2021 Kia Telluride: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
354 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Kia Telluride has no AVOID year, but the 2020 car, with 748 complaints, 124.7 per year on the road and a CAUTION at 66, is the one to think twice about. Buy a 2021 or 2023 car, which have 354 and 203 complaints and score 82 and 79; the 2024 and 2025 cars score 76 and 79 but at 107.0 and 105.0 complaints per year on the road. Read the full note on the model page. 2021 specifically: a year the record favours — 354 complaints, score 82/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade: the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 354 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 70.8
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Constant failure of the rear self leveling shocks there is tsb on the issue but manufacturer will only replace first set of shocks which causes the owner to pay every 20k plus miles for new rear shocks
Sunroof broke when trying to open it. Now it’s in the open, venting, position unable to close. Dealership can’t look at it for a week so I’m risking water damage. Vehicle only has 31,000 miles on it and is just past the 5 yr warranty of course
Was low on oil and check oil light don't go on have to put oil very 2 week because it get low and I don't have no oil leak at all I found out because the motor start shaking and making noise tow it home and mechanical came to check it out and didn't have oil he say I was lurking I was not in the highway because it could lock the mortar and cause a accident
Recalls: 5 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26V430000 | Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. |
| 24V407000 | Seats:Front Assembly:Power Adjust | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. |
| 21V164000 | Air Bags: Air Bag/Restraint Control Module | 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. |
| 22V626000 | Trailer Hitches | 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. |
| 24V214000 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Unknown Or Other98 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Visibility/Wiper62 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Engine61 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System39 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Structure32 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Power Train27 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Kia Telluride years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Kia Telluride?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (98 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Kia Telluride a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 82/100, computed from 354 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Kia Telluride's most common problem?
98 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Kia Telluride sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Kia Telluride cost to run per year?
About $5,664 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $28,322 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Kia Telluride have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Kia Telluride, 1 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 02/07/2026. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Kia Telluride really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 354 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 354 NHTSA complaints on record (70.8/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (105.0/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems