2023 Kia Telluride: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
203 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 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. 2023 specifically: a year the record favours — 203 complaints, score 79/100. 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 2023 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 203 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 67.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The contact owns a 2023 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 contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. The contact was concerned that the recall posed a fire risk, rendering the vehicle unsafe to drive or park. The contact stated that the manuf…
Clear coat peeling off in sheets on a 2023 kia telluride. it's a known problem amoung kia owners however kia is not accepting responsiblity for a manufacturer defect.
A P0741 warning light comes on and off leading driver to believe the problem is intermittent when in fact it is a torque converter failed. The intermittent nature of the warning light could lead drivers to believe the problem is not a safety issue, particularly on a SUV with only 105,000 miles. However, when a converter fails it is definitely a safety issue.
Recalls: 6 campaigns (2 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. |
| 24V214000 | Power Train:Driveline:Driveshaft | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. |
| 23V298000 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. |
| 25V494000 | Structure:Exterior Trim | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. |
| 23V035000 | Air Bags:Side/Window | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 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 Other57 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System49 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper28 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Power Train24 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine23 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Vehicle Speed Control14 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Kia Telluride years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Kia Telluride?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (57 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2023 Kia Telluride a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 203 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2023 Kia Telluride's most common problem?
57 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2023 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 2023 Kia Telluride cost to run per year?
About $5,325 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $26,628 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 2023 Kia Telluride have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2023 Kia Telluride, 2 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 2023 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 — 203 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 203 NHTSA complaints on record (67.7/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (105.0/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems