Kia Telluride stalling problems

Filed Nov 4, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · CT

The brand new 2025 Kia Telluride I’m leasing has repeatedly stalled and immediately stopped without warning while driving. When this happens, you lose control of the vehicle, cannot steer and must shift into park. All while hoping no one slams into you and also keeping your fingers crossed that it starts again. This has happened at least 12 times from May 2026 to October 2026. The vehicle has been to the dealer for “repairs” three different times. However they have never been able to recreate the problem and therefore have not been able to fix it. I’m extremely worried that when this happens again it could result in an accident. I have contacted the manufacturer and dealership multiple times asking that they make this right. They have offered no options to replace or buy back the vehicle

Filed Nov 3, 2026 · Engine · MD

Multiple times while driving I'm getting an alert on the dash about engine off. The dashboard alarms go off and it says, "Enging OFF! Shift to P or N. then start engine". This has happened 4x while driving in the past month. Each time, I was driving about 25 mph. The service/dealer is unable to replicate or understand what's going on. I've read that this has been a complaint by a number of Kia telluride owners. This is incredibly alarming for the enging to just shut down WHILE DRIVING.

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · MN

Alternator died and had to get replaced at 80,000 miles. Car died while driving on the highway. Had to pull over and get the car towed. Had to get the alternator replaced and paid out of pocket.

Filed Oct 19, 2026 · Engine · FL

The car shuts down and displays the same message a lot of the other complaints are saying. Engine shut off, please put in P or N and restart engine. It shuts down while driving! I have 2 kids under [XXX] and I bought this for safety. It seems Kia is aware of this issue and none of the dealerships across the U.S. have a fix for it yet. And they keep sending the vehicles back out on the roads since they can’t fix it! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 16, 2026 · Engine · MA

hi- I bought a used Kia Telluride (2020) and after 2 months it stalled out and after 2 different mechanics and a Kia dealership telling me it was fixed- it was not. The car basically had no oil left with zero light or warning. after doing some research, there are tons of people complaining of the same issue. the engine is essentially ruined and needs to be replaced and Kia is not addressing this as an issue. my care has stalled out 3 times with my children in it at dangerous intersections. Kia is not taking responsibility of this- having to check oil every 3 days is not normal but Kia thinks it is I guess. The blue smoke coming from my exhaust is a serious problem. A local news station just reported on this of a woman needing an engine replacement and Kia not covering it, but after the news got to them they now are. We need this issue addressed as it is NOT SAFE and Kia needs to put a recall on this immediately- like 5 years ago this should have been addressed! I am not stuck with a car I still owe money on and have to figure out how to pay for a new engine!? KIA needs to do something- this is a safety issue! see article below! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Oct 9, 2026 · Lights · MN

My low beam passenger side headlight started turning on and off randomly. Now it’s both low and high beams. Some days it is on when I start the vehicle and then turns off while driving and vise versa. Some days there is a dash light with it, and some days there is not. Some days it is out all day, while other days it works all day. Then I can get in the vehicle the next day and it turns on and off sparatically.

Filed Oct 6, 2026 · Engine, Suspension · IL

I am filing this safety report regarding my 2020 Kia Telluride, which currently has approximately 133,000 miles. The vehicle is experiencing severe internal oil consumption, burning through multiple quarts of engine oil rapidly between normal service intervals without triggering any dashboard warning lights, creating a high risk of sudden engine failure or stalling at highway speeds. Additionally, the vehicle is losing coolant at an accelerated rate, risking severe engine overheating. Furthermore, the suspension system has been a recurring safety nightmare; the shocks have failed and been replaced twice, and a critical structural defect caused the tires to rub directly against suspension components while driving, prematurely destroying the tires and severely compromising vehicle stability and steering control. I do not feel safe driving this car or transporting my kids everyday. When I spoke to Kia customer service, I was told they could not do anything despite being just under 100,000 miles at the time.

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine · OH

My 2020 Kia Telluride experienced progressive and severe engine oil consumption that ultimately required a full engine replacement. Beginning well before the failure, the vehicle required frequent manual oil top-offs between scheduled changes, including on longer trips. No low-oil warning light, check-engine light, or oil-pressure warning ever illuminated to alert of critically low oil levels. In late March 2026 an independent service center replaced the engine oil filter housing and related gasket after an oil leak was observed; an axle damaged by oil spray was also replaced at that time. Shortly afterward the manufacturer issued a warranty extension covering oil-filter-housing gasket leaks on 2020–2025 Tellurides, extending coverage to 15 years/180,000 miles for that specific condition. Despite the housing/gasket repair, the excessive oil consumption continued. Several weeks later the vehicle lost power and broke down while being driven. It was towed to an authorized Kia dealership. Technicians inspected the vehicle, confirmed heavy oil consumption (noting the engine had been requiring large amounts of oil nearly weekly with no external ground leaks observed), and diagnosed catastrophic internal engine damage. They recommended complete engine replacement at a quoted cost exceeding $13,000. The dealership also inspected the oil-filter housing area under the recent warranty extension but determined the engine damage itself fell outside that limited coverage. The oil-consumption problem and resulting engine failure create a clear safety risk: sudden loss of power or stalling can occur without any dashboard warning, potentially while the vehicle is in motion on public roads. The failed engine and related components remain available for inspection. The condition has been confirmed by both an independent service center and an authorized Kia dealership. Similar oil-consumption and engine-damage reports have been widely noted among other owners of the same model.

Filed Sep 24, 2026 · Engine · MI

Unfortunately, beginning in June 2025, I experienced a serious engine problem. While driving, the vehicle began sputtering and stalled twice in traffic. I immediately brought it to the dealer, where I was told the engine had no oil, despite no prior warning of abnormal oil loss (no engine warning lights and no leaks). The service department added oil and initiated an Oil Consumption test. On October 4, 2025, the same problem occurred again. While driving, the Telluride began sputtering again, and the dealer again determined that the engine had no oil. I was charged for another oil change and instructed to complete another Oil Consumption test. During this process, the maintenance supervisor acknowledged that excessive oil consumption was a known and serious issue affecting Kia Tellurides and other models, and explained that engine replacement was the appropriate solution. I also observed another Telluride at the dealership undergoing the same type of engine repair. After completing the required testing, the dealer ultimately installed a rebuilt engine in my vehicle to address the excessive oil consumption problem with the original engine. I am now back in the same situation. On September 8, 2026, less than one year after the rebuilt engine was installed, my Telluride once again began sputtering while I was driving. I brought the vehicle to back to the dealer on on September 9, 2026. The service personnel again told me there was no oil in the vehicle, despite it being well within its recommended oil-change interval. More importantly, I was informed that the rebuilt engine currently installed in my vehicle is suspected of having the same excessive oil-consumption problem as the original engine. After following the instructions on yet another engine recheck and Oil Consumption test, I 've been told that the engine is burning oil at an exponential rate.

Filed Sep 18, 2026 · Engine · 69,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving 5 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled in the middle of an intersection. The vehicle was restarted; however, the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed. The dealer informed the contact that no failure was found. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and, after inspecting the vehicle, the oil level was low despite a recent oil change. The contact stated that the vehicle was scheduled for another oil consumption test with the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure by telephone. The approximate failure mileage was 69,000.