2020 Kia Telluride Recalled Because Halogen High Beams May Fail

As per documents published by the NHTSA, vehicles equipped with halogen headlights may experience high beam failures due to high beam shield gear mechanism damage from the heat generated by the halogen bulbs.

This recall can trace its roots back to January 2023, when the federal agency contacted Kia America in regard to complaints alleging the loss of high beams on 2020 models. The Office of Defects Investigation opens a preliminary evaluation into this matter. Not long after, the automaker proposes a plan to change the headlights at no cost to the customers and extend the warranty to 15 years or 150,000 miles (around 240,000 kilometers).

Kia further provided a response to the ODI's preliminary evaluation, arguing that a loss of high beams doesn't create an unreasonable risk to motor vehicle safety. On the one hand, there's no denying that low beams are used in most driving scenarios. But still, no high beams in scenarios with limited lighting increases the risk of a crash.

Kia notified owners of the aforementioned headlight replacement and warranty extension campaign on April 25, 2023. Continuous field data monitoring revealed that many owners experienced high beam failures, with said customers not aware of the automaker's campaign. This, in turn, prompted Kia to increase awareness by renotifying Telluride owners on October 13, 2023.

The ODI met up with the automaker's safety boffins in January 2024. Through February 2024, the federal watchdog learned that Kia America is aware of 4,975 warranty claims, 839 techline cases, and 543 customer complaints with dates of receipt ranging between January 2019 and February 2024.

Those numbers on their own clearly warrant a safety recall, but that's not all. The Office of Defects Investigation also learned about three alleged yet unconfirmed deer strikes. Due to the ineffectiveness of the aforementioned campaign and the mounting pressure coming from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the automaker finally gave in, deciding to recall every potentially affected SUV produced for MY20 with halogen lights.

The recall population is 35,031 vehicles, with said three-row sport utility vehicles assembled in the US of A between January 2019 and November 2019. According to Kia, model year 2020 marked the introduction of an improved shield gear and extra venting for improved heat dissipation.

No later than April 22, dealers will be instructed to apply a clip to secure the shield gear to the shaft or – if necessary – replace the headlamp assembly. Owners who incurred repair expenses prior to this recall for high beam failures caused by the recall condition are eligible for reimbursement as long as they can provide any proof of payment.

Owner notifications will be mailed on or about April 25. In the meantime, 2020 Kia Telluride owners can easily determine whether their vehicles are included in this recall or not by entering the 17-character VIN on the automaker's website.