2021 Kia Telluride reliability record
NHTSA consumer complaints and recall campaigns for the 2021 Kia Telluride from the dataset labeled 2026. The source file does not provide an exact snapshot date. Use the reported issues to guide further checks; these counts do not establish failure rates or repair costs.
- NHTSA complaints
- 409
- Dataset year: 2026; snapshot day not provided
- Top problem area
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER
- 89 complaints
- Recalls on record
- 4
- see below
- Reported harm
- 13 reported crashes · 13 injuries · 4 fires
How this record compares
raw NHTSA counts, not defect ratesCounts are not adjusted for vehicles sold, time in service or reporting frequency. A larger count does not establish a higher chance of failure, and these comparisons do not set the maintenance budget in our calculator.
Complaint rank
#1,278
of 4,194 vehicle records
Vs Kia median
+144
median 265 across 138 Kia records
Vs 2019-2023
+170
median 240 complaints in 444 records
Top component share
22%
Unknown Or Other: 89 complaints
What owners report fails — 2021 Kia Telluride
- UNKNOWN OR OTHER 89
- VISIBILITY/WIPER 59
- ENGINE 52
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 34
- STRUCTURE:BODY 30
4 recalls on record for the 2021 Kia Telluride
- NHTSA 24V407000 · 2024 · SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:POWER ADJUST A fire increases the risk of injury.
- NHTSA 24V214000 · 2024 · POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
- NHTSA 22V626000 · 2023 · TRAILER HITCHES A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- NHTSA 21V164000 · 2021 · AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of
Estimate the 5-year cost to own a 2021 Kia Telluride
Build a separate budget with your purchase price, insurance quote, mileage and maintenance estimate. Complaint counts do not enter that calculation. Unknown local taxes and fees stay listed as costs to confirm.
Open TCO calculatorThese are unverified consumer reports and manufacturer recalls filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — not validated defect rates, and not adjusted for how many 2021 Kia Telluride units were produced or sold. High-volume and older vehicles naturally accumulate more complaints. Use this as one research signal, not a verdict on any individual vehicle. Dataset year: 2026; exact snapshot day not supplied. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (public domain).
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Kia Telluride reliable?
NHTSA has 409 consumer complaints on record for the 2021 Kia Telluride and 4 recalls. The most-reported problem area is unknown or other (89 reports). These are unverified consumer reports filed with the government, not validated failure rates, and are not adjusted for how many 2021 Kia Telluride units were produced — popular vehicles naturally accumulate more reports.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 Kia Telluride?
Owners most often report problems with: unknown or other (89), visibility/wiper (59), engine (52), electrical system (34). Each figure is the number of complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
How much does it cost to own a 2021 Kia Telluride?
This complaint dataset does not measure repair prices or predict a maintenance budget for the 2021 Kia Telluride. Use your purchase price, insurance quotes, fuel use and a maintenance estimate in the separate five-year cost calculator. It does not convert complaint counts into repair costs, and any unknown taxes remain excluded and clearly listed.