KIA TELLURIDE (2020) recall — Electrical System
Kia recalls 2020 Telluride vehicles with Smart Cruise Control that may not illuminate trailer brake lights when slowing, risking crashes. Owners must contact Kia for free fix by September 10, 2020.
Use caution until it’s fixed
Inoperative trailer brake lights can fail to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Contact the company & request your remedy
What happened, in plain English
Kia is recalling certain 2020 Telluride vehicles with Smart Cruise Control because trailer brake lights may not work when the vehicle slows down. This could cause crashes with trailers. The fix involves adding a wire harness to the vehicle's fuse box. Read more at govinfonow.com/recall/79798-kia-2020-telluride-trailer-brake-lights-not-working-risk.
Source Summary by GovInfoNow · govinfonow.com/recall/79798-kia-2020-telluride-trailer-brake-lights-not-working-risk · Updated October 5, 2026 · Official notice: NHTSA #20V436000
Cite this page
“Kia 2020 Telluride: Trailer Brake Lights Not Working Risk.” GovInfoNow, updated October 5, 2026. https://govinfonow.com/recall/79798-kia-2020-telluride-trailer-brake-lights-not-working-risk. Based on NHTSA recall #20V436000 (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls?nhtsaId=20V436000).
Why it’s dangerous
When the vehicle slows down using Smart Cruise Control, the trailer brake lights may not turn on. This fails to warn other drivers that the vehicle is slowing, increasing crash risk with trailers.
Who’s affected
Owners of 2020 Kia Telluride vehicles with Smart Cruise Control who tow trailers. Those using the vehicle for towing are most at risk.
How to tell if you have this one
Check if your 2020 Telluride has Smart Cruise Control. The recall started September 10, 2020, and applies to vehicles that fail to illuminate trailer brake lights when slowing.
- Brand
Kia- Category
Vehicle
What to do — step by step
Contact Kia
Call Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542 to schedule the free wire harness installation.
Get Fix
Dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to fix the trailer brake light issue.
What NHTSA says to do
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194.
Questions people ask
Why is this recall happening?
The trailer brake lights may not illuminate when the vehicle slows down using Smart Cruise Control, failing to warn other drivers and risking crashes.
How do I know if my vehicle is affected?
Your 2020 Telluride with Smart Cruise Control is affected if trailer brake lights don't turn on when the vehicle slows down.
Is there a deadline for the fix?
The recall began September 10, 2020, but there's no specific deadline for the fix; dealers will handle it free of charge.
Contact Kia
We’ve drafted a message you can send Kia to request your refund or repair — edit it as you like.
Subject: Recall 20V436000 — Kia Kia Hello, I own a Kia that is covered by recall 20V436000 from Kia. The official recall notice states: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional wire harness to the main fuse box to signal the trailer brake lights, free of charge. The recall began September 10, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC194. I’m writing to arrange the remedy described in the recall (a refund, repair, or replacement as applicable). Could you please tell me the next steps to resolve this? Thank you.
Similar recalls
Keep exploring
From people who’ve dealt with this
Experiences, tips, and questions from readers. Every comment is reviewed before it appears.
No comments yet — be the first to share your experience.
Where this comes from
The facts (hazard, remedy, dates, manufacturer) are pulled from the official NHTSA recall record. The plain-language summary and step-by-step checklist are written by GovInfoNow to make the official notice easier to act on — they don’t replace it.
- Official source: NHTSA Recall #20V436000 (July 28, 2020)
- Plain-language summary written by qwen3:4b on October 5, 2026, from the official record above. Not reviewed by a person — if it conflicts with the NHTSA notice, the notice is correct. Report an error on this page.
- GovInfoNow is an independent service and is not a government agency. We republish official NHTSA recall data; we don’t issue, amend or administer recalls.