205 of the
2,598 complaints filed about the KIA Telluride
are about the lighting —
8% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2020.
The factory-installed driver/passenger side LED headlight assembly suffered a sudden, total internal electrical failure while driving at night, causing an immediate loss of forward visibility and creating a severe crash hazard. This is a known, systemic manufacturing defect affecting premium trims (SX/SX-Prestige) of the 2020 Kia Telluride. The housing seals degrade prematurely, allowing condensation to become trapped inside the unit. This moisture corrodes the internal circuit boards and shorts out the electrical modules, completely disabling the high beams, low beams, and running lights. Because these LED units are entirely sealed, they cannot be serviced or repaired by changing a bulb; the entire expensive structural component must be replaced. Kia is fully aware of 2020 Telluride headlight failures and issued Safety Recall SC299 (NHTSA Campaign 24V148000) to address them. However, Kia arbitrarily limited that safety recall to lower trims utilizing halogen assemblies. Premium trims utilizing LED assemblies are experiencing the exact same catastrophic loss of nighttime illumination due to internal electrical failures, yet owners are being forced to pay out-of-pocket to fix an inherent safety defect. The NHTSA needs to mandate that Kia expand Campaign SC299 to include all 2020 Telluride trim levels equipped with LED headlight assemblies before this widespread visibility failure causes a fatal nighttime collision.
NHTSA complaint #11758772 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
My right headlight stopped working, even after replacing bulb several times. The exterior paint is chipping from different areas. The middle seat seatbelts middle and behind driver keep getting stuck, they will not retract. My vehicle is only 4 years old it started with the headlight issue within 2 years. Now the seatbelts and paint, this vehicle has been a pain.
NHTSA complaint #11748092 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The information cluster behind the steering wheel is not turning on. Started all of a sudden. Can’t show speed, none of the advance driving features are working , and not showing gas level.
NHTSA complaint #11730026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the high beam headlights failed to illuminate as intended, and the vehicle shuddered before losing automotive power. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the warning lights failed to illuminate as designed when the engine oil level was low. The vehicle was taken to a local Auto Zone, where the relay and high beam headlights were replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. An appointment with the dealer was scheduled to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Upon further investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign: 24V148000 (Exterior Lighting); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unavailable.
NHTSA complaint #11728510 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The headlights on this car are pointed too high. When driving on the road at night vehicles coming the other way often assume you have your bright lights on and flash you with their bright lights which can temporarily blind you - obviously a big safety problem! If this only happened once in a while I'd say no big deal but it happens EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU DRIVE THE CAR! I've spoken with other 2020 Kia Telluride owners and they report the exact same problem. I've spoken to the Kia representative at our local dealer about this and his attitude was basically "not my problem". Please, tell Kia to fix this problem. Otherwise there will be accidents that could have been avoided. Thanks.
NHTSA complaint #11709139 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The passenger side headlight randomly goes off. An alert comes on on the dashboard to check the headlight. The headlight comes back on randomly. I made several appointments to get it checked, but would be back on again when at the appointment. Diagnostic check showed no issues. The dealer replaced the bulb (not under warranty) and it worked for 1 year. The issue started again, another diagnostic was done, and a found no issues because the headlight came back on. A few weeks later it was out again and the whole lamp assembly was replaced. Not covered by warranty.
NHTSA complaint #11700902 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Front lights gets foggy when it gets hand wash, contacted the dealership and they are willing to replace the “Gasket” because the headlights must have “ventilation”. While driving with nobody in front the collision warning went off non stop, the road was completely clear.
NHTSA complaint #11692101 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auto Dimming function of interior lights and activation of headlights; This occurs very rapidly on/off in seconds, should be in minutes. When on, it completely darkens the center instrument cluster where it becomes unreadable in daylight conditions. This has occurred since the vehicle was new. On 15 October 2024 University Kia in Durham NC looked at the issue when the vehicle was in for recall SC316R. Tech stated window mounted NC Quickpass was causing the issue with obstructing light hitting the dash sensors. I relocated my NC Quickpass and the vehicle has continued to do the same activation to present time. It is so bad that while driving under a shadow of a tree during the day, it will go from Day into Night mode then back again temporarily losing the interior center dashboard if the interior lighting is set to Dim setting.
NHTSA complaint #11691518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Headlights does not display full visibility. It seems as if the headlights are cut off with blind spots. Headlights doesn't have full visibility. Headlight projection is not 100 percent. Dealership technician have said Kia doesn't have a fix for it. When its very dark outside their are blind spots. Vehicle smokes from the exhaust. Upon acceleration it feels rough with trembling effect.
NHTSA complaint #11686484 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated while attempting to have a vehicle inspected, it was discovered that there was an open recall on the VIN. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V148000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11673399 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
It took 8 months to repair the Recall #SC299B HALOGEN HEADLAMP-BOTH. Repair was done 04/03/2025, which appears to have not last long as high beam is low again and I am afraid to drive in early morning, dusk, or evening due to the timid, low bearing high beams. This is very unsettling as we have made three complaints due to negligence and lack of efficiency for recall repair, being in an accident due to not seeing a deer run across and we hit it, as well as, failed state inspection due to light issues (twice) that negatively impacted financial stability and job security as one driver has to have a clear safety inspection in order to work. Kia corporate has been contacted 6 times via email and called back to discuss ongoing issues, however, there does not appear to be any resolution and/or willingness to discuss ongoing issues with our car. It would be nice to discuss this matter and find a solution that alleviates hardship this recall (and apparent lack of fix as lights continue to be an issue) and Kia dealer/company has made. We would appreciate being bought out and/or provided reimbursements and buyout. Either way, we hope others do NOT face the ongoing stress and issues telluride has given us. It is not ideal or fair to continue being fearful of the safety and reliability of our car despite company’s “attempt” of fixing it.
NHTSA complaint #11664738 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Headlight on passenger side is no longer working causing unsafe visibility issues. While under warranty, the car was taken in for service at a Kia dealership twice for the same problem but during this time frame, the headlight issue was only occurring intermittently. Both times no repair or replacement was made and I was told the headlight was fine. The headlight ended up experiencing complete failure shortly after my warranty expired. I have pictures of my dash mileage when it happened. Researching online, I have discovered other Kia Telluride owners with similar complaints about their headlights failing in this way. Furthermore, Kia Dealerships either fail to make the repair properly by not correcting the known defect(which results in failure again) or have been charging thousands of dollars for a new complete headlight assembly replacement. Normally, when a headlight fails, it is just a matter of swapping out the headlight bulb with a new one. Unfortunately, because of the defect and failure with the design, it is not that cheap/simple to fix. A class action lawsuit has begun because of Kia's inaction. Kia should do the right thing and issue a recall the fix this unsafe problem of headlight failure.
NHTSA complaint #11661035 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, other drivers were flashing their headlights, attempting to notify the contact that the front headlights were not functioning as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and the high beam headlights were replaced. The contact stated that on another occasion, while driving at various speeds, the driver’s side front high beam headlight failed to illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The high beam headlights were replaced. The contact tested the lights, and the front driver’s side high beam headlight failed to operate. Upon further inspection, the dealer stated that there was a burning odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the headlight assembly kit needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V148000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 67,688.
NHTSA complaint #11653157 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have had mi car in multiple shops and been told they can’t repair my headlights. The bulb keeps blowing and now the headlight highbeam doesn’t work and my state inspection is coming up next month and the corporate office says there nothing they can do till the part is available. I need my car fixed for my safety and my family’s safety. I don’t know what else to do
NHTSA complaint #11649698 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact received Kia Campaign Number: 296 for the "Halogen Headlamp High Beam". The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on one occasion while driving at an undisclosed speed, the high-beam lights failed to illuminate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer. The dealer was unable to repair the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure had gotten worse. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
NHTSA complaint #11649546 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? POWER TRAIN, OIL CONSUMPTION, CAMSHAFT POSITION , CIRCUIT SENSORS A X 4, HEADLAMPS HIGH BEAMS DO NOT FUNCTION.CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FAILS. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I DONT FEEL SAFE DRIVING AFTER SUNSET IF I CANT SEE ROAD WHEN NEEDED MY HIGH BEAMS DID NOT FUNCTION I WAS TOLD IT WAS FIXED BUT THERE WERE NO PARTS. STILL AN ISSUE. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? YES about 4 times. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO BEFORE THE 4TH WEEK OF HAVING VEHICLE AFTER 3 WEEKS OF PURCHASE WITH NO OIL.I REPORTED IT TO Y SELLER WAS TOLD TO PAY TO FIX AT SERVICE BUT I DID NOT EXPECT TO BUY A FAULTY VEHICLE AFTER THE STRUGGLE WAS TO OBTAIN SUCH VEHICE FOR MY BUSINESS.
NHTSA complaint #11648764 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I brought veh to Covina Kia on 1-6-25 for recall (SC299B) of headlight high beams failure. George Arroyo refused to take my veh in telling me my warranty had expired. I told him the safety recall had to be addressed. I insisted mileage doesn’t not void a safety recall. He finally took veh in. My veh has been at dealership for 16 days and has not been touched. It is obvious dealership doesn’t want to perform recall because there is no money to be made for the technician and service advisor. I am getting automated texts but no person calls back to inform me about the exaggerated delays. I have filed a complaint with Kia Motors and situation has not changed, my vehicle is still parked at the dealership.
NHTSA complaint #11637456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.