2025 Kia Telluride Problems: 10 Known Issues

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride, telluride owners report the fixed or sliding panoramic sunroof glass exploding without any impact — typically while driving, described consistently as sounding like a gunshot followed by glass raining into the cabin. The failure mode is characteristic of tempered panoramic panels: ceramic-frit edge stresses combined with the large thin panel and body flex create a stored-stress condition where a microscopic edge flaw propagates catastrophically. Kia has faced class-action litigation over exploding panoramic sunroofs on older models (2011-2015 Sorento, Optima and Sportage, 2014-2015 Cadenza and Soul), though the Telluride is not named in it, and the complaint volume spans the Telluride's full production run including 2024 and 2025 vehicles. There is no safety recall for this condition, so warranty coverage is decided case-by-case and glass claims are frequently denied as 'road debris'.

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride, the Smart Power Liftgate on EX and above fails in two related but distinct ways. The gas struts on either side of the gate weaken — often within the first year or two, and much faster in cold climates — so the gate stops closing fully, reverses partway, or drops. Separately, the liftgate drive motor/spindle unit fails outright: the gate stops responding entirely, the liftgate configuration options disappear from the infotainment settings menu, and pressing the dash liftgate button produces three beeps with no motion. The settings menu vanishing points to the liftgate module or its wiring rather than a weak strut — owners have restored operation by reseating the module's harness connectors in the cargo area, while others needed the motor or module replaced. Parts availability has been a recurring frustration, with replacement struts and motors reported on backorder with no ETA.

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride, telluride owners report unusually high rates of windshield cracking from minor road debris that would not crack windshields on other vehicles. For the 2022 model year, about half of all NHTSA complaints (52 of 106 by October 2022) relate to windshield cracking. Owners describe chips that spread quickly and cracks that appear with no visible impact point. Kia has not identified a cause and reviews glass warranty claims case by case. No official recall, but NHTSA has received significant complaint volume.

On the 2023-2025 Kia Telluride, nHTSA recall 25V494000 (Kia SC347) covers certain 2023-2025 Telluride vehicles. The door belt molding trim can delaminate and detach from the vehicle, creating a road hazard for other traffic.

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride, tellurides develop paint bubbling and peeling, particularly on the roof, roof pillars and hood. Owners and body shops attribute it to poor adhesion of the pearl white paint to the coat underneath, so the paint lifts and delaminates in sheets. The bubbling starts small but spreads if not addressed, eventually leading to visible rust. Reports center on White Pearl / Snow White Pearl vehicles. Kia has not issued a formal recall or acknowledged a defect, and has denied out-of-warranty claims.

On the 2025 Kia Telluride, nHTSA recall 25V745000 (Kia SC355) covers certain 2025 Telluride vehicles equipped with an incorrect spare tire. If installed, the tire can impair anti-lock braking and traction control, and the vehicle does not comply with FMVSS 110.

On the 2025 Kia Telluride, kia recalled approximately 85,448 model-year 2025 Tellurides equipped with power front seats because a manufacturing error in the driver and passenger seat back frame assemblies may leave them unable to properly restrain occupants in a crash. This is a structural seat-frame defect and is entirely separate from the earlier front power seat motor overheating/fire recall — here the frame itself is the part at fault, meaning in a collision the seat back could deform or fail to hold the occupant in position, defeating the seat belt geometry and the occupant restraint system. NHTSA campaign number 26V105, Kia campaign SC362; owner notification letters mailed beginning April 24, 2026.

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride 3.8L Lambda II V6, the 3.8L Lambda II V6 in the Telluride experiences fuel dilution of the engine oil when driven primarily on short trips (under 10 miles). Fuel washes past the piston rings during cold starts and does not fully evaporate because the oil never reaches full operating temperature. The diluted oil has reduced viscosity and lubrication properties, accelerating engine wear. The issue is more pronounced in cold climates. Oil analysis shows fuel contamination levels of 3-5% in severe cases.

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride, tellurides repeatedly go dead overnight or after a few days parked, with owners jump-starting and replacing perfectly good batteries only to have the problem return. Owners suspect the always-on cellular telematics modem (Kia Access / UVO remote start and remote climate) of not fully sleeping, and the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU) — the body/smart-key control module, which Kia TSB ELE302 reflashes on some 2023 Tellurides built Jan 3 - Jun 5, 2023 for a drained 12V battery — is the second common culprit; a failing IBU or a module that will not enter sleep leaves a parasitic draw well above the ~30-50 mA target. Contributing triggers reported across the owner community include the key fob left within proximity range of the vehicle (which keeps the smart-key ECU and body modules awake), and heavy use of remote-start via the app. Dealers frequently fail to reproduce this because the draw only appears after the vehicle should have entered deep sleep — several owners report the dealership needing a month to catch it.

On the 2020-2025 Kia Telluride, the third-row seat fold-down mechanism in the Telluride jams, preventing the seats from folding flat or locking back into the upright position. The latch mechanism uses a cable-actuated release that stretches and binds over time. When the latch jams in the released position, the seat back flops freely and cannot be secured for passenger use. The issue is exacerbated by frequent folding/unfolding of the third row.