What 329 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Telluride

I wish to amend my previous report dated 6/22/2026. #11745783. IT is is cv boot on the right side. I had a dealer do the repair. It is not under warranty, If you follow the Kia Telluride complaint page son FB, others have had the same issue. It cost $777.61 to repair. It should not need to be repaired at 72k miles. That is a third of the expected life expectancy. Thank you for considering this safety matter.

NHTSA ODI 11746935

AWD coupler assembly failed twice and company will not repair. Rear shocks thumping and noisy, company repaired twice but still inop.

NHTSA ODI 11746823

The CV axel is bad and needs replaced. I am only at 72,000 miles. If I had not gotten an oil change and the technician saw it, it could have broken while driving this coming weekend for 14 hours. Independent service center is replacing. No warning. This could have caused a serious accident.

NHTSA ODI 11745783

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that the passenger’s side drive shaft boot was leaking. The steering and mileage were affected by the failure. While making a turn, the steering wheel was readjusting. The accelerator pedal was depressed; after the pedal was released, the pedal jerked. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed there were no open recalls associated with the VIN. The brakes were reprogrammed. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the front boot was leaking, and the axle and tires needed to be replaced, and an alignment performed. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Kia Mentor (9090 Mentor Ave., Mentor, OH 44060); who provided the same diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle. The BBB was contacted and the Attorney General. The approximate failure mileage was 81,000.

NHTSA ODI 11744846

I have 2021 Kia Telluride with 38000 miles on it. When I wash my car, I normally wash the roof and in order to do that I put one foot on 3 step ladder and one foot on the back tire. I always had a plenty space above the tire and under the fender and I could stand up on the tire while I was washing the roof. On my last wash after the harsh winter weather, I notice I can not place my foot on the tire anymore. I google the height from the bottom of the fender to the ground and I noticed is way down. I read on Google that is covered by KIA for 15 years or 180000 miles. I contacted the Riverhead Kia and they replaced the shocks. When I came out of the dealer I immediately noticed the height has not been improved. I informed the service advisor, he said that is not going to be like a new 2026 vehicle and it should be Ok. Two days later over the weekend I noticed Roaring sound and when I hit the bump it seems my chasing banging on the axle. I am planning to go back to dealer tomorrow.

NHTSA ODI 11727826

Rear shocks unstable. When on rough roads or small imperfections in the road it’s hard to control vehicle and items/people get abruptly jostled. The dealership has been notified but says it’s not a recall and will look at it but can only take pictures and send it off to main office. No warning of this failure.

NHTSA ODI 11704186

The rear frame of my 2021 Kia Telluride has a broken weld. This is a structural failure that compromises the safety and integrity of the vehicle. The Kia dealership mechanic who inspected it confirmed the weld was defective and also stated they have heard other Tellurides with the same issue. A broken frame weld poses a serious risk to vehicle occupants in the event of a crash and may affect handling, towing, and long-term durability. This appears to be a recurring defect and should be investigated as a potential safety hazard. After several trips to the dealership, for the loud metal to metal type bang, they have replaced struts, rear stab links and shock absorbers. On 9/17/2025 the mechanic was given a list of items to inspect and the dealership informed me that one of the items on the list was to check the frame welds. I was informed that they found the broken weld and have forward pictures to KIA engineers. I was informed that the car is safe to drive and they will get back to me within a couple weeks. They offered me a loaner car but it would be a KIA Soul which is too small for my wife that has bad knees to get in and out of. I do not have pictures of the problem and the dealership didn't want to copy me.

NHTSA ODI 11688054

Rear shock failure for the second time. This time in under 9 months. Front crash detection constantly goes off in cold snowy weather or rain. engine issue is frequent popping sound in exhaust and causing dirty oxygen sensors

NHTSA ODI 11681146

In the summer of 2023 I started hearing a clunking noise from the rear of the vehicle that became louder when going over bumps. Took the car to the dealer and I was told the rear shocks were bad and needed to be replaced. Aug of 2023 the original shocks on the car were replaced which was premature for the average life of shocks. Then months later the same things started and I had a puddle of fluid on my garage floor. I took my vehicle back into the same dealership in June of 2024 only to find the rear shocks had failed again. This time in less than a year. Now in September, I can feel the back end getting loose when I go over bumps, which is what happened previously before the shock completely failed. The ride is continuing to regress. Up until this I thought I would go into another Telluride but the lack of longevity in the ride comfort has changed my mind. Something has to be wrong for brand new shocks to fail so shortly after installation

NHTSA ODI 11615603

There is an ongoing problem with the NIVOMAT self-leveling shocks on every model year of this vehicle. The problem occurs at nearly every speed but is more noticeable at lower speeds (35mph or less) while going over uneven terrain or hitting small bumps. The vehicle produces a clunking noise from the rear of the vehicle and there is no cushioning or rebounding from going over the bump or uneven terrain. Instead, there is more of a jolting knock when hitting small bumps and a constant bouncing around/floating feeling while driving over uneven terrain. This is dangerous because passengers and cargo in the vehicle gets bounced around and the vehicle gets harder to control especially at higher speeds. Many of these shocks are failing early in the life of the vehicle. Mine is at 27K miles, however I believe the problem started before and probably closer to 18-20K miles. Kia knows about this issue but has failed to come up with a reliable solution. This is four model years now with the same issue. Kia has released TSB after TSB on this, only replacing certain parts of the shock (isolators, etc.). However, there are still reports of replacement parts and even new full shock assemblies failing around the same amount of milage. It would be great if a wider recall can be issued to address this ongoing problem that seems to affect every model year so hopefully Kia can find a more reliable, quality part to replace the consistently failing part.

NHTSA ODI 11613455

Rear shocks are defective, bounces around, diagonal pitch and rough / harsh ride. Dealers Idea of fix is shock Isolator replacement. They don't have in stock and make you wait several days for repair. There should be a recall on this.

NHTSA ODI 11604378

Rear self leveling shocks failed, confirmed at 65,000 miles but issue had been present for months.

NHTSA ODI 11598814

. Cannot drive the vehicle because the rear end bounces up and down and side to side violently making it difficult to control ehile driving. Kia dealership said rear shock absorbers need replacement and Kia warranty does not cover $1800 repair. Kia dealer said this has happened previously. There are many comments on the internet from other Kia Telluride owners about the same problem. I opened a case with Kia Motor Company requesting they cover a portion of the repair given the numerous online complaints, and the obvious safety risks. They refused. Kia is clearly installing defective parts on this vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11591240

The rear shock is leaking/bad. My car only has 30K miles. It caused my wheels to wear unevenly, which could have led me and my family to have a car accident if a wheel popped while driving. An independent service center has confirmed this when the vehicle failed inspection. No warning of the issue.

NHTSA ODI 11588187

Around 65,000 miles Rear self-leveling shock absorbers started making clunking noises, now they're extremely stiff, not compressing with weight, even small speed bumps affect the rear of the car, rear/cargo bouncing up violently over mild speed bumps, rough on 2nd/3rd row passengers. the standard front shocks which are still good. The problem, reproduced on a drive, verified by a dealership service department tech. Local dealership reported problem to Kia, and Kia offered to cover parts but I'd be charged over $500 labor. A premium package car shouldn't have such a rough ride because of failing suspension parts. Kia should fix the rear shock issue on the 2021 Tellurides ordered w/ "self-leveling rear suspension" under a recall. Thanks for your attention.

NHTSA ODI 11568408

Rear suspension harshness, rough ride, and asymmetric rear ride quality body movement. Medium to large bumbs on road causing body to pitch latterally causing all passengers to have accessive headtoss. Driver fatigue sets in quickly.

NHTSA ODI 11561905

The rear self-levelling shocks have failed completely, providing no shock absorbtion whatsoever. The vehicle is extremely difficult to control on bumpy roads even at moderate speed as it bounces so violently it is difficlult to maintain steeering. My vehicle is a 2021 Telluride SX with towing package

NHTSA ODI 11518652