2020 Kia Telluride power train problems

“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving approximately 60-65 MPH on the highway, the vehicle suddenly shut off and the battery warning light was flickering and the vehicle lost power. The contact was able to coast the vehicle into a parking lot off the highway where the vehicle remained. The contact replaced the battery; however, approximately one hour later while driving 50-55 MPH on the highway, the vehicle lost power and shut off. The vehicle was coasted onto the shoulder of the roadway. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with alternator failure. The alternator was replaced. The contact was notified of a possible transmission failure; however, there was no fault codes retrieved. The vehicle was later taken to a dealer to be diagnosed. The dealer informed the contact that the head gasket was damaged, and the spark plugs needed to be replaced. Additionally, the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.”

“I am filing this complaint regarding my 2020 Kia Telluride because of excessive oil consumption that Kia has refused to address. My vehicle currently has approximately 138,000 miles and consumes about one quart of engine oil every 500 miles. This level of oil consumption is excessive and creates an ongoing risk of engine damage if the oil level is not constantly monitored and replenished. After researching this issue, I discovered that many Kia owners have reported similar excessive oil consumption problems. Despite the large number of complaints, Kia has not issued a recall or provided assistance for owners whose vehicles experience this problem after the factory warranty expires. I sought assistance from my local Kia dealership. At one point, the service manager attempted to advocate for me and other customers by bringing these concerns to Kia corporate. I later learned that he was no longer employed there. They have completed oil consumption tests and agreed my car is consuming a significant amount of oil. They conducted a “band aid” fix that did not help. The last appointment when we brought it in, all they did was check oil levels again. Since then, my…”

“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving with the AWD activated in the rain, the vehicle ran off the road. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact spoke to the seller, who confirmed a previous failure with the AWD coupler. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. Another local dealer, Kia Service - Southlake Kia (4191 E Lincoln Hwy, Merrillville, IN 46410); was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer stated that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The manufacturer was contacted, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.”

“A continuation from my last post. I brought my car back to the dealer.The worker came out to inspect my car and he lifted the hood and he said I had a loose negative battery cable and that I had the wrong battery in my car. He said that might be the cause of the flickering lights.My car was at the dealership for three days before I was called to come pickup my car.He stated they found another service update that my car needed P0471 and that cleared my check engine light and the battery he said once again I have the wrong battery in my car and they were only able to tighten the negative cable so much.I explained to him that it was the correct battery because I went to Walmart where the battery was purchased and they auto manger printed out that paperwork that shows it is the correct battery for that car.Then he had me sign for my car and I left.While driving home my battery light stared flickering again.So I called him and said I thought you were able to tighten the negative cable to the battery. He then said they did the best they can do because it is the wrong battery.After he got off the phone all my lights on my dashboard lit up.My car seemed possessed.My…”

“The vehicle was taken in several times for a vibration, binding coming from the rear. It has been ongoing back to the original owner. It is the all wheel drive coupler. This is a known issue with TSBs out on it. Kia has been contacted and seems unwilling to help, replace. Online thousands of these things have failed some even twice. In icy or slippery conditions this can cause loss of control due to binding.”

“I own a 2020 Kia Telluride currently with approximately 91409 miles. The vehicle has a repeatable transmission issue during acceleration, most noticeable around 40 mph when the transmission shifts. The vehicle shudders/hesitates/jerks and does not accelerate smoothly. This creates a safety concern because the hesitation occurs during normal acceleration and could affect merging, passing, or maintaining speed in traffic. I brought the vehicle to Vision Kia of East Rochester, 201 East Linden Ave, East Rochester, NY 14445 on 2/4/26 at approximately 88067 miles. The Kia service manager/technician duplicated the concern during inspection/road test and stated that the issue is related to the torque converter damper clutch. However, I was told the dealer would not repair the vehicle unless a warning light/check-engine light comes on. No warning light is currently illuminated. I am reporting this because the transmission defect has been observed by the dealer while the vehicle is still under warranty, but no repair has been authorized. I am concerned that the condition may worsen and could cause delayed acceleration or unsafe drivability.”