2022 Kia Telluride Complaint Log

Windshield cracks so easily, slightest road debris creates a chip then crack

Catastrophic rear differential failure at highway speed following recent warranty repair. Vehicle previously brought to Kia dealership for rear differential knocking noise. Warranty repair performed and vehicle returned. Within one week, original noise returned with additional whirling/ grinding sound.While traveling approximately 70 mph on the highway, vehicle experienced a sudden loud bang and immediate abrupt stop in traffic. At the time of failure, wife and two children were in the vehicle. Incident posed a severe and life-threatening safety risk.Visual inspection indicates complete rear differential mechanical failure, with fluid and component debris present underneath vehicle. Vehicle is currently unsafe to operate.Failure occurred immediately following manufacturer-authorized warranty repair.

We were driving in the left hand lane on i75 south about 15 miles south of [XXX] and about 10 miles from [XXX] . We were traveling about 75 mph with air conditioning on low. We heard a loud bang and pulled off at exit 328 to investigate. We pulled over at Myers carpet on dug gap road. We looked at the sunroof and it looked like it had exploded upward. 1/3 of the glass was gone and a cone like upward shattering appears in the edges of the blowout area. We had to go to the nearby tractor supply to find duct tape and plastic sheeting to tape over the whole sunroof to drive home to [XXX] . It just happened on 3/15/2026 at approximately 4pm. We have not yet been to a Kia dealer or called consumer affairs at Kia corporate yet. I am filing a ticket with Kia now. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

After a long winter in northern ILLINOIS, we had a 70’ afternoon and I tried to open my sunroof and it stopped working. I heard a crunching sound and tried to reverse it and that may have made it worse. It had been working fine in the fall months September and October when I last used it. It did not cause a safety issue. No one was at risk. I’ve taken the car to the closest KIA dealer to me . Castle KIA in McHenry IL. The Kia dealer gave me an estimate on cost . There was no warning signs of it being broken until it actually happened.

I was driving down the highway at 73 MPH and the sunroof shattered sending glass into the interior of the car, onto me, and into my clothes. It sounded like a gunshot and was terrifying.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact noticed that while entering the vehicle, the front passenger's seat had a burned spot, and the front passenger side visor was melted. In addition, the contact noticed brown residue throughout the interior of the vehicle. The fire had appeared to self-extinguish. No warning lights were illuminated prior to the failure. The vehicle was unoccupied. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the inspection had not been completed. The fire department was scheduled to inspect the vehicle within the next few days. The contact stated that the inspection was ongoing. In addition, the contact stated that the NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V407000 (Seats) was completed on 10/15/2024. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.

The windshield cracked for no apparent reason. The crack was on the driver's side, about 16 inches long, starting near the top and curving around the driver's view to the middle of the windshield.

Front sunroof suddenly shattered while going down highway. Remaining glass was pushed outward and no sign of impact was seen.

Subject: Safety Concern – Backup Camera Failure Causing Complete Safety System Malfunction (2022 Kia Telluride) I am reporting a safety concern regarding a 2022 Kia Telluride related to the rear backup camera assembly. The backup camera failed due to water infiltration through the camera seal, which entered the camera housing and caused an electrical short. When this occurred, the failure did not only disable the backup camera but caused the entire vehicle safety system to malfunction, disabling multiple safety features until the issue was repaired. When we brought the vehicle to the dealership, they stated that this was not the first Kia Telluride they had seen with the same issue. The quoted repair cost from the dealership was approximately $1,200. I ultimately replaced the camera myself, which restored the safety systems to normal operation. I have retained the failed camera assembly, which clearly shows the location where the seal failed and water entered the unit. Because the failure of this component disables multiple vehicle safety systems, I believe this may represent a broader safety concern if it is occurring in other vehicles. I am submitting this report so the issue can be reviewed for potential defects affecting other vehicles. Vehicle information and additional details can be provided if needed. Thank you. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the steering wheel failed to turn in the intended direction. The auto cold error message was displayed. The contact stated that the steering wheel violently jerked back and forth three times. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and turned off. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle started. The contact stated that the error code "Auto Cold" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle remained at the dealer for three weeks for a diagnostic test. The contact stated that in 2024, there was an unknown recall for the front drive shaft. The recall repair was performed in 2024, and the vehicle was inspected at the time and passed the inspection. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

On January 28, 2026, I brought my vehicle to Kia of Fayetteville for brake pads, rotor replacement, and brake fluid service. I paid approximately $900 for these services and was provided a dealership loaner vehicle. Upon entering the loaner vehicle, I discovered a loaded firearm inside the vehicle as I was gathering my items. The firearm’s serial numbers appeared to be scratched off. Law enforcement was immediately notified. No apology, acknowledgment, or remedial action was taken by dealership management. During this incident, the service manager, Alex Prat, acted in an aggressive, disrespectful, and unprofessional manner. Shortly after retrieving my vehicle, my husband who was driving the vehicle experienced a complete loss of braking ability. The vehicle was towed to another authorized Kia dealership, Southern Pines Kia, where technicians documented that multiple brake system components were improperly installed and/or unsecured, including missing or improperly fastened hardware. The vehicle was deemed unsafe to operate.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's side seat belt buckle failed latch immediately, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side seat belt buckle unlatched unintendedly, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the seat belt buckle was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.

Sunroof suddenly exploded while driving.

Our Kia Telluride caught fire after sitting for about 3 hours. My husband had driven it that day with no issue. After it sat in our driveway for 3 hours, we noticed that it was on fire. The fire started in the back/underneath part of the vehicle. It was a complete loss.

Driver LCD screen went blank

Upon starting car, digital odometer cluster is blank. While the cluster is down, the gas tank cap is also unable to be opened. In researching on Google/kia forums, the fix has been to turn off the car, lock the doors and then unlock and restart the car. This is a 2022 and has happened approximately six times since purchase, the most recent time being today’s date again, the Kia forum suggested fix worked to remedy the problem today. Unable to “log these” with the dealership, unless it is brought in for service, but as the online remedy works, no service appointment is needed and therefore cannot on the spot replicate the issue as it randomly occurs. Unaware that these incidents could be logged on this site to establish potential patterns outside previous recalls for same issue.

Was driving heard a noise and then lost power to gas peddle and bunch of smoke and then flames coming from front of car got out and there were flames coming from hood eventually flames died down and was just smoking police &fire department were called. Piston blew through engine block these engine have a known oil consumption issue and I have kept up with oil .

The infotainment system, which also allows for use of backup cameras and safety alerts went black and has ceased working. Despite a technician diagnosing it to see if it was a simple fix. It looks like a complete malfunction of the unit.

The oil filter housing cracked on the car, causing all the oil to leak out. In researching this, I have found that this is a common problem with the Kia Telluride and Kia Sorrento. The problem is that the oil filter housing is made of cheap plastic and not durable material such as aluminum or steel. This allows the oil filter housing to easily crack under stress. In speaking with the dealership, this is not an uncommon problem. I feel that this should be covered under the Powertrain warranty or through a recall. A quick Google search will show that the problem is widespread in the Sorrento and Telluride models. This repair cost me a total of $425. If I had not replaced or repaired oil filter housing, the engine would have locked up as all the oil at escaped onto the pavement.

While driving our 2022 Kia Telluride under normal operating conditions, the panoramic sunroof glass suddenly and spontaneously shattered outward with a loud explosion-like noise. The sunroof was fully closed at the time of the explosion. There was no impact with any object, no debris strike, no road hazard, and no external cause observed. Weather conditions were clear, traffic was normal, and the vehicle was traveling at a normal speed. The failure occurred without warning. There were no prior cracks, chips, noises, warning lights, or messages before the incident. A large hole immediately formed in the sunroof glass, and glass fragments fell into the vehicle and were caught by the shade. The sudden shattering and loud noise scared the driver and passengers and created an immediate safety hazard, requiring us to pull over right away. Occupants were placed at risk of injury from falling glass and sudden driver distraction. For safety reasons, loose and hanging glass was removed after stopping the vehicle. At the time of this report, the vehicle has not yet been inspected by a Kia dealer, manufacturer representative, or independent service center, as the incident occurred recently (we have an appointment in two days). The remaining sunroof components and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. This appears to be a sudden and spontaneous glass failure occurring during normal vehicle operation.

Noise over bumps from the rear

Plastic oil filter housing cracked after oil change around 100k miles.

I had noticed a 1" wide crack had formed in the center of the windshield after first night of cold weather (~10°F). There was no prior damage to the windshield before the crack formed. I'm concerned that the crack will continue to spread as we progress into the winter in the upper Midwest, ultimately shattering while I'm driving.

My daughter was trying to get into the backseat of our Kia Telluride. She had one leg raised with her knee resting on the stepping area inside the rear passenger door. While in this position, she pressed the handle to fold the rear seat. The lower portion of the seat suddenly swung forward and closed with fast, strong force onto her folded knee joint, pinning it between the moving seat and the vehicle floor. She screamed immediately in pain and could not free her leg. I had to run around to the opposite side of the vehicle (the rear passenger side) and physically lift the seat off her knee to release her. The impact left a noticeable bruise just above her left knee. The folding seat mechanism appeared to move too quickly and with excessive force, and it did not stop or slow down once it encountered her knee. This presents a potential safety hazard, especially for children or passengers entering the vehicle who may accidentally activate the seat handle.

My 2022 Kia Telluride is experiencing several serious safety-related defects. The backup camera does not work, the second-row bucket seats fold up on their own while driving, and the electronic parking brake becomes stuck on and will not disengage. The transmission hesitates and shifts harshly, creating a risk during acceleration and lane changes. The engine is consuming oil between changes. The heating and air conditioning stop working when the vehicle is idling at stoplights, and electrical components including the front phone charger and heated passenger seat have failed. The exterior window trim is deteriorating. These issues are ongoing and have not been resolved by Kia. Several of these failures match known defect and recall categories. These create a significant crash and safety risk for my family. I am requesting investigation and manufacturer action.

This is a very well known issue among all model years of the Kia Telluride. The plastic filter housing is made out of plastic and over time it ends up failing causing an oil leak. I ended up having to pay out of pocket for a aftermarket housing that was metal and not plastic that won’t fail.

Sunroof glass exploded

2022 Kia Telluride Issues: 1. **Sunroof:** Completely broken. 2. **Exterior Window Moldings:** Fading and discoloration. 3. **Axel Boots:** Need replacement with less than 60,000 miles on the odometer. 4. **Child Lock:** Malfunctioning. -

White Paint Chipping prematurely

Back seat locks repeatedly engage and disengage when activating childproof lock. This is intermittent and since dealership couldn't get it to occur they wouldn't fix it. Today it happened again. There are multiple reports online regarding this issue with 2020-2022 Palisades and Telluride. This is a huge safety issue and makes the childproof locks completely unreliable.

PAINT IS FLAKING ON HOOD

I am reporting a safety issue with my vehicle’s electronic door locking system. Vehicle: 2022 Kia Telluride SX Prestige with Nightfall Edition Issue: The door locks randomly unlock on their own multiple times without any input. This behavior happens specifically when the child safety lock is enabled. While driving or after locking the vehicle, the locks will unexpectedly unlock, creating a serious safety and security concern. Safety Concern: This issue poses a risk to passengers, especially children, because doors may unlock unexpectedly while the vehicle is in motion. It also creates a security risk when the vehicle is parked, as the car cannot be reliably kept locked. Additional Notes: I have seen multiple similar complaints from other Telluride owners reporting the same behavior. This appears to be a recurring defect rather than an isolated incident. I am requesting that this issue be investigated for a potential defect and safety recall.

The vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure due to burning oil. At no point did warning lights or alerts appear on the dash. This failure occurred well within the terms of Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. I was informed by the dealer that warranty coverage is being denied because I do not have every oil change or service record available. I want to emphasize that under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Kia cannot deny warranty coverage solely due to lack of receipts unless Kia can prove that the absence of maintenance directly caused the failure. Premature engine failure due to excessive oil consumption is a known defect and not the result of neglect. Kia is refusing to replace the engine, the vehicle has been at the dealership for 3 weeks now with no resolution.

Borescope inspection of the engine shows multiple signs of internal mechanical failure involving oil control, piston ring integrity, coolant intrusion, and cylinder wall damage. Excessive oil buildup is visible above the oil control ring, far beyond what is expected at 59k miles. Cylinder walls show heavy polishing where cross-hatching should be visible, indicating loss of lubrication and abnormal wear. Carbon deposits are extremely thick; in several areas carbon has flaked off and been pulled downward into the cylinder, creating scoring. Straight vertical scoring marks cut through the normal diagonal honing pattern, confirming blow-by and damage to the cylinder sleeves. Evidence of coolant intrusion is present, including orange discoloration consistent with rust/coolant contamination, excessive moisture, and steam-cleaned areas of the combustion chamber. The intake valve and combustion surfaces appear abnormally clean, consistent with coolant steam-washing. This suggests head-gasket failure, a block or head casting defect, or ring damage (possible cracked scraper ring). Coolant in the cylinders can wash away oil from the bore, leading to rusted pistons and accelerated scoring. Multiple pictures show severe scoring and loss of lubrication. This compromises the ability of new pistons or rings to seal, meaning the cylinder walls would continue to allow blow-by, oil burning, coolant intrusion, and friction. Even attempting to polish or recondition these bores would enlarge them, causing piston flutter, noise, and long-term failure. Based on the level of damage, the engine is no longer safe or reliable. A seized piston could cause sudden loss of power at highway speeds, creating a safety risk. The observed defects indicate a potential manufacturing or casting issue that may affect other engines. The dealership and KIA Consumer Affairs have been notified but there has been no replacement or resolution after 3 months of ongoing issues, and 8 weeks of holding my vehicle.

The Telluride has developed a shimmy. At first, the shimmy was noted at lower speeds, around 35 to 45 mph while under minimal load such as going uphill and slightly accelerating. The car was taken to the dealership. The tires were balanced. We were told no other problems. A month later, same thing, same result. We just took a 2700 mile trip. The shimmy is apparent at higher speeds and in all transmission modes of operation.

Windshield cracked for no reason. Developed a crack from the edge to the center of the windshield about 2 ft long.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a clanking sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 46,000.

My windshield had a light crack and it ran pretty easily. It should not have done this so quickly. The crack should have been isolated and given me time to get it repaired before I have to replace the whole windshield. I can feel the break. I wouldn't think with a laminated windshield that all US cars are required to have, that I could actually feel the sharpness of the broken glass.

The door locks will continually cycle to unlock on their own for up-to 90 seconds and then an error reads in the dashboard "child safety lock failure." Once that error occurs, the rear doors can be opened from the inside or outside of the vehicle when the child safety lock should be properly functioning. This error has been occurring for more than two years, and we have video of it occurring on many occasions. The dealership will not resolve the error unless they witness the error occurring. We've had it at service at least six times and they claim they cannot duplicate the error. The error occurs daily when the car is in our possession. I have researched this and found many Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade owners who have experienced the same problem and it is always traced to the rear door lock actuators being faulty.

We went to get the vehicle serviced at a dealership we did not buy the vehicle from. we told them to knock out the open decals and when we came to pick up the vehicle they said that the recalls had already been completed. We have owned the vehicle for over 2 years and not had any of the completed. They printed off a form with all of the recalls and it showed the dealership we bought the vehicle from in Missouri as completing the recalls. It’s not possible for them to complete them as we have lived in Texas for the last 2 years. I called the dealership multiple times with no reply. I contacted Kia corporate and they were told by the dealership in Missouri that they had completed them on a different vehicle but marked them as complete on ours. After months of not hearing back with a way forward from the dealership or corporate. I do not know where else to go to get this corrected. It is in very poor taste to have to fight to get an error on the dealerships side fixed. The recalls are for safety issues with the vehicle.

For months I had been having issues with the vehicles oil consumption and the vehicle not keeping oil in it and it just buring out and having to get oil changes every month or month in a half my car begin stalling and shutting off in the middle of traffic due to the issue and now I need a new engine and the car is fairly new, I’ve kept up on my oil changes regularly and KIA refuses to fix the issues because the mileage is outside of the warranty allowance. This has been told to me that this is a common issues for tellurides

Vehicle Information    •   Make: Kia    •   Model: Telluride    •   Year: 2022    •   Approx. Mileage: 30k 2. System Involved    •   Component/System: Forward Collision Avoidance, Automatic Emergency Braking, Brakes, or Electronic Stability Control 3. Incident Description On 6/7/25 while driving my 2022 Kia Telluride on neighborhood street in Windsor Park austin Texas at approximately 25-30 mph the vehicle suddenly and forcefully braked on its own with no warning and no visible obstacle or vehicle in front of me. This unexpected braking occurred under normal driving conditions, with clear weather and dry pavement, and almost caused a collision with the vehicle behind me. No warning lights appeared on the dashboard, and no manual braking was applied by me. I believe this may be related to known technical service bulletins SC243 and SC252 concerning faulty automatic braking logic and the hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU). This is a serious safety concern, and I am submitting this complaint in the hope that Kia will address this potential defect through recall or repair. There are reports similar to mine at highway speeds which would be deadly. 4. What Happened Next? I have contacted my local Kia dealership for inspection and plan to request that they document and diagnose the incident fully. Their online scheduler is showing next service appt not for over a week out which is not soon enough. I will call them first thing in the morning. I am also submitting this report to NHTSA to ensure that this is recorded as part of any ongoing safety investigation. Our vehicle was serviced within the last few months and we were assured there were no safety recalls on our vehicle. We would like this reevaluated.

Sunroof glass exploded while traveling down the interstate at 75 MPH. All occupants were covered in broken glass but there were no injuries. All of the windows were closed at the time, and the sunroof was not struck by a foreign object or anything. Definitely could have caused an eye injury or triggered an accident. It sounded like a shot gun blast. The vehicle is out of warranty so I'm going to report it myself and not waste time with Kia.

We are replacing a second windshield in less than 2 years. Small pebbles start a chip, and the window companies try to fill the chip, but it cracks anyway. In both instances, the crack spanned from one side toward the top and affected my line of sight. The glass companies say they fix a lot of these cars. I'm afraid to go through the car wash with the high speed dryers for fear that the windshields strength is compromised and something can happen. Kind of makes my car wash membership useless...... That's over $2000 for 2 windshields and even then I have no guarantee that it will last. I'm seriously thinking of selling it as soon as I get it fixed. I'll definitely check the newer models to see if they are still having a problem. Maybe they can do us a favor and at least manufacture a better quality window for our next installation?

My Kia Telluride backup camera and screen has become unusable with random colors, screen dark spots, blacking out, and pixelation. This is becoming a widespread problem according to multiple message board posts for Tellurides. I cannot use the backup camera. Most users are reporting Kia refuses to cover as a safety issues and is charging over $8000 to replace the entire infotainment system. There were no warnings, just starting happening randomly and is now seemingly permanent.

vehicle oil change recommendation is 7500 miles. my car has burned through oil through past 4 oil changes to a very low level (almost empty) at less than 5000 miles. there was never any low oil alert sensor warning. as a result the transmission began jumping and gear slipping upon acceleration to the point of mechanics saying it needs a new transmission. On one occasion my vehicle actually froze/ ceased up in middle of rush hour traffic. I pressed the gas pedal and it had zero acceleration. the car completely shut off. Kia blamed me for having oil changes done outside of Kia service center as reason for the problem.

The paint on the front of vehicle is peeling on both sides under the hood. The color is Glacial white

I was driving my 2022 Kia Telluride and my windshield crack, on the road and the crackline still running across my windshield. I think is dangerous to drive, but I don't if Kia will replace or do I need to pay my self

—-Engine problem, I was driving then dash board screen show up the red light of overheat suddenly, I pullover my car to see what’s going on, I don’t see no smoke no fire or leak. Very strange issue. I keep driving the car and everything is fine for the moment. This happens in the other Kia telluride that I had, that’s why I change it for this one 2022. And did the same thing of over heating. I took the car to the dealer but they prefer to sell me this 2022 Kia telluride like I said it did have the same problem. No solution. —-Suspension, the car bounce too much and it hit the floor hard, The car feels like don’t have suspension, I have to change the road system to get comfortable way and dont feel that situation, when I park the car move side to side that happen when a another car pass in certain speed, very uncomfortable situation.

As part of the fix to address a recall related to a a drivetrain defect and potential rolling issues, Kia installed software that would automatically apply the emergency brake when the car was put into park and the door was opened, and/or turned off. The problem with this fix is that once the car is off, the driver can not disengage the parking brake, thus creating an issue related to towing or moving the vehicle out of the road after an accident. This also makes it impossible to perform a rear brake replacement as the parking brake cannot be released. This software update needs to be amended so the the driver can disengage the parking brake when needed.