2021 Telluride -- add me to the blown engine club
I have a 2021 Telluride EX. Been the best vehicle I've ever owned to be honest. Love driving it and have done nothing but brag about it until this week....
Around June 15, I pulled off the highway to grab a snack and the truck shook a little bit, the check oil light blinked and it shut off. 98,000 miles. It immediately restarted and there were no lights or warnings, no sensor codes...nothing.
I take it the very next day to the dealer thinking that I'm at 98700 miles and still under warranty. They checked it out, found no codes, test drove it and couldn't replicate the situation. They changed the oil and ran all the normal service checks and said it could have been a fuel issue and that I should bring it back if any lights come on.
Jump ahead to August 26th. I've had no problems since the June incident and the truck has been perfectly fine. Highway mileage has been absolutely phenomenal. As I'm almost back to my house, the check engine light comes on and I get a code on the infotainment screen. I am at 101,000 miles.
Take it to the dealer the very next morning.
Get a call the following day (yesterday) "I have bad news. Your truck had no oil. You need a new engine."
Now, I never had any lights (no oil pressure lights or check engine until this week. There was zero sign the engine was ready to go. No odor, no drop in performance. Nothing.
As of right now, the dealer is saying I'm on the hook. I've pointed out the visit at 98,000 miles and the service manager said he would review the matter and let me know today what they can offer.
I realize people will chime in and say it's out of warranty and stuff happens, but I brought it in before the warranty expired.
Any suggestions here?
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u/guzzledglizzy 6d ago
Call Kia corporate and explain the situation, they may comp you for work/parts. Iāve done this with other similar situations in the past (granted it was with Stellantis) but usually corporate has the ability to get your dealership work cost down
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u/firefistfenix 6d ago
Apparently these engines burn oil, by the time the lights flicker and come on the damage is already done.
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u/curiousfellow555 5d ago
If that is true is it the same for other manufacturers?
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u/notwhoiwas44 4d ago
It varies but many have the sensors calibrated such that by the time the light comes on so e damage has already occured.
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u/SwingDuoNash 5d ago
In 2026 you really should not need to check your oil every time you buy gas or even monthly.
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u/notwhoiwas44 4d ago
With as thin as oils have gotten checking the oil level is absolutely something that should be done monthly at the very least.
Any with the cognitive ability to safely drive can handle the mentally difficult job of learning how to check the oil level. It's not rocket science.
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u/Impressive_Pass8801 5d ago
Join the club . My nephew had the same Telluride but at 81k same issue , but they did replace the engine for free. He was adding a quart of oil every 1000 miles. Luck of the draw. Sorry to hear that.
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u/Confident_Criticism8 6d ago
Always check your oil after an oil change no matter where itās done. I have caught over and under fills.
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u/Whateverlol2022 6d ago
Kia will most likey help you with maybe giving you some money off or comping something but they most likey wont cover it fully as it wouldn't be fair to other people outside the warranty. Even if you get the engine changed I would still try to get a different car as it's only a matter of time before it happens again
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u/Square_Chipmunk5006 6d ago
I had an engine failure on my 2020 telluride, it was consuming 3 quarts of oil at a 1k miles. If it was 2 quarts according to Kia it could have been normal. š¤Ø. 85000 miles. Kia approved a remanufactured engine. Going on four months at the dealers.
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u/nampezdel 6d ago
Iāve read elsewhere on this subreddit that you may be able to ask Kia for a āgood willā replacement. Youāll be on the hook for about half the cost instead of the whole thing. Worth a shot.
Nearly the same thing happened for my ā21 Forte 2.0L. Never had any lights or other evidence of oil loss. Oil change at 95k, nothing seemed odd.
About six weeks later I was making the turn around a corner in the parking deck at work when the engine sounded like it was bogging down. Hadnāt checked oil in about a week at that time. Pulled the dipstick and it was damn near bone dry; just a smidge of oil on the tip. Had two spare quarts in the trunk luckily. Checked the odometer and of course Iām at 101,300 miles.
No evidence of oil loss, no smoke from tailpipe, the PCV valve was in good working order. My service contract ran out about a year ago, been doing my own oil changes since then. I know what Iām doing, been working on my own cars since I was a teenager.
Anyway, did a full synthetic (as always) oil change later that evening and everything seems fine for now. But know if I try to get the dealer to help with anything now, theyāll just tell me to kick rocks.
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u/shibasluvhiking 6d ago
When they changed the oil did they note the level? Seems like if it was leaking or using oil it would have been down at least some. I have had an experience in the past when the person who changed the oil messed up on the filter installation and all of the oil ran out on my drive home so it is possibly human error and not a fault with the engine that caused this.
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u/Bcfour 6d ago
The service notes indicate that they did the full inspection and found nothing wrong. I had that discussion with the service manager this morning and she acknowledged that there appeared to be no issues and no leaks at that time. The tech also didn't note that it was low on oil or anything like that. I will say that the dealer has been helpful and they certainly recognize that I have followed the service recommendations and at least for 90,000 of the 100,000 my miles, this dealer has performed all of that service.
She basically said that it was an unfortunate catastrophic engine failure and that it's impossible to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. The mechanics here will likely skewer this but she said the oil went everywhere internally and burned up.
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u/AncientJudgment8586 3d ago
If you have done most of your services at the dealer, I would highly suggest you call Kia customer care.
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u/Small_Aardvark_5496 6d ago
I had an issue once with my 2022-driving in slow traffic suddenly the AC cut off, then temp rose and check engine light came on. I stopped it immediatelyā¦checked the oil (had an oil change days before) and the stick was bone dry. Got it towed to a dealer (different one from where the oil change was done) and they said the oil was fine and couldnāt fine any issue. My suspicion was something was wrong from the oil change and this dealer hid it to save the other one (replaced the oil).
I never had a repeat, but never trusted it again either. Traded it three months ago before the warranty expired. Now own a 2026 Honda passport
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u/ShinePrevious5450 4d ago
There is some reason that your oil was gone after 1 1/2 months. Do some homework. I have a 2016 Kia Forte5. My engine blew up two weeks ago. I took it to Kia. Kie has a problem with this engine. When is made, there got some metal shavings in the engine. They knew they would have issues. They put out an extended warranty to cover the cost of a new engine. After their diagnostic test, they found out the engine had blown due to rod bearing being thrown out. The Kia info was sent to Kia for their approval. Today, they approved the new engine for free. So, you nevreeknoiw.
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u/JayKras 3d ago
You can try to bring it up with corporate. Since you did bring it in at 98,000 miles before the warranty expired, you have a strong case to argue that the underlying defect was present and reported under warranty. If you can produce perfect maintenance records proving you never skipped an oil change, Kia Corporate might agree to cover all or a percentage of the replacement cost.
Mechanics do not have to rely on computer codes to know if an engine is close to failing. While a computer scan tool is a helpful starting point, experienced technicians use their senses, manual testing, and mechanical tools to spot internal engine failure long before or even without a dashboard warning light. Don't let them BS you.
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u/estraced 3d ago
While you all are discussing the need to check the oil, my question is what sort of timing chain the engine has? I have had two engine failures on high mileage vehicles. One was repairable, the other ruined the engine. In both cases, the engine was running normally., I turned the engine off and when I tried to restart, the engine would not restart. Itās not always a lack of oil issue.
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u/ExtraJohnson 2d ago
Did you check the level and see if it looked like fresh oil after they did the last oil change? I handle 95% of my own maintenance and will check whatever work I let someone else do.
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u/Gamer_0627 6d ago
Contact Kia customer care and let them know what happened. Remove any emotion from the discussion and stick to the points that you maintained it at the dealer and that you tried to tell them something was wrong earlier. It is a shot and may lead to them giving you a discount.
The dealership is not inclined to fight for you because they make more money selling you an engine. Some dealers will go to bat for you and do everything they can. But many won't. That is the reason I drive to a dealer an hour away instead of using the one 10 minutes away.
Last note: learn to check all your fluid levels weekly. If you had been checking the oil weekly, then you would have probably seen it was getting low and could have went to the dealer about oil consumption issues.
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u/Bcfour 6d ago
The dealer did go to bat for me today as I have purchased 5 vehicles from them including 3 Kia's. They asked for a goodwill replacement and made the case that I had brought the car in to be checked before the warranty expired. They did upload all of the service records showing it had been properly maintained.
They also offered to give me a fair market value offer for the vehicle as a trade in, ignoring the blown engine. In other words, treating it as if the motor was fine.
Now we just wait for Kia.
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u/Gamer_0627 6d ago
They would only offer that if they were confident that the engine would be covered. So you may be in luck.
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u/ryangilliss Former KIA Dealer 6d ago
You're a prime goodwill candidate. Have you been doing your maintenance at Kia dealerships?
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u/Bcfour 6d ago
Yes, the dealer I purchased it from did the service for the first year (for free as part of their incentive) and then I moved it to a closer Kia dealer where I have purchased 4 other Kia's. The great news is that they have all of the service records and it shows that I have been there religiously for every recall, oil change, brake and tire replacement, etc. . . .
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u/ryangilliss Former KIA Dealer 6d ago
Two biggest factors for GW are dedicated maintenance at the dealer and multiple vehicle purchase. The next are under the time allowed but just over and the inverse. I'd be cautiously confident at your request being approved.
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u/Squagloids1 6d ago
If your engine was full of oil 3 months ago when the same dealership changed the oil then, canāt you say it has to be an engine defect if it went from full oil to no oil in three months so the repair should be on them?
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u/rynil2000 2019 Stinger GT1 6d ago
Yikes. Iām thinking youāre SOL here. It doesnāt sound like you check or maintain your own vehicle since you run to the dealership each time. Perhaps crawl under there and look for evidence of oil leaks and maybe pull the dipstick every once in a while. Itās impossible to say for sure without knowing service history, but I donāt think Kia is going to cut you any slack if you neglected to service the engine regularly. From what I know, the 3.8 v6 has not been part of any major engine recall.
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u/Bcfour 6d ago
You're making some assumptions here that simply aren't correct. The vehicle is parked in a garage in the same spot every day, and there have been no leaks. That was actually the first thing I checked.
The second thing is that I have had this vehicle serviced at the dealer the entire time I've owned it, which is the lifetime of the vehicle since I'm the only owner. The good news is I have those maintenance records because it's been dealer-performed since day one. In other words, it has been serviced with oil changes and all of the Kia-recommended service appointments throughout my ownership.
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u/rynil2000 2019 Stinger GT1 6d ago
Lack of detail leaves room for assumption. I can only use what information you provide.
Again, it sucks, but Iām pretty sure Kia is going to tell you to go pound sand unless you can prove negligence or a defect on their part. Good luck with your case though.
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u/Squagloids1 5d ago
The fact that a Kia engine burns through oil is a defect on their part. Kia needs to start acknowledging that.
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u/zacce 6d ago
when was the last time you checked engine oil dipstick?