Is the KIA Telluride more reliable than the Toyota Venza?

No. The Venza is clearly more reliable. It has 9 owner complaints, or 0.2 per 10,000 sold, while the Telluride has 1,600, or 23.3 per 10,000. The Telluride still has a good standing, but the Venza's is excellent and its problems are milder.

Which has more recalls, the Telluride or the Venza?

The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across its 6 model years, against 5 across the Venza's 4 model years. The Telluride has also been sold for more years, which gives recalls more time to add up.

Which costs less to repair?

The Venza costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at about $444 a year, against $573 for the Telluride. Over five years that is roughly $645 saved. The Telluride makes slightly fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.4 a year against 0.5.

What are the most common Telluride problems?

Windshield cracking leads, with 288 complaints. Owners say glass breaks from small pebbles or with no visible impact, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Next come electrical faults, such as a blank instrument cluster, then headlight problems, oil-burning engines, and power train faults including rollaway in Park.

Does the Venza have any fuel tank problems?

A few owners say so. Two complaints describe a tank that takes less than its rated 14.5 gallons, with a gauge that misreads after fueling. One owner reports about 11 gallons when the gauge showed empty. A dealer called it normal reserve, so expect somewhat shorter range.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Kia Telluride vs Toyota Venza: Reliability Compared

Kia Telluride

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Venza

Excellent

The Toyota Venza is clearly more reliable than the KIA Telluride, with far fewer owner complaints and lower yearly repair costs. The Telluride still rates good, but owners report engine failures, blank instrument clusters, and rollaway in Park. The Venza's reported problems are minor by comparison.

How Do the Kia Telluride and Toyota Venza Generations Compare?

A single generation covers every Telluride a shopper will see, starting with the 2020 model year. A refresh arrived for 2023, so used shoppers are choosing between pre-refresh cars (2020 to 2022) and refreshed ones (2023 to 2025). The weakest years, 2020 and 2021, fall in the earliest group. The Venza is in its second generation, sold in the US from 2021, and it has had a refresh and a carryover update since. Every Venza from 2021 on shares the same basic design. With only four model years on the road, its complaint count is also still small.

Verdict

The Toyota Venza is more reliable than the Kia Telluride, scoring 80/100 vs 66/100.

On reliability, the Venza wins by a large margin. Owners filed 9 complaints about it, against 1,600 for the Telluride, and the Venza costs less to repair each year. Its two problem areas are minor next to the Telluride's list, which includes oil-burning engines, blank instrument clusters, and cracking windshields. The Telluride still holds a good standing, so it is not a bad buy. It is a riskier one, and its problems are more serious.

Key Differences

1Toyota Venza costs $129 less per year to repair
2Toyota Venza has 23.1 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Toyota Venza has 22 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

1Kia Telluride

—

4Toyota Venza

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencySafety Rating

Kia Telluride vs Toyota Venza: Which Is More Reliable?

Kia Telluride vs Toyota Venza at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Kia Telluride	Toyota Venza
Reliability Score	66/100	80/100
Years Tracked	6	4
Total Recalls	27	5
Complaints per 10k Sold	23.3	0.2
Annual Repair Cost	$573/yr	$444/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.5/yr
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2025 NHTSA	2024 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	0	4

What Are the Common Problems With the Kia Telluride and Toyota Venza?

Safety-related failures are far more common on the Telluride. Windshields crack from tiny pebbles or with no impact. The instrument cluster goes blank while driving. Engines burn oil, and some fail with no low-oil warning. In Park, some SUVs roll backward or lurch forward. Crash-linked reports appear in three areas: power train (5), electrical (3), and exterior lighting (1). Venza complaints are far fewer and milder. Low beams show dark shadows, and the fuel tank takes less than its rated 14.5 gallons while the gauge misleads. None of the Venza's problem areas carry a crash link.

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

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

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Kia Telluride or Toyota Venza?

Repair bills run lower on the Venza, at about $444 a year against $573 for the Telluride. That gap is $129 a year, or roughly $645 over five years. Shop visits are close. The Telluride makes 0.4 unscheduled visits a year and the Venza 0.5, so the Venza goes in slightly more often. When the Venza does need a repair, the chance that it is major is 10%. The Telluride's bigger cost risk is in single events, such as an engine replacement or a head unit quoted at about $7,500.

How Does Kia Telluride vs Toyota Venza Reliability Compare by Year?

Kia Telluride vs Toyota Venza year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Kia Telluride	Toyota Venza	Edge
2024	69/1004R / 180C	80/1002R / 0C	Toyota Venza
2023	68/1005R / 161C	80/1002R / 0C	Toyota Venza
2022	63/1006R / 280C	80/1000R / 2C	Toyota Venza
2021	63/1004R / 280C	79/1001R / 7C	Toyota Venza

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Kia Telluride scored 69/100 and the 2024 Toyota Venza scored 80/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Kia Telluride vs the Toyota Venza?

Pick the Venza if you want the fewest surprises. It has the better standing, lower yearly repair costs, and almost no complaint history. Look at 2022 or 2024, its strongest years, and be more careful with 2021 and 2023, its weakest. Plan on a shorter range than the rated tank suggests, since owners report the tank filling short. Pick the Telluride if you need its size and features and can accept more risk. Target the 2024 or 2025 model years, which rate best, but remember that newer years have had less time to collect complaints. Avoid 2020 and 2021 unless the price is low and the engine and windshield are in good shape. Before you buy, check service records, since owners say Kia denied some engine claims over missing paperwork. Test the instrument cluster, and ask what a windshield replacement would cost you.

Kia Telluride vs Toyota Venza: Common Questions

Is the KIA Telluride more reliable than the Toyota Venza?: No. The Venza is clearly more reliable. It has 9 owner complaints, or 0.2 per 10,000 sold, while the Telluride has 1,600, or 23.3 per 10,000. The Telluride still has a good standing, but the Venza's is excellent and its problems are milder.
Which has more recalls, the Telluride or the Venza?: The Telluride has more. Federal recall records show 27 recalls across its 6 model years, against 5 across the Venza's 4 model years. The Telluride has also been sold for more years, which gives recalls more time to add up.
Which costs less to repair?: The Venza costs less. Independent repair-cost data puts it at about $444 a year, against $573 for the Telluride. Over five years that is roughly $645 saved. The Telluride makes slightly fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.4 a year against 0.5.
What are the most common Telluride problems?: Windshield cracking leads, with 288 complaints. Owners say glass breaks from small pebbles or with no visible impact, sometimes within the first few thousand miles. Next come electrical faults, such as a blank instrument cluster, then headlight problems, oil-burning engines, and power train faults including rollaway in Park.
Does the Venza have any fuel tank problems?: A few owners say so. Two complaints describe a tank that takes less than its rated 14.5 gallons, with a gauge that misreads after fueling. One owner reports about 11 gallons when the gauge showed empty. A dealer called it normal reserve, so expect somewhat shorter range.

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How we score the Kia Telluride and Toyota Venza

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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