Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11719571

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2021 KIA TELLURIDE

Manufacturer

Kia America, Inc.

Components

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE

Dates

Incident: 01/01/2023
Filed: 02/21/2026

Owner complaint summary

After owning this Telluride for a year the engine started stalling. I took it into the nearest Oil change company, and they informed me that the oil was completely out and dry. I always stay up to date with my oil changes, so this was a huge shock. There was no light that ever came on stating an oil concern and there was no light that came on even when the engine stalled. This company sent me directly to Kia stating they have seen this several times with this vehicle and they have oil consumption issues. I went to Kia and they had me do the oil consumption test. When completed they stated I was within the "standard" oil consumption levels. I asked why the car didn't even have an oil light or engine light come on as a warning and they had no answers for me. Had a light come on I would've taken it to be looked at prior to having the engine stall on me which was a major safety issue. Fast forward, I ended up and purchased another car and gave the Telluride to my husband. I drive a lot for work and he doesn't, so it made more sense to help with the oil. We are now having to put at least 3 quarts of oil in it in between oil changes. And he has still experienced the engine puttering. Both times with our kids in the car, steering becomes difficult and he has to pull off the road. Once he turns it off and restarts, it seems to be fine. Another mechanic told us that they anticipate a recall to come out with the 2021 Telluride soon since they have already recalled previous years for the same issues. It is absurd to have to put in 3 quarts of oil in between oil changes. The fact that no warning lights have ever come on is safety concern. The car randomly stalling is a safety concern. Kia needs to do something about this before someone gets injured.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11719571). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11719571. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.