2025 Kia Telluride: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
105 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 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. 2025 specifically: a year the record favours — 105 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 2025 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 105 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 105.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The infotainment displayed information at the home screen is so close to the left side of the screen that when you are driving, the steering wheel and my hand covers it, so if you want to see it, you need to bend a little to the right, taking the eyes off the road and more important things. The infotainment screen design has a lot of room in the middle of the screen, but somebody with very low brain, had to be a desi…
Aug 1 2026 While going to the store, we were waiting at the traffic light to make a left turn, as we were making the left turn and entering the store parking lot an audible alarm sounded which surprised us and then a message appeared that stated "Engine Off! Shift to P or N, then start engine". Fortunately, there were no cars behind us and I was able to shift into Park and restart my car. With engine off, we had no …
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while idling, the vehicle stalled. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle with no issues. The contact stated that while making a left turn on another occasion, the vehicle stalled and was nearly rear-ended. The vehicle was shifted to park(P) and restarted. The contact stated that while making a left turn on a third occasion, the vehicle stalled.…
Recalls: 3 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 26V105000 | Seats:Front Assembly:Recliner | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride vehicles, equipped with power front seat(s). |
| 25V494000 | Structure:Exterior Trim | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. |
| 25V745000 | Tires:Temporary/Emergency Spare Tire | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride and 2026 Sorento vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). |
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 20 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,100
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.
- Engine36 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other21 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System20 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Visibility/Wiper16 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Steering7 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Power Train7 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 2025 Kia Telluride?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (36 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2025 Kia Telluride a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 79/100, computed from 105 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2025 Kia Telluride's most common problem?
36 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2025 Kia Telluride sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 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 2025 Kia Telluride cost to run per year?
About $5,905 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,525 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 2025 Kia Telluride have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2025 Kia Telluride, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 23/02/2026. 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 2025 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.
Moderate evidence — 105 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 105 NHTSA complaints on record (105.0/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (105.0/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems