Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the KIA Telluride?

Slightly, yes. Both have a good reliability standing, but the Pilot draws 9.1 complaints per 10,000 sold against 23.3 for the Telluride. The Telluride goes to the shop a bit less often and has fewer recalls, so the lead is narrow.

Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the Telluride?

The Pilot has more. Federal recall records show 51 recalls across 9 model years for the Pilot and 27 across 6 model years for the Telluride. The Pilot has also been sold for more model years, which gives it more time to collect them.

Which costs less to repair?

The Pilot costs a little less, at about $542 a year against $573 for the Telluride. That is roughly $155 over five years. The Telluride makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.4 a year versus 0.5 for the Pilot.

Do Telluride windshields really crack easily?

Owners report it often. It is the Telluride's largest complaint area. Windshields crack from small pebbles or with no visible impact, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Several owners replaced the glass two or three times, and dealers frequently declined warranty coverage.

What is the worst problem on the Honda Pilot?

Sudden engine failure is the most serious. Owners describe a check engine light, lost power, and a knocking sound, and some dealers traced it to connecting rod bearing failure that needed a new engine. Electrical faults are far more common, led by blank infotainment screens.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Honda Pilot

Good

Kia Telluride

Good

Reliability favors the Honda Pilot over the KIA Telluride, but only slightly, and both rate good. The Pilot draws far fewer complaints per car sold. The Telluride has about half the recalls and fewer shop visits. Expect electrical trouble on the Pilot and early windshield and cluster problems on the Telluride.

How Do the Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride Generations Compare?

Two generations fall inside the Pilot's years here. The third ran 2016 to 2022 with a refresh for 2019, and the fourth began in 2023 with a facelift for 2026. Its weakest years, 2019 and 2020, are third-generation cars, while 2023 opened the fourth generation and ranks among the strongest. The 2026 model has had little time to collect complaints, so its record is thin. The Telluride has had a single generation, running 2020 through 2025, with a refresh for 2023. Its weakest years, 2020 and 2021, are the first two of that run, so used shoppers choosing between early and later cars have a clear gap to weigh.

Verdict

The Honda Pilot is more reliable than the Kia Telluride, scoring 68/100 vs 66/100.

A slight edge goes to the Honda Pilot, and it is a small one. Both hold a good standing. The Pilot draws far fewer owner complaints for every 10,000 sold. The Telluride has about half the recalls and a lower shop-visit rate. The Pilot's weak spots include sudden engine failure and blank screens, while the Telluride's include cracked windshields and oil-starved engines. The complaint rate decides it, but neither car is a clear winner.

Key Differences

1Honda Pilot costs $31 less per year to repair
2Kia Telluride has 24 fewer total recalls
3Honda Pilot has 14.2 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

3Honda Pilot

—

2Kia Telluride

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencySafety Rating

Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Pilot	Kia Telluride
Reliability Score	68/100	66/100
Years Tracked	9	6
Total Recalls	51	27
Complaints per 10k Sold	9.1	23.3
Annual Repair Cost	$542/yr	$573/yr
Repair Frequency	0.5/yr	0.4/yr
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2025 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	4 (1 tied)	1 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Pilot and Kia Telluride?

Electrical faults lead the Pilot's list: the infotainment screen goes blank, taking the backup camera and sometimes the gauges with it, and auto stop/start can fail to restart the engine. Its worst cases are sudden engine failure and a front camera that shuts off driver aids. The Telluride's biggest pattern is windshields that crack, followed by a blank instrument cluster and fogged headlights. Its serious ones are oil-starved engines and rollaway after parking, which carries the most crash-linked reports it has. Forward collision crashes appear only for the Pilot.

Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Pilot	Kia Telluride
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.1Low	4.4Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.4Low	2.8Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	4.2Average
ENGINE	1Very Low	1.9Low
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	1.7Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	2.5Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	1.6Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.6Very Low	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.7Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	0.3Very Low	0.3Very Low
SUSPENSION	—None	0.6Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	—None
TIRES	—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: Honda Pilot or Kia Telluride?

A gap of $31 a year favors the Pilot, at about $542 against $573 for the Telluride. Over five years that comes to roughly $155, which is small. The Telluride visits the shop a bit less, at 0.4 unscheduled visits a year versus 0.5. The Pilot has a 13% chance that any given repair is major. No matching figure is given for the Telluride, so that risk cannot be compared directly.

How Does Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Pilot	Kia Telluride	Edge
2025	71/1004R / 111C	78/1002R / 32C	Kia Telluride
2024	72/1006R / 82C	69/1004R / 180C	Honda Pilot
2023	72/1005R / 93C	68/1005R / 161C	Honda Pilot
2022	72/1003R / 105C	63/1006R / 280C	Honda Pilot
2021	63/1008R / 358C	63/1004R / 280C	Tie
2020	60/1009R / 431C	55/1006R / 667C	Honda Pilot

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Pilot scored 72/100 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 Honda Pilot vs the Kia Telluride?

If you want the lower complaint rate, pick the Pilot and accept some electrical annoyance. Target 2023, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest. The 2026 model is too new to judge. Before buying, test the screen, the camera, and the stop/start at a few red lights, and ask for proof that recall work was done. If you want fewer shop visits per year, pick the Telluride and accept windshield risk. Target 2024 or 2025, its strongest years, and avoid 2020 and 2021. Newer cars have had less time to collect complaints, so treat them as promising, not proven. Ask for full oil-change records, since owners said Kia denied some engine claims over missing paperwork. Check the rollaway recall status and look the windshield over for chips or cracks. If you drive unlit roads often, check the headlight beam at night.

Honda Pilot vs Kia Telluride: Common Questions

Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the KIA Telluride?: Slightly, yes. Both have a good reliability standing, but the Pilot draws 9.1 complaints per 10,000 sold against 23.3 for the Telluride. The Telluride goes to the shop a bit less often and has fewer recalls, so the lead is narrow.
Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the Telluride?: The Pilot has more. Federal recall records show 51 recalls across 9 model years for the Pilot and 27 across 6 model years for the Telluride. The Pilot has also been sold for more model years, which gives it more time to collect them.
Which costs less to repair?: The Pilot costs a little less, at about $542 a year against $573 for the Telluride. That is roughly $155 over five years. The Telluride makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.4 a year versus 0.5 for the Pilot.
Do Telluride windshields really crack easily?: Owners report it often. It is the Telluride's largest complaint area. Windshields crack from small pebbles or with no visible impact, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Several owners replaced the glass two or three times, and dealers frequently declined warranty coverage.
What is the worst problem on the Honda Pilot?: Sudden engine failure is the most serious. Owners describe a check engine light, lost power, and a knocking sound, and some dealers traced it to connecting rod bearing failure that needed a new engine. Electrical faults are far more common, led by blank infotainment screens.

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More Kia Telluride comparisons

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How we score the Honda Pilot 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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