHTSA. Of these, 7 involved crashes. 7 injuries and 0 deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
The 2021 KIA TELLURIDE received an overall NHTSA safety rating of excellent (5/5). Frontal crash: 4/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE involve unknown or other (60 complaints), visibility/wiper (51 complaints), engine (29 complaints). Other affected components include structure, visibility, power train.
How many crash reports does the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE have?
There are 7 crash reports associated with the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE out of 293 total complaints (2.4% of complaints involved crashes).
How many fire reports does the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE have?
There are 4 fire reports for the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE out of 293 total complaints. Fire reports are among the most serious safety concerns tracked by NHTSA.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE.
How many injuries are reported for the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
7 injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE. These are self-reported by vehicle owners as part of their safety complaints.
Should I buy a 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE is research thoroughly before purchasing. It has 293 complaints, 4 recalls, and a excellent (5/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
The components with the most failures on the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE are: 1. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (60 complaints), 2. VISIBILITY/WIPER (51 complaints), 3. ENGINE (29 complaints), 4. STRUCTURE (19 complaints), 5. VISIBILITY (14 complaints). UNKNOWN OR OTHER is the single most-reported problem area with 60 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
Be cautious of engine failures and sunroof malfunctions. Regular maintenance is crucial to prevent issues. The 2021 KIA TELLURIDE has 293 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it excellent (5/5).
How reliable is the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
The 2021 KIA TELLURIDE receives a reliability score of 5/100, indicating below-average reliability. This is based on 293 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 11 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Engine Failure and Sunroof Mechanism Failure.
What are the known issues with the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
Known issues with the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE include: Engine Failure, Sunroof Mechanism Failure, Air Bag/Restraint Control Module, Cooling Fan Malfunction. These are based on patterns found across 293 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
Are there any known engine issues with the 2021 KIA TELLURIDE?
Yes, engine failures without warning have been reported, with one instance at 102,000 miles due to excessive oil consumption.
What should I do if I experience sunroof mechanism failure?
Have the sunroof repaired immediately to prevent further damage or safety issues.
Is there a recall for the air bag/restraint control module?
Yes, a recall was issued for air bag/restraint control module issues, though no specific incidents are reported.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be cautious of engine failures and sunroof malfunctions. Regular maintenance is crucial to prevent issues.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2021 Kia Telluride
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2021 Kia Telluride. The data includes 293 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, 7 reported crashes, 4 fire incidents, 7 reported injuries, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2021 Kia Telluride an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 4 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16