The 2022 Kia Telluride with the 3.8L Lambda II V6 shares the same engine catastrophic failure pattern as its Hyundai Palisade sibling—metal debris contamination from manufacturing has led to widespread engine seizures and rod bearing failures, often under 100,000 miles. Beyond the engine time bomb, this platform also battles transmission cooler leaks and wiring harness issues.
Symptoms: Metallic knocking/ticking from engine bay especially on cold start, Check engine light with misfire codes, Metal shavings visible in oil during changes, Sudden loss of oil pressure, Complete engine seizure without warning
Fix: Factory defect where metal debris from manufacturing contaminates bearings and oil passages. Requires complete engine replacement or short block at minimum—15-20 labor hours. Some covered under extended warranty/recall, but many owners left stranded. Kia has issued software updates to monitor knock sensors, but damage is often already done.
Estimated cost: $8,500-15,000
Transmission Oil Cooler Line Failure
Common · medium severity
Typical onset: 40,000-80,000 mi
Symptoms: Pink or red fluid pooling under vehicle, Transmission slipping or harsh shifts, Overheating transmission temperature warnings, Burnt transmission fluid smell
Fix: The external cooler lines corrode or develop leaks at crimp connections, allowing ATF to leak and transmission to overheat. Requires cooler line replacement and sometimes full cooler assembly—3-4 labor hours. Flush and refill mandatory after repair to prevent transmission damage from contaminated/low fluid.
Estimated cost: $600-1,200
Instrument Cluster Failure (Recall Related)
Occasional · medium severity
Symptoms: Speedometer or tachometer reading zero intermittently, Entire dash going blank while driving, Warning lights staying illuminated after start, Backup camera display freezing or glitching
Fix: Software glitch or hardware failure in the main instrument cluster. Covered under NHTSA recall for some VINs—dealer reflash takes 1 hour, full cluster replacement takes 2-3 hours if hardware failed. Check if your VIN is affected before paying out of pocket.
Estimated cost: $0 (recall) or $800-1,500
Front Power Seat Track Failure (Recall)
Rare · high severity
Symptoms: Driver or passenger seat sliding forward unexpectedly, Seat won't lock into position after adjustment, Clicking or grinding noise from seat base during movement
Fix: Seat track mechanism fails to lock properly, creating crash safety risk. Covered under recall—dealer replaces seat track assembly, 2-3 labor hours. Critical safety issue—get it done immediately if your VIN is included.
Estimated cost: $0 (recall)
Driveshaft Center Support Bearing Noise (AWD Models)
Occasional · low severity
Typical onset: 50,000-90,000 mi
Symptoms: Vibration felt through floor at highway speeds, Clunking when accelerating from stop, Humming or droning noise that changes with speed
Fix: Center support bearing wears prematurely on AWD models. Requires driveshaft removal and bearing replacement—4-5 labor hours including alignment. Not a breakdown risk initially but annoying and gets progressively worse.
Estimated cost: $700-1,100
Transmission Mount Deterioration
Common · low severity
Typical onset: 60,000-100,000 mi
Symptoms: Excessive vibration at idle in Drive, Clunking when shifting from Park to Drive/Reverse, Engine/transmission movement visible when accelerating hard
Fix: Upper and lower transmission mounts wear from the V6's torque and vehicle weight. Replace both mounts—2-3 labor hours. Rubber compound deteriorates faster than previous-gen Sorentos, likely due to increased curb weight.
Estimated cost: $400-700
Owner tips
Check oil religiously every 3,000 miles and look for metal flakes—early detection of engine bearing failure can sometimes get you warranty coverage
Extended warranty is almost mandatory for this model year given the engine failure pattern—factor that into purchase price
Keep all service records showing oil changes and inspections to support warranty claims if engine fails
Verify your VIN against all open recalls before purchase—cluster and seat failures are safety-critical
Hard pass unless you get a screaming deal and an iron-clad extended warranty—the engine failure risk alone makes this a gamble no matter how nice the interior is.
AI-assisted summary drawn from NHTSA recall data, our labor-times database, and platform knowledge. Not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on a specific vehicle.
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Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The front power seat motor may overheat due to a stuck power seat slide knob, which can result in a fire while parked or driving.
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a bracket for the power seat switch back covers and replace the seat slide knobs, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 30, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC316.
POWER TRAIN:DRIVELINE:DRIVESHAFT · 24V214000
2024-03-20
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Consequence: A vehicle roll away increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will update the electronic parking brake software and replace any damaged intermediate shafts as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC303.
TRAILER HITCHES · 22V626000
2022-08-15
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Telluride vehicles potentially equipped with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and a wiring harness extension. Dealers will also inspect and replace the tow hitch harness assembly, as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 12, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC247.
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE · 22V509000
2022-07-19
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento and Telluride vehicles. The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Consequence: Impaired anti-lock braking or traction control systems can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the spare tire, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC244.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Telluride vehicles. Excess adhesive in a circuit board within the instrument cluster may cause the instrument cluster display screen to be blank. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Consequence: A blank instrument cluster display screen will not show critical information, such as the odometer, which can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the instrument cluster assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC237.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Telluride vehicles. The LCD display screen may remain blank after startup. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Control and Displays."
Consequence: A blank LCD display may be missing information, such as the digital speedometer, gear selection indicator, and odometer, which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument cluster's software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 3, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC215.
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