Is the KIA Telluride more reliable than the Chevrolet Blazer?

No. The Blazer leads by a large gap. It has 2.1 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 23.3 for the Telluride, and fewer recalls. Both hold a good standing, but the Telluride's complaints cover more problem types, including engine failure and rollaway in Park.

Which has more recalls, the Telluride or the Blazer?

The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across its 6 model years, while the Blazer has 19 across 8 model years. The Telluride's recalls are packed into a shorter span, so each model year carries more of them on average.

Which costs less to repair, the Telluride or the Blazer?

The Blazer, though only slightly. Independent repair-cost data shows $521 a year for the Blazer and $573 for the Telluride, about $260 apart over five years. The Blazer also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.3 a year against 0.4.

What goes wrong with the Chevrolet Blazer most often?

Cooling faults lead the list. Owners report a stuck temperature gauge, a fan that runs for minutes after shutdown, cracked radiators, and a steering assist warning tied to the coolant sensor. Transmission failures near 82,000 to 84,000 miles are the costliest problem.

Is the Telluride windshield cracking problem common?

Yes. Visibility and wiper issues are its largest complaint area, with 288 reports. Windshields crack from small pebbles or with no visible impact, often in the first few thousand miles. Some owners replaced the glass two or three times, and dealers often declined warranty coverage.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Chevrolet Blazer

Good

Kia Telluride

Good

The Chevrolet Blazer beats the KIA Telluride on reliability by a large margin. Owners filed far fewer Blazer complaints per vehicle sold. The Telluride also has more recalls and a wider range of failures, from cracked windshields to engine damage.

How Do the Chevrolet Blazer and Kia Telluride Generations Compare?

Every used Telluride is the same basic vehicle. Its one US generation covers 2020 through 2025, with a refresh in 2023, so the split that matters is pre-refresh versus 2023 and later. The weakest years, 2020 and 2021, are both early builds. The Blazer crossover generation ran from 2019 through 2023, and a separate Blazer EV generation was listed for 2023 only. The crossover's first year, 2019, is among its weakest, so first-year builds are worth avoiding on both models.

Verdict

The Chevrolet Blazer is more reliable than the Kia Telluride, scoring 76/100 vs 66/100.

Reliability favors the Chevrolet Blazer by a large margin. Owners filed 639 complaints on it against 1600 on the Telluride, and the gap is wider once sales are counted: 2.1 complaints per 10,000 sold versus 23.3. The Telluride also carries more recalls, 27 against 19. Each model has a good standing, and repair costs sit close together, so the deciding factor is how often owners report trouble. The Blazer has real weak spots, but they are less widespread than the Telluride's.

Key Differences

1Chevrolet Blazer costs $52 less per year to repair
2Chevrolet Blazer has 21.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Chevrolet Blazer scores 10 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

5Chevrolet Blazer

—

0Kia Telluride

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencySafety Rating

Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride: Which Is More Reliable?

Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chevrolet Blazer	Kia Telluride
Reliability Score	76/100	66/100
Years Tracked	8	6
Total Recalls	19	27
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.1	23.3
Annual Repair Cost	$521/yr	$573/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.4/yr
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	5	1

What Are the Common Problems With the Chevrolet Blazer and Kia Telluride?

Rollaway in Park is the most serious Telluride failure: the SUV rolls backward on its own and hits cars, houses, and trees, and the power train area has 5 crash-linked complaints. Windshields also crack from tiny pebbles or overnight cold, instrument clusters go blank while driving, and oil consumption can end in engine failure with no low-oil warning. Blazer problems center on cooling. A stuck temperature gauge, a fan running after shutdown, and cracked radiators dominate, and they often trigger a steering assist warning. Blazer brakes also have 5 crash-linked complaints, including a pedal that goes rock hard at freeway speed. Transmissions fail near 82,000 to 84,000 miles.

Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride common problem areas comparison
Component	Chevrolet Blazer	Kia Telluride
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.3Very Low	4.4Average
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	4.2Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	2.8Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	2.5Low
POWER TRAIN	0.4Very Low	1.7Low
ENGINE	0.2Very Low	1.9Low
STRUCTURE	—None	1.6Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.7Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.6Very Low
STEERING	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	0.3Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	0.2Very Low
AIR BAGS	—None	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	—None	0.1Very Low
TIRES	—None	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None
PARKING BRAKE	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Chevrolet Blazer or Kia Telluride?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Telluride at $573 a year and the Blazer at $521, a gap of $52 annually or about $260 over five years. Unscheduled shop visits run 0.4 a year for the Telluride and 0.3 for the Blazer. The routine cost difference is small. The major repair risk differs more. Telluride engine failure from oil use can mean a new engine, and one failed infotainment unit was quoted near $7,500. Blazer transmission replacement near 82,000 miles is the big-ticket risk, with radiator replacements running near $2000.

How Does Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride Reliability Compare by Year?

Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chevrolet Blazer	Kia Telluride	Edge
2025	77/1004R / 26C	78/1002R / 32C	Kia Telluride
2024	70/1006R / 99C	69/1004R / 180C	Chevrolet Blazer
2023	78/1002R / 29C	68/1005R / 161C	Chevrolet Blazer
2022	79/1001R / 33C	63/1006R / 280C	Chevrolet Blazer
2021	74/1001R / 104C	63/1004R / 280C	Chevrolet Blazer
2020	71/1003R / 178C	55/1006R / 667C	Chevrolet Blazer

Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer scored 79/100 and the 2024 Kia Telluride scored 69/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Chevrolet Blazer vs the Kia Telluride?

Pick the Blazer if you want the lower chance of trouble. It has fewer complaints per vehicle sold, fewer shop visits, and a lower repair bill. Target the 2022 model year, which ranks among its strongest, and avoid 2019 and 2024, which rank among its weakest. Check the coolant system and radiator before you buy, and ask whether the brakes have ever ground or gone hard. If you plan to keep it for high mileage, set money aside for the transmission failures owners reported around 82,000 to 84,000 miles. Pick the Telluride only if you value what it offers and accept the higher complaint load. Skip 2020 and 2021, its weakest years. The 2024 and 2025 years rank strongest, but they are newer and have had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof they are trouble free. Before you sign, confirm that all recall work is done, including the rollaway recall owners cite. Ask for full oil change records, since owners say Kia denied engine claims over missing service history. Inspect the windshield and test the instrument cluster on the drive.

Chevrolet Blazer vs Kia Telluride: Common Questions

Is the KIA Telluride more reliable than the Chevrolet Blazer?: No. The Blazer leads by a large gap. It has 2.1 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 23.3 for the Telluride, and fewer recalls. Both hold a good standing, but the Telluride's complaints cover more problem types, including engine failure and rollaway in Park.
Which has more recalls, the Telluride or the Blazer?: The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across its 6 model years, while the Blazer has 19 across 8 model years. The Telluride's recalls are packed into a shorter span, so each model year carries more of them on average.
Which costs less to repair, the Telluride or the Blazer?: The Blazer, though only slightly. Independent repair-cost data shows $521 a year for the Blazer and $573 for the Telluride, about $260 apart over five years. The Blazer also needs fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.3 a year against 0.4.
What goes wrong with the Chevrolet Blazer most often?: Cooling faults lead the list. Owners report a stuck temperature gauge, a fan that runs for minutes after shutdown, cracked radiators, and a steering assist warning tied to the coolant sensor. Transmission failures near 82,000 to 84,000 miles are the costliest problem.
Is the Telluride windshield cracking problem common?: Yes. Visibility and wiper issues are its largest complaint area, with 288 reports. Windshields crack from small pebbles or with no visible impact, often in the first few thousand miles. Some owners replaced the glass two or three times, and dealers often declined warranty coverage.

More Chevrolet Blazer comparisons

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More Kia Telluride comparisons

Kia Telluride vs Hyundai Palisade reliability Kia Telluride vs Toyota Grand Highlander reliability Kia Telluride vs Mazda CX-90 reliability Kia Telluride vs Nissan Pathfinder reliability Kia Telluride reliability by year Kia Telluride years to avoid

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How we score the Chevrolet Blazer and Kia Telluride

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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