Kia Telluride years to avoid
Across the 2020–2022 Kia Telluride, the 2020 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 751, about 2.2× the 339 median of the other two model years with enough complaints to compare. It is also the oldest year in this comparison, and older years have had longer to accumulate reports. The most-reported components that year were exterior lighting and the engine. The 2022 drew the fewest, at 320. Separately, the 2020 and 2022 each carry the most recall campaigns, 7. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
The 2020 Telluride is the outlier of the 2020–2022 Kia Telluride, with 751 complaints against the model's 358 median.
Every Telluride model year, ranked
Every Telluride model year NHTSA holds records for, most complaints first. Counts are NHTSA records as of 2026-09-15; recall campaigns and complaints are counted separately because a recall is the manufacturer acting and a complaint is an owner reporting. Years with enough on record have a page of their own.
| Model year | Owner complaints | vs the 358 median | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Telluride | 751 | 2.1× | 7 | exterior lighting |
| 2021 Telluride | 358 | 1× | 5 | the engine |
| 2022 Telluride | 320 | 0.9× | 7 | the windshield wipers |
Buying a Kia Telluride? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Confirm its identity free, then decide whether to review its reported title, mileage and auction history before you buy.
Title brands · Odometer records · Auction history, where reported
No subscription. No charge to check the VIN. Report contents vary by vehicle; applicable tax is shown at checkout.
See what the paid report includes →How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse car. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road.
- The comparison is between years of the Telluride only. It says nothing about how the Telluride compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. Only a VIN lookup shows whether one vehicle is included and whether the work was done.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
Kia Telluride year-by-year questions
Which Kia Telluride year should I avoid?
Across the 2020–2022 Kia Telluride, the 2020 model year drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA: 751, about 2.2× the 339 median of the other two model years with enough complaints to compare. It is also the oldest year in this comparison, and older years have had longer to accumulate reports. The most-reported components that year were exterior lighting and the engine. The 2022 drew the fewest, at 320. Separately, the 2020 and 2022 each carry the most recall campaigns, 7. Complaint volume and recall campaign counts also reflect how long a model year has been on the road and how many were sold, so they rank years within this model rather than measuring build quality.
Which Kia Telluride year is the safest bet?
Of the 2020–2022 Kia Telluride, the 2022 drew the fewest owner complaints to NHTSA — 320, against the model's 358 median. Newer years have had less time on the road, which lowers their count on its own, so treat this as a starting point and check the individual VIN.
Do complaint counts mean the Kia Telluride is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model — which is what this page does — not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Telluride?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. That reports open campaigns for that exact vehicle, including whether the repair is still outstanding. A model-year page cannot tell you that.