Is the GMC Acadia more reliable than the KIA Telluride?

Slightly, yes. Both rate good and both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Acadia has fewer federal recalls. Its transmission and parking brake complaints are serious, and the Telluride's oil-burning engines and rollaway reports are just as serious, so the edge is small.

Which has more recalls, the Acadia or the Telluride?

The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across 6 model years for the Telluride, against 17 across 8 model years for the Acadia. Check any specific car's VIN for open recall repairs before you buy.

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

The Telluride costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $573 a year for the Telluride and $734 for the Acadia. That is $161 a year, about $805 over five years. Shop-visit frequency is the same at 0.4 visits a year.

What is the biggest problem with the GMC Acadia?

The 9-speed transmission. Owners report shudder at steady speeds, sometimes as early as 15,000 miles, along with hard shifts and unwanted downshifts. Fluid flushes and torque converter replacement do not always fix it. Complete failure is reported at roughly 74,000 to 80,000 miles.

Do Kia Tellurides have engine problems?

Some do. Owners report excessive oil consumption, blue smoke, and engine failure with no low-oil warning, and several needed a new engine. Some say warranty coverage was denied over missing service records. The plastic oil filter housing can also crack and leak. Keep every oil change receipt.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

GMC Acadia

Good

Kia Telluride

Good

On reliability, the GMC Acadia edges out the KIA Telluride, but the lead is slight. Both rate good and both average 0.4 shop visits a year. The Telluride has more federal recalls, which decides it, though the Acadia costs more to repair each year.

How Do the GMC Acadia and Kia Telluride Generations Compare?

Shoppers looking at the Acadia will meet two generations. The second ran from 2017 through 2023, with updates in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and it includes the weak 2020 and 2023 years. A third generation began with the 2024 model year, so the newest cars have had little time to collect complaints. The Telluride has had a single generation, covering 2020 through 2025, with a refresh in 2023. The earliest cars, 2020 and 2021, are its weakest. The 2024 and 2025 years score best but are still young, so their complaint counts may keep growing.

Verdict

The GMC Acadia is more reliable than the Kia Telluride, scoring 70/100 vs 66/100.

A slight edge goes to the Acadia. Both rate good, and both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year. The deciding factor is federal recall records, where the Telluride has more recalls despite fewer model years. Its worst owner reports, engines that burn oil until they fail and rollaway in Park, are severe. The Acadia's 9-speed transmission problems are serious too, and it costs more to repair each year. The gap is small, so the condition and service history of the specific car matter more than the badge.

Key Differences

1Kia Telluride costs $161 less per year to repair
2GMC Acadia has 10 fewer total recalls
3GMC Acadia scores 4 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2GMC Acadia

—

1Kia Telluride

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencySafety Rating

GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride: Which Is More Reliable?

GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	GMC Acadia	Kia Telluride
Reliability Score	70/100	66/100
Years Tracked	8	6
Total Recalls	17	27
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	770	1600
Annual Repair Cost	$734/yr	$573/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.4/yr
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	4	2

What Are the Common Problems With the GMC Acadia and Kia Telluride?

Transmission and electrical faults dominate Acadia complaints. The 9-speed shudders, bucks, or drops out of drive, and the electronic parking brake can set itself while moving. Power steering can cut out, and a failing thermostat can trigger a steering assist warning. Every Acadia problem area has crash-linked reports, including brakes and steering. Telluride complaints lean toward glass, lighting, and engine trouble: windshields crack within the first few thousand miles, instrument clusters go blank, and engines burn oil. Its crash-linked reports sit in power train (rollaway in Park), electrical, and lighting. Windshield and engine complaints have none.

GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride common problem areas comparison
Component	GMC Acadia	Kia Telluride
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	106	301
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	139	191
POWER TRAIN	200	114
VISIBILITY/WIPER	2	288
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	6	172
ENGINE	37	127
STRUCTURE	4	110
SERVICE BRAKES	70	22
STEERING	55	9
VISIBILITY	—	50
SUSPENSION	4	44
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	23	—
AIR BAGS	12	10
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	5	15
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	8	9
SEAT BELTS	6	5
SEATS	6	3
FUEL SYSTEM	4	—
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	4	—
WHEELS	3	—
LANE DEPARTURE	2	—

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: GMC Acadia or Kia Telluride?

Repair bills run higher on the Acadia. Independent repair-cost data estimates $734 a year against $573 for the Telluride, a gap of $161 a year, or roughly $805 over five years. Both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year, so trips to the shop should be similar. The data gives a 19% chance that an Acadia repair is major, with no matching figure for the Telluride. Single bills can still be large: a Telluride head unit was quoted at about $7,500, and an Acadia power steering module can top $1,000.

How Does GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride Reliability Compare by Year?

GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride year-by-year reliability scores
Year	GMC Acadia	Kia Telluride	Edge
2025	76/1000R / 51C	78/1002R / 32C	Kia Telluride
2024	76/1000R / 51C	69/1004R / 180C	GMC Acadia
2023	64/1004R / 37C	68/1005R / 161C	Kia Telluride
2022	66/1003R / 44C	63/1006R / 280C	GMC Acadia
2021	68/1002R / 134C	63/1004R / 280C	GMC Acadia
2020	62/1006R / 84C	55/1006R / 667C	GMC Acadia

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 GMC Acadia scored 76/100 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 GMC Acadia vs the Kia Telluride?

Choose the Acadia if you want the model with fewer federal recalls and you can live with a higher yearly repair estimate. Avoid the 2020 and 2023 model years, which are the weakest. The 2024 and 2026 years look strongest, but newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so do not treat them as proven. On any Acadia, drive at steady speeds and feel for shudder or hard shifts. Confirm the rear camera and parking brake behave. Choose the Telluride if you want the lower repair estimate and can accept more recalls. Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest years. The 2024 and 2025 years rate best, though they are young too. Ask for full oil change records, since owners say Kia denied warranty coverage over missing records. Inspect the windshield for chips and cracks, and confirm through the VIN that every recall repair was done, especially the one tied to rollaway in Park.

GMC Acadia vs Kia Telluride: Common Questions

Is the GMC Acadia more reliable than the KIA Telluride?: Slightly, yes. Both rate good and both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year. The Acadia has fewer federal recalls. Its transmission and parking brake complaints are serious, and the Telluride's oil-burning engines and rollaway reports are just as serious, so the edge is small.
Which has more recalls, the Acadia or the Telluride?: The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across 6 model years for the Telluride, against 17 across 8 model years for the Acadia. Check any specific car's VIN for open recall repairs before you buy.
Which costs less to repair, the Acadia or the Telluride?: The Telluride costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $573 a year for the Telluride and $734 for the Acadia. That is $161 a year, about $805 over five years. Shop-visit frequency is the same at 0.4 visits a year.
What is the biggest problem with the GMC Acadia?: The 9-speed transmission. Owners report shudder at steady speeds, sometimes as early as 15,000 miles, along with hard shifts and unwanted downshifts. Fluid flushes and torque converter replacement do not always fix it. Complete failure is reported at roughly 74,000 to 80,000 miles.
Do Kia Tellurides have engine problems?: Some do. Owners report excessive oil consumption, blue smoke, and engine failure with no low-oil warning, and several needed a new engine. Some say warranty coverage was denied over missing service records. The plastic oil filter housing can also crack and leak. Keep every oil change receipt.

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How we score the GMC Acadia 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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