2024 KIA Telluride problems

STRUCTURE:BODY

I hear rattling/loud squeaking coming from liftgate rear door internally when driving. It has been noticed since purchasing the vehicle new.

NHTSA complaint #11758837 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

On August 3, 2026, while operating my 2024 Kia Telluride, I experienced a catastrophic and total failure of the service braking system. Without warning, the brake pedal went straight to the floorboard with zero hydraulic pressure or stopping power, resulting in a crash into trees. ​The vehicle was towed to Gerber Collision for accident repairs. While the exterior body damage was repaired, the body shop is not equipped for internal hydraulic or component failure analysis. Furthermore, Kia America has been notified of this critical safety defect but is refusing to cover the diagnostic/inspection fees to investigate the underlying root cause under warranty, attempting to pass the cost onto the consumer. ​This is a severe, life-threatening safety defect involving a total loss of brakes on a nearly new vehicle. I request that NHTSA log this complaint and investigate potential systemic hydraulic or master cylinder defects in the 2024 Kia Telluride platform.

NHTSA complaint #11758650 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V430000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.

NHTSA complaint #11758232 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The cluster screen on my 2024 Telluride is BLACK when I turned it on today. No issues prior and turning the car off and on does not help. I cannot see my fuel gauge, speed, winshield wiper speed, tire air levels, what gear I am in nothing. I contacted dealer and they have heard of no issues and cannot get me in for repairs until at least two weeks. I feel this is very unsafe since I am not sure of my speed or my fuel level! There was no warning whatsoever, just a black screen.

NHTSA complaint #11757468 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V430000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle experienced a failure to start. The contact charged the remote battery pack, and a technician jump-started the vehicle at the residence. While attempting to schedule an appointment with the dealer, the contact was informed that the recall repair could not be completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts were anticipated to be available by the end of August 2026. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V430000 (Seats); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle experienced a failure to start. The contact charged the remote battery pack, and a technician jump-started the vehicle at the residence. While attempting to schedule an appointment with the dealer, the contact was informed that the recall repair could not be completed. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that parts were anticipated to be available by the end of August 2026. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

NHTSA complaint #11756567 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious safety concern involving my Kia Telluride and the recalled front power seat motor/fire hazard. We are parents of three children, and this vehicle is used to transport our family. We are extremely concerned about the potential for a vehicle fire caused by the defective seat motor and the fact that the issue has not been adequately remedied. Kia has previously issued a recall addressing the potential for the front power seat motor to overheat, melt, and potentially cause a fire. Despite the previous recall and attempted remedy, Kia has now issued another recall concerning the same or substantially similar safety issue. This raises serious concerns regarding the effectiveness of the original remedy and whether affected vehicles were actually made safe after the initial recall repair. According to information from NHTSA, vehicles affected by this issue have experienced incidents involving melted seat motors and seat fires. NHTSA has also advised owners of affected vehicles to park outside and away from structures because of the potential fire risk. As parents of three children, we find this particularly alarming. A vehicle fire is an extremely serious safety hazard, and the possibility of a fire developing in or around the seating area presents an unacceptable risk to our family. If a fire were to occur while our children were passengers, evacuating three children from the vehicle could be extremely difficult and dangerous. Our concern is not simply that the vehicle requires a repair. Our concern is that a known safety defect has already been subject to a recall and remedy, yet the safety issue has apparently continued or required another recall. Consumers who complied with the original recall should be able to reasonably rely on the manufacturer and its authorized repair facilities to have corrected the safety defect. 2024 Telluride 5XYP3DGC6RG524189

NHTSA complaint #11756277 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

our transmission not shifting to next gear on highway acceleration— RPM"s climbs but speed doesn't match—is a serious drivability and safety issue. My car was in the dealership for this problem and it has returned. my wife was entering a highway and RPM's increased and t .transmission wouldn't shit to the next gear.

NHTSA complaint #11755912 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEATS

SUBJECT: SAFETY RECALL DENIAL APPEAL: Pinched Seat Harness Fire Hazard - 2024 Kia Telluride VIN: [XXX] KIA case #:XXX TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, I am filing an urgent safety appeal regarding a refusal by my local dealership to repair a severe fire hazard on my 2024 Kia Telluride. This vehicle is experiencing the exact failure mode detailed in federal safety recalls regarding the front passenger power seat wiring. The dealership has denied coverage by claiming rodent damage. However, the official photograph provided to me by the dealership’s own service department completely disproves the claim and confirms a manufacturing/design defect: 1. CLEAR MECHANICAL FLATTENING: The first wire in the harness is severely flattened and shows distinct mechanical abrasion and rubbing marks across its surface. The insulation is pressed flat, which can only happen under the immense pressure of the moving metal seat frame or track. 2. ELONGATED CUT AND SHEARED: The second wire directly behind it features a clean, continuous one-inch cut where the rubber insulation has been completely stripped away exposing the live circuit. 3. NO BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE: There are no jagged chew marks, frayed insulation fibers, nesting materials, or pest droppings anywhere in the area or vehicle itself. This is an undeniable case of the seat mechanism pinching, rubbing, and exposing the wiring harness during normal operation, leading to a direct short circuit and blown fuses. Leaving a live, exposed wire beneath a moving power seat presents an immediate thermal and fire risk to my family. I requested that Kia Corporate immediately override this dealership assessment and to dispatch a Field Technical Specialist if necessary, and authorize the complete replacement of the damaged wiring harness under the active safety recall and factory warranty. They also wanted to repair this wire by using liquid rubber, which is totally unacceptable and I refused. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (

NHTSA complaint #11754602 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

On XXX, while driving my 2024 Kia Telluride (VIN: [XXX]) with approximately 34,000 miles, the vehicle suddenly experienced a complete electrical failure without warning. The instrument cluster went completely black, I lost electric power steering assist, the transmission would not shift, and the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle lost motive power while I was driving, creating a significant safety hazard for me and surrounding traffic. After bringing the vehicle to a stop, it would not restart. The vehicle had to be towed to Dutch Miller Kia for diagnosis and repair. The vehicle is still covered under the manufacturer's warranty. It has been at the dealership since XXX, awaiting diagnosis and repair. As of the date of this complaint, I have not been provided with a loaner vehicle or alternate transportation. I am filing this complaint because a complete loss of electrical power, steering assist, acceleration, and shifting while the vehicle is in operation presents a serious safety risk. I believe this incident should be investigated to determine whether it represents a broader safety issue affecting other vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11751721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

On XXX, while driving my 2024 Kia Telluride (VIN: [XXX]) with approximately 34,000 miles, the vehicle suddenly experienced a complete electrical failure without warning. The instrument cluster went completely black, I lost electric power steering assist, the transmission would not shift, and the vehicle would not accelerate. The vehicle lost motive power while I was driving, creating a significant safety hazard for me and surrounding traffic. After bringing the vehicle to a stop, it would not restart. The vehicle had to be towed to Dutch Miller Kia for diagnosis and repair. The vehicle is still covered under the manufacturer's warranty. It has been at the dealership since XXX, awaiting diagnosis and repair. As of the date of this complaint, I have not been provided with a loaner vehicle or alternate transportation. I am filing this complaint because a complete loss of electrical power, steering assist, acceleration, and shifting while the vehicle is in operation presents a serious safety risk. I believe this incident should be investigated to determine whether it represents a broader safety issue affecting other vehicles. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11751721 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STEERING

Component Malfunction & Availability The component that failed is the center infotainment and entertainment touchscreen display system on a 2024 Kia Telluride. The center screen goes completely black, remains unresponsive to touch or power controls, and fails to initialize upon starting the vehicle. It does not respond to soft pinhole hardware resets. This is a recurring failure; the original factory entertainment screen suffered a total blackout defect and was replaced under manufacturer warranty, but the replacement OEM unit suffered an identical total failure just seven months later. The vehicle and the defective infotainment assembly are fully available for inspection upon request. Safety Risks Imposed Safety is actively compromised because the total failure of the entertainment screen completely disables the backup camera and the 360-degree surround-view safety monitors. When reversing, the driver is left with a dead screen, creating an immediate blind-spot hazard and significantly increasing the risk of a pedestrian backup collision or property impact. Furthermore, the blackout prevents the driver from adjusting critical cabin climate controls, defrosters, and hands-free Bluetooth communication systems, causing severe driver distraction while trying to operate the vehicle. Reproduction & Diagnosis The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership service center. The initial failure was verified by dealer technicians, resulting in a full warranty replacement. The current identical failure has been documented as a reoccurring, unresolvable defect with the OEM hardware. Inspection Status The system has been inspected and diagnosed exclusively by the authorized Kia dealership service center technicians during the first warranty replacement. No further inspections have been performed by Kia corporate investigators, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. Warning Signs & Symptoms There were no warning lamps, error messages, flicker

NHTSA complaint #11749819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Component Malfunction & Availability The component that failed is the center infotainment and entertainment touchscreen display system on a 2024 Kia Telluride. The center screen goes completely black, remains unresponsive to touch or power controls, and fails to initialize upon starting the vehicle. It does not respond to soft pinhole hardware resets. This is a recurring failure; the original factory entertainment screen suffered a total blackout defect and was replaced under manufacturer warranty, but the replacement OEM unit suffered an identical total failure just seven months later. The vehicle and the defective infotainment assembly are fully available for inspection upon request. Safety Risks Imposed Safety is actively compromised because the total failure of the entertainment screen completely disables the backup camera and the 360-degree surround-view safety monitors. When reversing, the driver is left with a dead screen, creating an immediate blind-spot hazard and significantly increasing the risk of a pedestrian backup collision or property impact. Furthermore, the blackout prevents the driver from adjusting critical cabin climate controls, defrosters, and hands-free Bluetooth communication systems, causing severe driver distraction while trying to operate the vehicle. Reproduction & Diagnosis The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership service center. The initial failure was verified by dealer technicians, resulting in a full warranty replacement. The current identical failure has been documented as a reoccurring, unresolvable defect with the OEM hardware. Inspection Status The system has been inspected and diagnosed exclusively by the authorized Kia dealership service center technicians during the first warranty replacement. No further inspections have been performed by Kia corporate investigators, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. Warning Signs & Symptoms There were no warning lamps, error messages, flicker

NHTSA complaint #11749819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

Component Malfunction & Availability The component that failed is the center infotainment and entertainment touchscreen display system on a 2024 Kia Telluride. The center screen goes completely black, remains unresponsive to touch or power controls, and fails to initialize upon starting the vehicle. It does not respond to soft pinhole hardware resets. This is a recurring failure; the original factory entertainment screen suffered a total blackout defect and was replaced under manufacturer warranty, but the replacement OEM unit suffered an identical total failure just seven months later. The vehicle and the defective infotainment assembly are fully available for inspection upon request. Safety Risks Imposed Safety is actively compromised because the total failure of the entertainment screen completely disables the backup camera and the 360-degree surround-view safety monitors. When reversing, the driver is left with a dead screen, creating an immediate blind-spot hazard and significantly increasing the risk of a pedestrian backup collision or property impact. Furthermore, the blackout prevents the driver from adjusting critical cabin climate controls, defrosters, and hands-free Bluetooth communication systems, causing severe driver distraction while trying to operate the vehicle. Reproduction & Diagnosis The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership service center. The initial failure was verified by dealer technicians, resulting in a full warranty replacement. The current identical failure has been documented as a reoccurring, unresolvable defect with the OEM hardware. Inspection Status The system has been inspected and diagnosed exclusively by the authorized Kia dealership service center technicians during the first warranty replacement. No further inspections have been performed by Kia corporate investigators, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. Warning Signs & Symptoms There were no warning lamps, error messages, flicker

NHTSA complaint #11749819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

My vehicle has been burning at least 1 quart of oil each month. There are no leaks on the ground.

NHTSA complaint #11749593 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle has 38000 miles now. At about 34000 miles I began to notice a slight rumble from the read end of the car when starting from a stop and making a turn. It has become more noticeable recently. It is only noticeble from a stop and below about 10 mph.After doing some searches online, I have learned that this is a common problem with the Telluride and is due to the AWD coupling. I have not yet scheduled a service appointment, but will do so today. One discussion forum suggested that a report be made to this site since there are no recalls on this part at this time.

NHTSA complaint #11747991 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Safety Complaint I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring fuel gauge malfunction on my 2024 Kia Telluride. On XXX, the vehicle unexpectedly displayed a warning indicating that the fuel tank was empty and that refueling was immediately required. At the time of the warning, there was still a substantial amount of fuel remaining in the tank, and the vehicle had not been driven long enough to reasonably consume the displayed amount of fuel. After adding approximately one gallon of gasoline, the fuel gauge immediately returned to a normal reading, indicating that the vehicle had not actually been out of fuel. This strongly suggests that the fuel level indication system or fuel level sensor is intermittently malfunctioning. Since the initial occurrence, this problem has happened three separate times under similar driving conditions. The issue appears intermittently without warning and cannot be predicted by the driver. On XXX, while the vehicle was still covered under the manufacturer's warranty, I brought the vehicle to Cerritos Kia in [XXX] for diagnosis. I provided the dealership with video recordings clearly showing the instrument cluster displaying the false empty fuel warning. Despite reviewing the video evidence, the dealership refused to perform any repair because no warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) were present at the time of inspection. I was told to return only if the condition occurred again. No corrective action was taken while the vehicle remained under warranty. The malfunction has continued to occur after that visit. This defect creates a significant safety concern because drivers rely on the fuel gauge to accurately determine the amount of fuel remaining. A false empty fuel warning can cause drivers to unnecessarily stop in unsafe locations, alter their driving behavior, or lose confidence in the accuracy of the fuel gauge. More importantly, if the underlying defect causes INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11746818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Safety Complaint I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring fuel gauge malfunction on my 2024 Kia Telluride. On XXX, the vehicle unexpectedly displayed a warning indicating that the fuel tank was empty and that refueling was immediately required. At the time of the warning, there was still a substantial amount of fuel remaining in the tank, and the vehicle had not been driven long enough to reasonably consume the displayed amount of fuel. After adding approximately one gallon of gasoline, the fuel gauge immediately returned to a normal reading, indicating that the vehicle had not actually been out of fuel. This strongly suggests that the fuel level indication system or fuel level sensor is intermittently malfunctioning. Since the initial occurrence, this problem has happened three separate times under similar driving conditions. The issue appears intermittently without warning and cannot be predicted by the driver. On XXX, while the vehicle was still covered under the manufacturer's warranty, I brought the vehicle to Cerritos Kia in [XXX] for diagnosis. I provided the dealership with video recordings clearly showing the instrument cluster displaying the false empty fuel warning. Despite reviewing the video evidence, the dealership refused to perform any repair because no warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) were present at the time of inspection. I was told to return only if the condition occurred again. No corrective action was taken while the vehicle remained under warranty. The malfunction has continued to occur after that visit. This defect creates a significant safety concern because drivers rely on the fuel gauge to accurately determine the amount of fuel remaining. A false empty fuel warning can cause drivers to unnecessarily stop in unsafe locations, alter their driving behavior, or lose confidence in the accuracy of the fuel gauge. More importantly, if the underlying defect causes INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11746818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the engine warning light was illuminated and the message “Engine Failure – Shift to Park or Neutral” was displayed. The dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The failure was a recurring failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.

NHTSA complaint #11745611 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Component - Rear Passenger Window spontaneously failed while traveling on an interstate. We suddenly heard a loud pop and then our rear passenger window shattered without warning. There was no vehicle immediately to the right of us us and nothing struck the window. We were put at risk with this sudden unexplained occurrence as we were driving on the highway at speed. Luckily, we didn't react erratically but could have. We had to pull off to the side of the road on a very busy interstate to figure out what happened. Additionally, we were fortunate that no one was in the back seat as that could have also resulted in injury if someone was sitting there. The manufacturer and dealerships have noted the incident and problem but have not claimed there is any issues. Although the dealership we had the repair done at has seen similar issues with sunroofs with this car type. In researching, we have seen that there are some class action investigations involving these types of window failure in 2020 - 2025 models (noted as rear windows and sunroofs in the investigations). We did have immediate repair of the window through a manufacturer dealership.

NHTSA complaint #11744819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Cluster that shows speed/gas/safety notifications has went completely black and will not turn back on. It has now been in the shop for 2 weeks and they cannot figure out why this is happening. This is the second time the instrument cluster has went out on the 2024 Kia Telluride.

NHTSA complaint #11744506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The dash screen has gone out at random times. Currently there is not TSB or any acknowledgement from Kia about this safety issue. Their dealers service department doesn't know what to do and aren't admitting there is a problem. The only fix from customers online was that Kia replaced the entire gauge cluster which is a massive expense to Kia. The consumers are suffering because of this and Kia is not taking responsibility. They need to start a recall campaign or at minimum introduce a TSB so that Kia service departments know what is needed to fix this issue.

NHTSA complaint #11744367 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.