There are 9 owner-reported brakes complaints for the 2021 Kia Telluridein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
Kia had a safety recall which required a software update to address the potential of the car moving/ rolling away while parked. Kia addressed this by updating the software to automatically set the parking brake when the vehicle is turned off. In the northeast/ rust belt states where there is water/ salt and rust, the brake pads rust and freeze to the rotor. The brakes lock up, physically jerk and cause damage to the braking system when driving away. Owner's manuals normally recommend that the parking brake not be set when under these wet and winter conditions. The brake rotors and pads are being prematurely damaged and may result in sudden failure. This "cheap software fix" needs to be changed and the drivetrain parts/ parking pin should be appropriately repaired on all affected vehicles.
After having a rear brake replacement on 10/14/25 - was driving to work on 10/28/25, hear a clunk noise that repeated at random. When pulling thru a parking lot I lost my brakes completely. When I parked the car I looked at the brake and the newly installed caliper had fallen apart. Towed to shop to have the vehicle looked and then replaced the caliper with the same brand caliper from the dealership.
Driving and trying to brake and brake pushed to floor and still not stop.I pulled over and called AAA.While waiting for AAA to arrive low brake fluid light came on.AAA driver arrived and stated bolts protecting driver side rear tire were gone and caliper on that side were left hanging.Towed to Kia Dealer and stated bolts were clearly removed.Last visit to Kia dealer was 30 days ago only for oil change not brake work.Dealer repaired caliper bolts and pistons for over 2000.Dealer had no idea why bolts came off by themselves and why it happened. There was no warning or lights going off until after brakes failed.Luckily when it happened i was only on back roads so could slow down eventually without incident but if I had been on highway not know how I would have come to a stop before crashing.Can anyone tell me why this happened and how to prevent it from ever happening to me or anyone else owning a Kia Telluride
My dealer installed new software that sets the parking brake when the shifter is put in the park position. When I'm driving the car and stopped at a red light and open my door to let an insect out or spit or to make sure the door was closed completely or whatever the reason, the parking brake is set even though the car is still in drive and my foot is on the brake. This is fine. However, when I close the door, release my foot from the brake pedal and press the accelerator, the parking brake remains engaged. I feel that this can lead to safety issues if a driver is not aware of why their car will not move. They can become a traffic hazard or attempt to drive their car with the parking brake still engaged. My Kia dealer said that's the way it is and they cannot do anything to change it. I also reported this issue to Kia directly but have not yet received a reply.
There were 2 lanes going in the same direction and I was on the right. The road was turning to the right and ended up hitting a car in the lane on the right. Road conditions were wet but no puddling. I depressed the brake pedal to reduce my speed for the turn, but and I kept going as if I hadn't hit it at all. By moving from the right to the left lane, the car was going up a slight bank. There was no skidding, no rumbling from the anti-lock, just a steady forward motion. I was so caught off guard with this unusual movement of the car that I thought my brakes had locked, so I didn't bother try turning the wheel.
While driving in a parking garage and going down a ramp to the next level, all of the lights on my dashboard popped on and the brakes stopped working. The emergency brakes failed to work, and we crashed into a wall/air conditioning unit. Luckily, we were going slow since we were in a parking garage and did not hit another car, but if we were on a highway and/ my entire family were in the car, someone could have died not only in my car but in other cars. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership, but only after 3 weeks, and I've had to call to get any sort of communication from Kia. They have been horrible with communication. They also have not offered guaranteed reimbursement for a rental car nor have they offered a loaner. Insurance has inspected the car from a collision perspective and gave a quote on the damages. There were warning lights on as we were going down the ramp when the brakes went out.
While applying the brake at an approaching Stop sign the brake pedal was completely depress and the vehicle continued to roll forward into the intersection. This happened twice in a week. Kia dealer assessed the vehicle on two occasions and was unable to find a fault. This could very well cause a major crash and impact the Safety of myself, my family and others on the roadway.
Part number 97279-S9010 fell on my feet while I was driving from under dash. Part block access to the brake as it fell on my feet between my foot and the brake/gas making it impossible to apply the brake. Fortunately, was a rural road so I put in neutral and coasted to the side of the road. Very confusing until I saw the part blocking the brake and gas pedal.
The brakes on my 2021 Kia Telluride failed while pulling into my side entry garage. The Telluride's brakes went limp, losing pressure and dropped to the floorboard. The Telluride crashed into the interior of the garage, coming to a complete stop after slamming into the foundation of the house. Once stopped, the Telluride could be put in park and braking was restored. Home surveillance captured the event and it is available for viewing at: https://youtu.be/AdJ6tXyK57k
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026