2021 Kia Telluride Engine Problems

In December of 2025 at approximately 95,000 my 2021 Kia Telluride (VIN [XXX] ) showed the oil level was about two quarts low. My car has had regular maintenance including oil changes at Santa Fe Kia. At the next oil change appointment in March, I pointed out the oil consumption concern. At that point Kia recommended an oil consumption test be performed. The car had 96,700 miles at that point. At 97,700 Kia indicated that the oil level was fine. At 99,600 I checked the oil and discovered it was more than two quarts low. I called Santa Fe Kia to address the issue and they indicated that a quart every 1,000 miles is within Kia standards and recommended another oil consumption test which would take me over the 100,000 warranty. I called Kia customer care to address the issue. A case was opened, but they kept referring me back to the dealership to be dealt with. After researching the issue myself, I presented the well known and documented oil consumption issue amongst Kia consumers to include PCV valve and piston ring issues. I have an appointment scheduled for 4/16/26, but I am being told that I will be liable for the cost of the PCV valve replacement, compression test and oil leak test which are all known issues related to the problem. Santa Fe Kia's service manager is ignoring my request to submit an engine warranty claim citing that they didn't find a problem outside of Kia's acceptable oil consumption and Kia's customer care refuses to open a claim and keeps referring me back to the dealership. I will be at approximately 99,850 when I arrive at my appointment on 4/16/26. I am concerned that the engine has a major issue and will be told that my warranty is over by the time the issue can be determine and resolved. I am also concerned that there has already been engine damage done without noticing the high oil consumption. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Kia has 110,000 miles on it. We’ve regularly changed the oil at 3-5k mile intervals. A week ago, I heard loud knocking from the front of the car, along with loss of power. We drove it to our local Kia dealer (Kia of Bedford, OH), where upon inspection, they found cylinder bank 2 to be inoperative due to loss of oil. They found approx 2 quarts of oil in the engine - way below normal. They observed NO oil leaks. We inspected our garage and driveway floors, and there is no indication of any oil leaks. The Kia dealer said the engine needs to be replaced, at a cost of $12,700. I contacted Kia Customer Care, and they said it’s out of warranty and they won’t help. I replied back with an appeal to escalate to a higher / regional level for help. The oil had been changed at 105,000 miles. No oil leak present. Routine oil changes performed. This engine should never have had this issue at 110,000 miles. I know this is a known issue with this era of Kia engines. I’ve asked Kia to provide assistance in a repair.

Recently our 2021 Kia Telluride, had a fluttering/metal knocking/mechanical sound and I scheduled a shop visit at our trusted local mechanic. After their inspection, they found that the oil was extremely low and there was metal shavings in the oil filter housing. This was found when absolutely no warning lights were activated that would indicate low oil level or any other engine challenges. The vehicle is maintained with regular oil changes. The vehicle only has 65k miles. Looking further into this online, it seems very similar to the Theta engine recall from Kia. No warning lights/indicator lights, well maintained vehicle with regular oil changes, and to all of a sudden consume almost all the oil and have metal shavings in the oil filter housing is extremely concerning. As of 4/6/2026 the dealer is assessing the vehicle and coming up with a plan and or further actions to be done.

2021 Kia Telluride experienced sudden engine failure at approximately 120,000 miles. The failure occurred without any prior warning. There were no oil warning lights, dashboard alerts, or other indicators of low oil or engine malfunction before the engine failed. After inspection, the mechanic found no oil on the dipstick and discovered metal flakes in the engine and oil filter, indicating severe internal engine damage. No external oil leaks were identified that would explain the loss of oil. This suggests a potential internal engine defect or abnormal oil consumption without warning to the driver. The vehicle has been regularly serviced and properly maintained according to recommended maintenance schedules. There was no neglect, missed oil changes, or failure to maintain the vehicle. This sudden and unexpected engine failure creates a serious safety concern. A loss of engine power while driving, especially at highway speeds or in traffic, could significantly increase the risk of a crash and place the driver, passengers, and other motorists at risk.

No oil in engine can cause fire. Meineke in walkertown inspects the vehicle. No lights or warnings. Vehicle just started running funny. Problem confirmed by Meineke in walkertown. They claim it is a consumption issue because there are no leaks.

The 3.8L Lambda II GDI V6 engine suffered catastrophic failure at approximately 102,000 miles. The root cause is excessive oil consumption documented by an independent repair shop well before the 100,000-mile powertrain warranty expired. At 81,207 miles, during a routine oil change, the mechanic checked oil level before draining and found nothing on the dipstick. Only about 3 quarts drained from an engine with 6.9-quart capacity, meaning nearly 4 quarts were consumed since the last change. This finding repeated at 88,408 miles, with the shop documenting it was the second time oil was critically low. Both events occurred within the powertrain warranty. Original invoices are available for inspection. At no point during ownership did the vehicle display any warning — no low oil level indicator, no low oil pressure warning, no check engine light — despite oil levels falling dangerously low on multiple documented occasions. The absence of any driver alert while the engine operated with less than half its required oil is a serious safety deficiency. The engine failed on while driving with passengers including three young children, causing complete loss of power and requiring an emergency pullover. Loss of engine power at speed creates serious crash risk. The vehicle was serviced at an authorized Kia dealer at 60,449 miles where a 60K service, multi-point inspection, and recall SC243B were performed. The dealer made no mention of oil consumption, did not reference TSB ENG222 (addressing excessive consumption across multiple Kia engine families), and did not perform an oil consumption test. Kia Consumer Affairs refused to submit a goodwill claim and closed the case, citing incomplete oil change documentation — despite the defect being documented within warranty. Excessive oil consumption in 2020-2021 Tellurides appears systemic based on numerous owner reports describing the identical pattern: extreme consumption, no dashboard warnings, and eventual engine failure.

Driving on the highway when all the lights on the dashboard came on and heard a loud sound. Pulled over and noticed flames coming out. The front part of the car 911 was called. An incident report was made. The flames were out quickly. The car was towed and is at the dealership.

The checked engine light came on with Code: P219C00. Vehicle was taken to the Kia Perris dealership for maintenance inspection. This happened after the vehicle had to be taken back to dealership for an oil leak post oil change service. The issue has been reported by multiple owners on Reddit. Seems like a manufacturer issue that should be addressed.

On 12/24/25 the vehicle experienced the very same issue, on the highway, with my family in the car, coming from Christmas Eve festivities. The car decelerated and NO cel (check engine light) ever came on. when transporting to dealer, the car began rough idling like it wanted to die, but still no CEL. At this time, I am told there is a need for a new engine but no supporting documents or other diagnostic documentation has been shared with me and KIA at this time is refusing to resolve the issue under the powertrain warranty and the car is still under 80k miles (powertrain is until 100k) Additional Info: on Aug 5, 2025, the vehicle, with no warning lights or CEL present, the vehicle decelerated on the highway, putting me and my family in imminent danger (large truck behind us who narrowly missed hitting us) and after about 10 min the CEL came on. the vehicle would not drive above 45mph. Once the car was stopped, the CEL went off and the vehicle was diagnosed as failed high-pressure fuel pump, OCV harness, and solenoid, along with accompanying lines/gaskets/plugs and seals. After the repairs were done, I reported rattling noise to the dealer within 5 days of picking up the vehicle, when I had to bring it in for an axle joint replacement (aprox 8/12/25).

First there are holes in the block from a rod bearing coming off. It was leaking oil and started on fire. There are many recalls and law suits regarding this matter and we shouldn’t be on the hook for putting a new engine in.

This car keeps burning excessive oil. I am on my 3rd oil consumption test each time it burns 0.75q in 1000 miles. The dealer states that that is not enough oil. My mile 3000, there is no longer oil on the dip stick, and we start the process all over again. This car has been burning oil that doesn’t even meet a standard oil changer interval since the cars had 70,000 miles on it. It now has 94k. After reading multiple online forums, it seems like anyone who has a 2020-2021 Kia telluride has this problem, and Kia refuses to acknowledge the his problem.

I am a 2nd owner of a kia telluride and the engine failed without warning at less than 90,000 miles. No check engine light, no temp gauge, no low oil level light. No warning at all. Just failure of the "push rod bearing" ny Kia was regularly maintained and when I took it to the dealership, they told me it was down about 3.5qts of oil! Again no low oil light? It holds 7qts...9,000$ later out of my pocket after being denied a goodwill engine replacement from kia to put a new motor in. I have found many others on on-line forums who have experienced this. Please help

Inspected by Kia for 2nd time due to vehicle suddenly shaking, overheating and turning off. First time fluids were low and replaced, kia stated should be fine but then while driving on the highway this past week same dangerous problem happened again suddenly where my vehicle started abruptly shaking making it hard to control, alerted overheating and immediately shut off. This time Kia diagnosed this issue is being caused by multiple hoses and seals failing due to degradation and leaking in multiple locations. Kia’s diagnostic repair inspection states heater core hoses(all), valve cover gaskets,Radiator Hoses upper & Lower, and other seals or connecting components are all leaking and need replaced. Have read online and communicated with other owners of the telluride in which many state same complaints of similar or same problem, therefore this seems to be a very common issue, a safety hazard and concern, not to mention a costly repair that seems to be a quality or manufacturing issue that may need to be evaluated further.

We own a 2021 Kia Telluride which we bought new, have changed the oil as expected and had the 100,000 mile check completed. It now has about 116,000 miles and has been a great and safe car, until now. On a random trip home, traveling on a busy highway, we had to pull over because we suddenly lost power. Our children were in the car and this was very dangerous on a very busy highway. We had it towed to our local garage and was told it was down 3-4 quarts of oil which wrecked the engine and we would need a new one! There were no warning lights for the engine or the oil at all. We are currently having the engine replaced at our very hefty expense as we have no other choice. I see this is quickly becoming an issue with the 21 Telluride and I hope that Kia will do something about it!

1. The engine consumed oil to where it soaked up all the oil in the engine likely as part of a piston ring failure. We have had it at the shop for the last 9 weeks, and cost to replace engine is $10,500 and because extended warranty explicitly wrote this out of the contract as this is a known issue and Kia has stated as such, but not a recall yet so nothing they will do to help. It is available for inspection, but we need the car back so likely not going to drag on much longer. 2. Yes, as no warning lights on the car came on, nothing out of the ordinary other than it just started acting weird and I took it in to get looked at, and was told there was no oil in the engine at all and this is known issue and engine is blown and we have to pay out of pocket to fix. This is extrememly alarming as we have 3 small kids that ride in that car daily and could have caught fire or broke down on the road at any point. 3. We have been told repeatedly by Kia and the extended warranty provider, JM&A, this is a known issue and many cases have been reported this year alone. 4. No, just the Kia dealership where we bought it. 5. There were no warning signs at all. No low oil light or notification came on at all leading us to believe there was a major problem.

Bought the vehicle in February. The vehicle is burning oil too fast. In 1 week 5 qts. I don't drive much as I work from home. Kia dealer wants thousands of dollars. I paid for extended warranty.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and turned off, there was smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that the engine located on the rear driver's side had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was not provided. The cause of the failure was not yet been determined. A Police report was not filed. There were no occupants at the time of the failure. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light had previously illuminated; however, the warning light then turned off independently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 63,000.

The last two times I have been due for an oil change my car has been completely empty. It is 4 years old and burning 4/5 quarts of oil between oil changes. Yesterday for example, my oil notification came on, today I start my car and my engine light came on, check the oil and nothing. Put 2 quarts of oil in it so I can make it to the mechanic tomorrow. This should not be happening on a 4 year old vehicle

Excessive Oil usage to the point of no oil on dip stick yet engine doesnt alert to low oil or pressure. Engine started sputtering and stalling which is why we even checked. Oil changes are done on normal basis. This seems to be a common complaint on the Internet now that I am looking into this. This car is 4 years old and should not be having engine trouble.