2022 Kia Telluride Engine Problems

I am the original owner of a 2022 Kia Telluride. Since approximately late September/early October 2025, the vehicle has experienced an intermittent engine stalling condition while stopped and idling. I first reported the issue to my Kia dealership on October 8, 2025, when the vehicle had approximately 59,761 miles. At that time, I advised the dealership the engine had already stalled twice within two weeks. I also sent a photo of the warning lights and suggested they allow the vehicle to idle to recreate the condition. The dealership stated they could not duplicate the problem and returned the vehicle without repairs. The same issue continued over the following months. The check engine light appeared multiple times, including in February and April 2026. My Kia Access app repeatedly reported diagnostic code P21A100 (Cylinder 6 Air/Fuel Ratio Imbalance). The dealership advised they could not repair the vehicle because they could not duplicate the concern. During one visit they repaired two engine oil leaks but stated those were unrelated. On July 8, 2026, the defect escalated. While driving through downtown Cincinnati, the engine stalled at three separate traffic lights. When the engine shut off, the battery, oil, check engine, and seatbelt warning lights illuminated. I had to shift into Park, turn the vehicle completely off, and restart it before it would drive again. This created a significant safety hazard in active traffic. The dealership’s current diagnosis is contaminated fuel, but I am reporting this because the same intermittent stalling condition has been documented with the dealership since October 2025 and has never been resolved. An engine that unexpectedly shuts off in traffic presents a serious safety risk to the driver, passengers, and surrounding motorists.

NHTSA ID

11749731

Incident

Jul 8, 2026

Engine rapidly burning oil. Had oil changed as Manufacturer's recommendation, but after exceeding the 100,000 mile warranty and having been 7,000 miles since the last oil change the engine threw a rod and the car stopped while i was driving it. Was told by the Kia Dealer (Fitzgerald Kia in Annapolis) that I needed a $10,000 engine replaced. I am currently working with a lawyer to address this concern.

NHTSA ID

11748854

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

This is supplemental evidence for NHTSA Safety Complaint #11739200 UNIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL EVIDENCE PACKET SEE UPLOADED FILE

NHTSA ID

11739546

Incident

Apr 21, 2026

The vehicle began showing serious safety related symptoms before the engine failed. These included engine knocking, repeated sensor failures, the speedometer and odometer blacking out while driving, the navigation screen going dark, and the entire instrument cluster malfunctioning. These issues caused loss of speed information, loss of vehicle status, and loss of navigation visibility, creating unsafe driving conditions. Despite these warning signs, the engine later failed suddenly at around 71,399 miles with no warning lights, no oil pressure alerts, and no overheating indicators. The sudden loss of power created a highway safety hazard due to loss of propulsion and reduced steering and braking assist. The manufacturer and dealership also provided conflicting and misleading information about warranty coverage, including a claim of “no warranty on engine,” which contradicts the official warranty coverage documents. This has delayed proper repair of a safety related defect.

NHTSA ID

11739200

Incident

Apr 21, 2026

While operating my Kia vehicle, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking capability and loss of acceleration/power while traveling downhill. Multiple warning lights reportedly illuminated during the event, including the battery light, oil light, and check engine light. The incident created a serious safety concern due to inability to properly control vehicle speed and operation. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Kia dealership for inspection. However, the dealership has refused to provide written confirmation that the vehicle is safe to drive and stated they would not assume liability regarding operation of the vehicle. The dealership further recommended towing the vehicle if I feel unsafe operating it. I am requesting investigation into the safety-related condition involving braking/drivability failure and related warning systems.

NHTSA ID

11738609

Incident

May 11, 2026

I was driving the vehicle and came to a stop sign. When I accelerated to turn and drive what was a steep windy downhill Road my car jerked some and the check engine light battery light and oil light came on the dash when I went to push the brakes they went all the way to the floor and the car did not stop. I continued to try the brakes and had to use the emergency break to pull up and down to stop and drive up on a hill to not crash into other vehicles I have my vehicle at Kia and they are claiming there is absolutely nothing wrong with the vehicle and I am to pick it up and leave the lot. They have not offered a loaner car or shown any concerns of my safety leaving the lot. I have asked for it to be in writing, but my car is safe to leave and they are not doing so this has caused major anxiety and PTSD to even begin to drive myself and my children are very shook up over this.

NHTSA ID

11737637

Incident

May 11, 2026

On three different occasions this car’s engine shuts off on me sometimes at highway speeds. It is terrifying being in the left lane and losing all propulsion and power steering. I have to quickly put the car in park (in the middle of the highway) and then restart the car to go again. When it starts failing it keeps shutting off when we come to a stop in stop and go traffic. It’s like the auto shutoff option shuts off the car abut won’t turn it back on. I took it to DCH Kia of Temecula to get to the bottom of this issue. They are saying because there are no check engine lights and they cannot replicate the problem they can’t do anything and want to return the car to us. We fought that and they started a techline report for engineering to help troubleshooting. Kia customer care was involved, but I was told I had 48 hours to pick my car up as is. Driving this car on long trips is now terrifying for me and my family, if you look online, nationwide Kia tellurides are having this same issue I’ve seen from the 2020 models to 2026. I am not the only person having this issue with a Kia telluride. Something needs to be done NATION WIDE before loss of life happens. I would venture to use the fall of the “Saturn” car company as an example of knowing there’s an issue and not fixing it. I want a solution to this issue and I do not feel that “just trade it in” is an acceptable answer.

NHTSA ID

11736782

Incident

Mar 5, 2026

Was driving heard a noise and then lost power to gas peddle and bunch of smoke and then flames coming from front of car got out and there were flames coming from hood eventually flames died down and was just smoking police &fire department were called. Piston blew through engine block these engine have a known oil consumption issue and I have kept up with oil .

NHTSA ID

11711813

Incident

Jan 10, 2026

The oil filter housing cracked on the car, causing all the oil to leak out. In researching this, I have found that this is a common problem with the Kia Telluride and Kia Sorrento. The problem is that the oil filter housing is made of cheap plastic and not durable material such as aluminum or steel. This allows the oil filter housing to easily crack under stress. In speaking with the dealership, this is not an uncommon problem. I feel that this should be covered under the Powertrain warranty or through a recall. A quick Google search will show that the problem is widespread in the Sorrento and Telluride models. This repair cost me a total of $425. If I had not replaced or repaired oil filter housing, the engine would have locked up as all the oil at escaped onto the pavement.

NHTSA ID

11709092

Incident

Jan 2, 2026

Plastic oil filter housing cracked after oil change around 100k miles.

NHTSA ID

11704070

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

This is a very well known issue among all model years of the Kia Telluride. The plastic filter housing is made out of plastic and over time it ends up failing causing an oil leak. I ended up having to pay out of pocket for a aftermarket housing that was metal and not plastic that won’t fail.

NHTSA ID

11702907

Incident

Nov 19, 2025

Borescope inspection of the engine shows multiple signs of internal mechanical failure involving oil control, piston ring integrity, coolant intrusion, and cylinder wall damage. Excessive oil buildup is visible above the oil control ring, far beyond what is expected at 59k miles. Cylinder walls show heavy polishing where cross-hatching should be visible, indicating loss of lubrication and abnormal wear. Carbon deposits are extremely thick; in several areas carbon has flaked off and been pulled downward into the cylinder, creating scoring. Straight vertical scoring marks cut through the normal diagonal honing pattern, confirming blow-by and damage to the cylinder sleeves. Evidence of coolant intrusion is present, including orange discoloration consistent with rust/coolant contamination, excessive moisture, and steam-cleaned areas of the combustion chamber. The intake valve and combustion surfaces appear abnormally clean, consistent with coolant steam-washing. This suggests head-gasket failure, a block or head casting defect, or ring damage (possible cracked scraper ring). Coolant in the cylinders can wash away oil from the bore, leading to rusted pistons and accelerated scoring. Multiple pictures show severe scoring and loss of lubrication. This compromises the ability of new pistons or rings to seal, meaning the cylinder walls would continue to allow blow-by, oil burning, coolant intrusion, and friction. Even attempting to polish or recondition these bores would enlarge them, causing piston flutter, noise, and long-term failure. Based on the level of damage, the engine is no longer safe or reliable. A seized piston could cause sudden loss of power at highway speeds, creating a safety risk. The observed defects indicate a potential manufacturing or casting issue that may affect other engines. The dealership and KIA Consumer Affairs have been notified but there has been no replacement or resolution after 3 months of ongoing issues, and 8 weeks of holding my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11700897

Incident

Aug 11, 2025

We went to get the vehicle serviced at a dealership we did not buy the vehicle from. we told them to knock out the open decals and when we came to pick up the vehicle they said that the recalls had already been completed. We have owned the vehicle for over 2 years and not had any of the completed. They printed off a form with all of the recalls and it showed the dealership we bought the vehicle from in Missouri as completing the recalls. It’s not possible for them to complete them as we have lived in Texas for the last 2 years. I called the dealership multiple times with no reply. I contacted Kia corporate and they were told by the dealership in Missouri that they had completed them on a different vehicle but marked them as complete on ours. After months of not hearing back with a way forward from the dealership or corporate. I do not know where else to go to get this corrected. It is in very poor taste to have to fight to get an error on the dealerships side fixed. The recalls are for safety issues with the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11691815

Incident

Jun 12, 2025

Engine seized while driving down the road.

NHTSA ID

11685183

Incident

Mar 1, 2025

The vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure due to burning oil. At no point did warning lights or alerts appear on the dash. This failure occurred well within the terms of Kia’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. I was informed by the dealer that warranty coverage is being denied because I do not have every oil change or service record available. I want to emphasize that under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, Kia cannot deny warranty coverage solely due to lack of receipts unless Kia can prove that the absence of maintenance directly caused the failure. Premature engine failure due to excessive oil consumption is a known defect and not the result of neglect. Kia is refusing to replace the engine, the vehicle has been at the dealership for 3 weeks now with no resolution.

NHTSA ID

11684711

Incident

Aug 18, 2025

vehicle has been exhausting small amounts of smoke since 20,000 miles. between recommended oil changes, car will lose a quart or more of oil in its reservoir. there is every indication that the vehicle is burning oil. painted trim around windows is fading, failing. some areas are completely without paint.

NHTSA ID

11682133

Incident

Aug 17, 2022

For months I had been having issues with the vehicles oil consumption and the vehicle not keeping oil in it and it just buring out and having to get oil changes every month or month in a half my car begin stalling and shutting off in the middle of traffic due to the issue and now I need a new engine and the car is fairly new, I’ve kept up on my oil changes regularly and KIA refuses to fix the issues because the mileage is outside of the warranty allowance. This has been told to me that this is a common issues for tellurides

NHTSA ID

11680153

Incident

Jun 10, 2025

vehicle oil change recommendation is 7500 miles. my car has burned through oil through past 4 oil changes to a very low level (almost empty) at less than 5000 miles. there was never any low oil alert sensor warning. as a result the transmission began jumping and gear slipping upon acceleration to the point of mechanics saying it needs a new transmission. On one occasion my vehicle actually froze/ ceased up in middle of rush hour traffic. I pressed the gas pedal and it had zero acceleration. the car completely shut off. Kia blamed me for having oil changes done outside of Kia service center as reason for the problem.

NHTSA ID

11676055

Incident

Apr 23, 2025

—-Engine problem, I was driving then dash board screen show up the red light of overheat suddenly, I pullover my car to see what’s going on, I don’t see no smoke no fire or leak. Very strange issue. I keep driving the car and everything is fine for the moment. This happens in the other Kia telluride that I had, that’s why I change it for this one 2022. And did the same thing of over heating. I took the car to the dealer but they prefer to sell me this 2022 Kia telluride like I said it did have the same problem. No solution. —-Suspension, the car bounce too much and it hit the floor hard, The car feels like don’t have suspension, I have to change the road system to get comfortable way and dont feel that situation, when I park the car move side to side that happen when a another car pass in certain speed, very uncomfortable situation.

NHTSA ID

11653028

Incident

Mar 7, 2025

I cranked my vehicle and it sounded very loud. Almost a knocking sound. After I turned it off I checked the oil. There was no oil showing on the dip stick. I had no oil in my driveway or had no signs of oil burning at any time. I added 3 qts of oil and took it to a local Firestone auto and had the oil change. The mechanic said he saw no leaks. He mentioned to me that several people have had an issue similar to mine with this make and year model. He said he thought Kia would have issued a recall for this by now. I was basically told by a mechanic that this will keep happening unless Kia fixes the problem and replaces the engine. It's not a problem they can fix, it is a defect with the model of car itself

NHTSA ID

11644430

Incident

Feb 23, 2025

The vigils when turning left or right makes a grumbling sound from the rear or transmission. Took the car to Kia in Huntsville. Al and they keep saying they don’t hear anything. You can clearly hear it. I have video recording. Seem like they don’t want to cover what is broken. It could possibly be the transmission case/ coupler because it’s an AWD. Next I will be filing a law suite.

NHTSA ID

11610730

Incident

Jul 1, 2024

While idling there is no heat. This is very dangerous in states where it drops below freezing. If I should be able to rely on getting heat but I can not. They called it a “design flaw”

NHTSA ID

11583752

Incident

Jan 1, 2024

Engine has been knocking since I purchased the vehicle new. Brought it into the dealership and they couldn't hear the noise. Based on the keoporum it could either be a bad fan motor or blend door accurator. Scheduling another appointment for them to figure out why it's still doing this when the vehicle only has 24k miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11566376

Incident

Jun 1, 2022

Problem started 4-5 months ago and was very intermittent; about 2-3 occurences per month. Problem has become more frequent and become much more severe. When foot is on brake and just coming to stop, engine races to around 6000 rpm. Originally would return to normal rpm in a second or two. Most recent occurences were on Oct. 10 2023, problem manifested 9 times. At stop, engine raced to 6000 rpm and remained there. Some times returned to normal rpm after few seconds, other times shifting to neutral and back to drive caused rpm to normal; 3 times I had to turn off engine. Once when restarting, engine immediately raced back to 6000 rpm and I had to stop engine again. Problem is intermittent so dealer says cannot tackle problem until they can experience problem themselves despite my very detailed description. Vehicle is unsafe to drive. Fortunately so far problem occured with foot on brake pedal so instantly increased brake pressure prevented vehicle from lurching forward into an accident.

NHTSA ID

11549406

Incident

Oct 10, 2023

Engine stopped suddenly while driving. Warning light (I believe check engine) came on simultaneous with failure. Had seconds to coast to side of road before car came to full stop. Injuries avoided because not on highway, no car immediately behind and on road with ability to pull over. Could not be restarted. Initial repair at dealership failed, had to replace entire engine.

NHTSA ID

11531549

Incident

Jul 1, 2023