Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age, so 16.3% land after the 5-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Unknown Or Other, with 471 complaints, typically at 2.4 years.
Kia Telluride years to avoid — and the best ones
| Model year | Per run | Complaints | Runs | Enough history? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 117 | 50 | too new | |
| 2024 | 216 | 59 | too new | |
| 2023 | 205 | 56 | too new | |
| 2022 | 327 | 74 | too new | |
| 2021 | 367 | 75 | too new | |
| 2020 | 769 | 91 | yes |
When it starts to break
| Age at failure | Complaints | Running total | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 years | 22.6% | covered | |
| 1 year | 42.2% | covered | |
| 2 years | 55.7% | covered | |
| 3 years | 71% | covered | |
| 4 years | 83.7% | covered | |
| 5 years | 95.2% | you pay | |
| 6 years | 100% | you pay |
Basic warranty on this car is 5 years / 60,000 miles. Only 83.7% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 16.3% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (10 years / 100,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for about 25% of the complaints here.
What actually fails — and at what age
On the Kia Telluride, the early trouble is Unknown Or Other and Visibility/wiper — reported at around 2.4 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it.
| System | Complaints | Typical age | Crash | Fire |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | 2.4 yrs | 5 | 6 | |
| Visibility/wiper | 1.1 yrs | 1 | — | |
| Engine | 3.5 yrs | 1 | 11 | |
| Electrical System | 2.2 yrs | 6 | 7 | |
| Exterior Lighting | 2.3 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Power Train | 2.9 yrs | 5 | 1 | |
| Structure | 2.8 yrs | 2 | — | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 1.5 yrs | 11 | — |
What else in this class
6 models share the Telluride's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota RAV4 draws 2.31, the Jeep Wrangler 4.69 and the Honda CR-V 3.7, against 4.94 for the Telluride. That is the most complaints of the group.
| Same class as the Telluride | Complaints on record | Recall campaigns | Years built |
|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota RAV4 | 168 | 1996–2026 | |
| Jeep Wrangler | 285 | 1986–2026 | |
| Honda CR-V | 207 | 1997–2026 | |
| Tesla Model Y | 100 | 2020–2026 | |
| Mazda CX-5 | 33 | 2013–2026 | |
| Nissan Rogue | 94 | 2008–2026 |
The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.
Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.
- Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
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- Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
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Frequently asked questions
Is the Kia Telluride reliable?
By complaints per production run it is worse than typical: 4.94 against 3.73 for the average car, and more than each of the 3 class rivals we compared.
When do Telluride problems usually start?
Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age. The most reported system is Unknown Or Other, typically at 2.4 years, followed by Visibility/wiper.
Will the warranty cover Telluride problems?
Mostly yes: basic cover is 5 years / 60,000 miles, and 83.7% of reported failures fall inside it. Powertrain cover lasts longer, but engine and transmission make up about 25% of the complaints here.
Is the Telluride more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?
No: 4.94 complaints per production run for the Telluride against 2.31 for the Toyota RAV4.
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