2020 Kia Telluride Brakes Problems

Vehicle experiences intermittent brake failure at normal and low speeds. No indicator lights are present, no warnings are given.

NHTSA ID

11753368

Incident

Jul 20, 2026

There is a brake assist issue that comes up intermittently pedal can become stiff at times. This caused me to almost have an accident at an intersection when a car pulled out in front of me. Stopping was delayed and very difficult and frightening. Issue has not been reproduced or confirmed by deal or service center. It has not been inspected. No warning, messages or symptoms of any kind. I purchased it in Oct 2025 and it started in April 2026. After this happening quite a few times I am no longer driving it and can't afford to fix it.

NHTSA ID

11735465

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Oil leak that I’ve put so much effort in getting fixed or replaced and nothing is working. The seat belts suck. The seats are ripped.

NHTSA ID

11730781

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

The brakes are very spongy all of the sudden, making it very difficult to stop quickly. This is a major concern considering how many people are having this issue.

NHTSA ID

11702138

Incident

Nov 30, 2025

When I brought my car into the dealership to fix the open recall on the sest heater and get it serviced, the dealership did their multipoint inspection and discovered that with just 37950 miles, the rear brake pads and rotors need replacing. The front pads were at 6mm and the rear pads were at 2mm. They informed me that they recommend replacing the pads at 3 mm - at 2mm it is unsafe to drive. As, it is unusual for rear pads to wear before front pads - we suspect that there may be an issue with the parking brake not fully disengaging.

NHTSA ID

11652053

Incident

Mar 31, 2025

The braking system on the car is failing, the brakes are spongy and require to be pumped for the brakes to work securely, and occasionally the brakes would fail completely. The car has been taken to the dealer three times and ask for the problem to be repaired, I was told the brakes were fine it's just electronic braking system but I was feeling. I did have a mechanic check the brakes and was told the problem need to be repaired by the dealer it was a dealer's problem.

NHTSA ID

11627606

Incident

Aug 6, 2024

While driving and attempting to brake, the brake pedal was COMPLETELY unresponsive. Slamming on brakes did nothing, and I could not stop the car. I just kept steering, with traffic all around me. About 15 seconds later the vehicle finally came to a rolling stop. It was EXTREMELY frightening and dangerous. The car had random lights that would flicker on and then off the dashboard when you started it, but then nothing. We had an appt at KIA to address, even though they weren't coming anymore. Roadside assistance took to the dealer, who confirmed that it was a wheel speed/brake sensor, and so car brake would not work. It was not a recall at the time though. We paid $1500+ to repair it all, and months later the real for that exact issue came out. Submitted the reimbursement form to KIA, and despite following up several times, it has been several months still not reimbursed.

NHTSA ID

11624684

Incident

Mar 6, 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the "Electronic Parking Brake" warning light remained illuminated, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the "Parking Brake Connector" had fractured. The vehicle was not yet repaired. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the rear shock absorbers, rear sway bars, rear control arms, and the motor mounts. The local dealer also discovered that the oil pan and oil filter had cracked. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer has not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11616122

Incident

Mar 15, 2022

Mileage

50,000 mi

My check engine and oil lights have come on more than once around the time of needing an oil change. During that time, the engine bucks, and the RPM revs high and low. The Kia Service Dealer, both times, stated that the light was coming on because the oil was low. The first time they replaced the spark plugs as a precaution, since the check engine light state miss-firing. That didn't fix the problem, because the light came one again right before the next oil change was needed. And this time, the car actually stalled out at a red light. They said the oil was really low the second time. I asked where the oil could be going. They said it wasn't leaking that they could tell, and that Kia says its ok to lose about a quart every 1000 miles. I don't agree with that, especially with a 4 year old car. So I had another family member drive the car while I followed, and sure enough I saw black smoke coming out of the tail pipe. So, the engine is burning the oil. On top of all this, I noticed that the screen (which they just did a software update on) right side compass keeps appearing suddenly and then disappearing, without anyone touching the screen. Then I noticed yesterday, after I parked. The Emergency Brake turned out all by itself, without me pulling the button up. The red light indicator came on also, then turned off and on and off. Lastly, the forward movement button on the driver side button doesn't work, which I thought was supposed to be repaired as part of the last recall. All in all, I am afraid to drive this car because I think the engine or seat is going to catch fire at any moment.

NHTSA ID

11606059

Incident

Aug 1, 2024

On Friday [XXX], my vehicle began failing to brake after being in traffic for about 45 minutes. I had to punch the brake with my foot, hitting the floor, and it would continue to roll. It was towed to Courage Kia in Gastonia on [XXX]. On 5/14, they identified an issue with the HECU. Since then, they have been “running tests” with engineering to try to identify the issue. However, I’m seeing years of these complaints online and this can’t be the first time this has happened. I do not have any paperwork yet, because nothing has been done. There were no warning lights on in my car. It is currently available for inspection at Courage Kia in Gastonia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11593161

Incident

May 10, 2024

There have been several times over the last couple of months when my car brakes on its own. I have not had any "extra" features on such as cruise control or lane assist. I have been driving 70 mph on the highway, my car suddenly brakes, and then I am unable to accelerate. It is absolutely terrifying. We called our nearest Kia dealership after the second time and they told us to get a car wash and since it hasn't been consistently happening, they wouldn't be able to re-create it or fix it. We have been going out of our way to keep the front sensor, and it still happens. I worry that I will be driving on the highway (again) when this happens, and the semi truck behind me won't have time to adjust to my sudden, and unwanted, deceleration.

NHTSA ID

11575935

Incident

Mar 4, 2024

The 2020 KIA Telluride was purchased with the "tow package" which included "self-leveling" rear shocks. The self-leveling rear shocks failed early and has created a safety concern with braking/handling/steering in addition to comfort in ride. Concern with the shocks began around 60,000 miles (roughly Jan 2023), but there was no indication of shock failure or leakage. Our independent service center/mechanic told us the shocks looked fine and that typically shocks should never fail this early. We just assumed the ride was rough and even after replacing tires, the ride never improved. As it progressively worsened, the local certified KIA dealership has now inspected and verified that both rear shocks have failed (leaking and rusting) and that the ride is unbearable (the vehicle is over 77,000 miles now). I believe the vehicle is unsafe to drive in its current condition and though it is out of warranty for this repair, we are having the dealership replace both rear shocks. Over the course of the past 17,000 miles, braking, steering, and cornering have certainly been compromised due to this early shock failure, putting me and my family as well as other motorists at risk. There were not any warning lamps or other obvious signs of wear other than riding in the vehicle. The ride left most passengers feeling ill, with headaches from a very rough ride even on smoot concrete.

NHTSA ID

11574073

Incident

Jan 9, 2023

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the brake pedal extended to the floorboard and the vehicle failed to immediately stop. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who replaced the brake pads. After retrieving the vehicle, the failure reoccurred. During the failure, the ABS warning light illuminated. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000.

NHTSA ID

11565704

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

Mileage

73,000 mi

While operating the vehicle and braking, the dashboard warnings lights began flashing. The brake pedal went to the floor and did not brake the vehicle. No amount of pumping of the brakes helped. At about 3-5 MPH I struck the stopped vehicle in front of me at an intersection. Later that day the same thing happened, and this time I pulled the emergency brake lever and held it. The warning alarm sounded but the brakes never slowed or stopped the vehicle. I drove the vehicle safely to a repair shop and it was then towed to a Kia dealership. Where it is available for inspection. The error codes on the ECM indicate that the right rear ABS Speed Sensor has lost communication. I do not know if the component has been inspected by KIA. When the failure occurs the BCW light goes on, the ABS light goes on, the Master warning light goes on, the Electronic Stability Light goes on, and the AUTO HOLD lights amber. The dealership has reviewed the codes on the ECM which follows: ABS/ESC(+EPB) 2 Codes 1.C121102: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Invalid/no Signal 2.C121002: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Range / Performance / Intermittent Integrated Body Control Unit- BCM 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault Integrated Body Control Unit- SMK 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault Integrated Body Control Unit- TPMS 1 Code 1.B121200: Front Center Right Sensor Fault PSM (Power Seat Module) 1 Code 1.B163700: System Not Initialized BCW (Blind-Spot Collision Warning) 2 Codes 1.C169381: ESC Signal Error 2.C167581: Signal WHEEL FL or WHEEL FR or WHEEL RL or WHEEL RR not Valid MFC (Multi Function Camera) 1 Code 1.C186286: Invalid Signal of SCC SCC (Smart Cruise Control) 3 Codes 1.C121181: Wheel Speed Sensor Rear-RH Invalid/no Signal 2.C136081: ESP Irreversible Error 3.C174181: ESC-not available VSM (Check ESC) 4WD Control 1 Code 1.P183000: Clutch Torque Tolerance Lower Limit.

NHTSA ID

11456236

Incident

Feb 18, 2022

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle rolled away into the neighbor's yard. The contact was made aware of the failure by the neighbor. The contact had placed bricks in front of the front driver’s and passenger’s side tires and behind the rear driver’s and passenger’s side tires to prevent the vehicle from moving. The dealer and another dealer Serra Gardendale Kia (630 Fieldstown Rd, Gardendale, AL 35071) were made aware of the failure and both dealers scheduled an upcoming appointment. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact to contact a dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

NHTSA ID

11432469

Incident

Sep 10, 2021

Mileage

40,000 mi

Inside brake pad on drivers side rear separated from the metal backing plate. Other pad is hardly used and other side is not worn. This caused difficulty stopping and a grinding noise from the left rear of the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11426123

Incident

Jul 22, 2021