Selling a broken or wrecked Kia Telluride

If yours is wrecked, won't drive or needs more than it's worth, you can sell the whole car as it sits. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Two campaigns reach nearly every first-generation Telluride

Kia's two biggest Telluride recalls cover the 2020 through 2024 model years.

• Rollaway, 24V214 (March 2024). The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, so the SUV can roll away while in Park. Kia's interim advice is to set the parking brake every time before stepping out. The campaign lists 427,407 vehicles.
• Seat motor fire, 24V407 (June 2024) and 26V430 (July 2026). A stuck power seat slide knob can make the front seat motor overheat and start a fire, parked or moving. Both campaigns list 462,869 vehicles and carry a park-outside warning. The second also covers Tellurides where the first repair was done wrong; dealers fit an electronic fuse assembly. Wikipedia notes that the recall documents mention one driver seat fire, six cases of melted parts under the seats, and reports of smoke inside.

A third park-outside notice, 22V626, covers 2020-2022 Tellurides with a Genuine Kia 4-pin tow hitch harness, whether it came from the factory or from a dealer's parts counter.

What owners report, by generation

First generation, 2020-2026: 3.8 V6 and an 8-speed

Wikipedia lists one engine for this Telluride, a 3.8-liter Lambda II V6, paired with an 8-speed automatic. All of them came from the plant in West Point, Georgia. The model years from this generation in our count, 2020 through 2025, hold 2,005 complaints.

• Lights on the 2020. All 172 exterior lighting complaints in the Telluride file are on the 2020. Recall 24V148 covers 2020 high beams that may fail, 35,031 vehicles.
• Wipers and visibility. 333 complaints, the largest named category after "unknown or other." It sits in the top three for every year from 2020 to 2025.
• Engine. 280 complaints name the engine, 140 of them on the 2020. On the 2025 it is the top category (34). Recall 24V077 covers 2,872 2024 Tellurides whose valve springs may break; NHTSA's notice says that can cut drive power and put a hole in the engine block. The listed fix is a new engine sub-assembly at no charge.
• Screens and electrics, 2022-2024. The electrical system is in the top three on the 2022 (57), 2023 (36) and 2024 (37). Two 2022 recalls deal with blank instrument cluster screens (21V577 and 22V344). A third, 23V298, covers a 4.2-inch cluster on 2023 Tellurides and on Sportage, Niro and Soul versions too, so its 108,936 count is not the Telluride's alone.
• Trim and seats, 2023-2025. Recall 25V494 covers 201,149 Tellurides from 2023-2025 whose door belt molding trim can come off. Recall 26V105 covers 2025 models with power front seats whose seat back frames may not hold occupants: 85,515 vehicles in NHTSA's campaign, while Wikipedia gives 85,448.

Second generation, 2027: 2.5 turbo four or hybrid

The new Telluride went into production in February 2026. Wikipedia lists two Telluride engines, a 2.5-liter turbo four and a 2.5 turbo hybrid. The first to roll out was also the first hybrid Kia put together in the US. The 2027 has 38 complaints so far, seat belts on top (6). It has been in driveways only a few months, so that count is an early one. Three recalls list it:

• 26V135: the third-row center buckle may not latch. Its 14,870 count also includes 2026 K4 sedans.
• 26V173: second-row power seats on Executive Package Hybrid SX Prestige and X-Line SX Prestige models may not detect a person. 568 vehicles.
• 26V356: the driver's belt retractor may lock so the belt won't extend. 6,264 vehicles.

Complaints and recalls by model year

These Telluride figures come from NHTSA's owner-complaint file, read on October 10, 2026. The rollaway and seat-fire campaigns each appear on all five rows from 2020 to 2024.

Across all years the file holds 42 complaints that report a crash, 23 that report a fire and one that reports a death, on a 2020. NHTSA lists 20 Telluride campaigns in all; this page describes only some of them.

Fix it or sell it?

1. Check your Telluride's VIN first. Type it into NHTSA's recall lookup. Most of the campaigns above list the dealer repair as free.
2. Engine gone on a 2024? Ask a Kia dealer whether recall 24V077 covers your VIN before you pay for anything. Our blown engine guide covers how to weigh a dead engine.
3. Smoke or scorching under a front seat? Keep the Telluride outdoors, as the recall asks, and read selling a fire-damaged car.
4. Then weigh the shop's estimate against a running Telluride's resale. When the first gets close to the second, our page on repairs costing more than the car walks through the choice.

Selling the Telluride whole

1. Jot down the 17-digit VIN from the windshield, the odometer reading, and what made the Telluride quit.
2. Get an offer online or call (877) 421-6008.
3. Tell us the Telluride's location and whether its wheels turn. If a rollaway or seat fire is why it stopped, mention that too, because the driver plans the load around it. Pickup is free anywhere in the US.
4. Leave it whole. A Telluride missing wheels, seats or screens gets a different offer.
5. Hand the driver the signed Telluride title and show your ID. Missing title? Read selling with no title. For plates and insurance afterward, see after you sell.

Looking at another Kia? Compare the Sorento, Sportage and EV9, or see every Kia we cover.