NHTSA Complaints · Active Recalls · California Lemon Law Data
The NHTSA tracks consumer complaints, manufacturer recalls, and safety investigations for every vehicle sold in the United States. These publicly available records are a critical resource for California lemon law cases because they establish patterns of recurring defects.
As of June 2026, the NHTSA has logged 39 complaints against the 2025 Kia Telluride. Each complaint is filed by a vehicle owner or lessee through the NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline or online portal at SaferCar.gov. You can review all 2025 Kia Telluride complaints directly on the NHTSA complaint database.
The 2025 Kia Telluride has generated 84 NHTSA complaints and has 3 active recalls. If your 2025 Kia Telluride has experienced a defect that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple visits, you may qualify for a full repurchase or replacement under California lemon law. Kia pays all attorney fees when we prevail. You pay nothing.
The 2025 Kia Telluride has generated 16 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “There were two very loud cracking noises. Nothing had hit the car at all. The following day a crack emerged on the windshield. There’s no point of impact and the glass is smooth but the crack is now 1/3 of the windshield. I took it to the dealership where I bought it last month. They initially lied to me and stated they had never heard of a class action about defective windshields but later said that it was only the 2020 models for 6months and all is fixed. Online people are complaining about cracks emerging in their 2024/2025 telluride on the windshields or the moon roofs randomly shattering.” (NHTSA Complaint #11714879)
The 2025 Kia Telluride has generated 14 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “Approximately at 2:15pm on Tuesday, March 3, I was entering the highway and had yet to get up to freeway speed and no vehicles were in front of me. There was a loud boom / explosion and a glass shattering sound. I immediately exited the highway at the next exit which was less than a mile. I slowed my speed and still heard glass falling. I checked my back window and it was intact, and I realized it was coming from the front sun roof. I headed back to my home since there was no safe place to pull over, due to limited shoulder and street construction. When I had a chance to examine the sun roof, it was blown upward.” (NHTSA Complaint #11721865)
The 2025 Kia Telluride has generated 6 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V105000 (Seats). The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another dealer, Gunter Kia (1900 S State Rd 7, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33317); and was informed that the part for the recall repair was on back-order. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The contact had not experienced a failure.” (NHTSA Complaint #11725276)
The 2025 Kia Telluride has generated 6 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V494000 (Structure) and requested to be removed from the recall distribution list. The local dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.” (NHTSA Complaint #11704264)
The 2025 Kia Telluride has generated 4 NHTSA complaints for this defect category. If your vehicle has experienced recurring issues in this area that the dealer has been unable to repair after multiple attempts, you may have a qualifying lemon law claim under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Owner reports include: “Friday, March 13, 2025, at approximately 11:50 AM PST while driving on Interstate 5 northbound, heard a loud explosion like a gunshot, with no vehicles in close proximity, then hearing the rush of wind, opened the interior sunroof cover, discovered the sunroof glass shattered.” (NHTSA Complaint #11724630)
The following 3 recalls have been issued for the 2025 Kia Telluride by the NHTSA or Kia. If your vehicle is affected, the manufacturer is required to provide a free remedy. Check your VIN at NHTSA.gov/recalls.
Component: STRUCTURE:EXTERIOR TRIM
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: A detached trim piece can become a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the belt molding trim assemblies as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC347.
Component: TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: Anti-lock braking or traction control systems that do not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the spare wheel and tire assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC355. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be sea
Component: SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
Defect: See NHTSA database for details.
Risk: A seat back frame that fails to properly restrain an occupant during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the front seat back frame assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 24, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia’s number for this recall is SC362. Vehicle Identification Numbers (
California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act (Cal. Civ. Code §§ 1790–1795.8) is one of the strongest lemon laws in the United States. It protects buyers and lessees of new and certified pre-owned vehicles that develop substantial defects the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, a lemon law presumption is triggered when any of the following apply to your 2025 Kia Telluride:
Once the presumption is triggered, the burden shifts to Kia to prove the vehicle is not a lemon. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Kia must pay your attorney’s fees if you prevail — meaning qualified representation costs you nothing out of pocket.
If your 2025 Kia Telluride qualifies as a lemon under California law, Kia may be legally required to:
Step 1: Document every repair visit. Keep all repair orders, work orders, and dealer invoices. Each visit counts as a repair attempt, even if the dealer says nothing is wrong.
Step 2: Keep returning for repairs. You must give Kia a reasonable opportunity to fix the defect. Visit different authorized Kia dealers if needed and ask for written documentation of each visit.
Step 3: Contact a California lemon law attorney. Once you believe the threshold has been met — 4 attempts for non-safety defects, 2 for safety defects, or 30 days out of service — contact an attorney for a free case evaluation. Under § 1794(d), Kia pays your fees if you win.
Step 4: Send a demand letter. Your attorney will send Kia a formal demand letter. Most California lemon law cases resolve through negotiation without going to trial.
Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1793.22, four or more repair attempts for the same non-safety defect, or two attempts for a safety-related defect, triggers the lemon law presumption. Additionally, 30 or more cumulative days out of service qualifies regardless of the number of repair attempts.
Yes. Under Cal. Civ. Code § 1794(d), Kia is required to pay your reasonable attorney’s fees and court costs if you prevail in a lemon law claim. This means qualified lemon law representation is free to you if your case succeeds.
Yes. A recall is not required to file a lemon law claim. The Song-Beverly Act covers any substantial defect that impairs the use, value, or safety of the vehicle that the manufacturer cannot repair after a reasonable number of attempts. NHTSA complaints support the claim by establishing a pattern, but are not a prerequisite.
California lemon law claims are generally subject to a four-year statute of limitations from the date you discovered or should have discovered the defect. However, you must still be within the manufacturer’s original warranty period when the defect first appears. Contact an attorney promptly to preserve your rights.
If your 2025 Kia Telluride has a recurring defect, California’s Lemon Law may entitle you to a full refund, replacement vehicle, or cash settlement — at no cost to you.
Our attorneys answer the questions we hear most from California vehicle owners — fully updated for 2026.
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