2023 Telluride Trailer Hitch Receiver availability

[LarryJordan]

I bought a 2023 Telluride SX X-line last week that came with the Tow option. However, it had no hitch receiver installed. The dealer assured me they would get the parts and install the tow package this week. They called today to tell me Kia has not released the parts for the hitch receiver yet and Kia has no forecast date of availability for the kit.

Do any of you have better availability information than my dealer is providing?

 

[Jreask]

I bought a 2023 Telluride SX X-line last week that came with the Tow option. However, it had no hitch receiver installed. The dealer assured me they would get the parts and install the tow package this week. They called today to tell me Kia has not released the parts for the hitch receiver yet and Kia has no forecast date of availability for the kit.

Do any of you have better availability information than my dealer is providing?

That’s the same story most dealers are telling us right now.

 

[TheNip73]

I bet your looking at six months minimum.

They have known about the issue on the 2020 models with 4 pin harnesses for over 4 months and can’t seem to come up with a solution yet. My confidence in Kia at this point is nonexistent.

 

[tpgh]

If you search, you’ll find one. It’s a 7 pin harness you need. Same for all years.

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[jpkia]

If you search, you’ll find one. It’s a 7 pin harness you need. Same for all years.

What about an aftermarket tow hitch? Does anyone have confirmation that the 20-22 hitches will fit the '23?

 

[LarryJordan]

What about an aftermarket tow hitch? Does anyone have confirmation that the 20-22 hitches will fit the '23?

Apparently, Kia changed the design of the bumper with the 2023 and the hitch kits for 2020-2022 will not fit. My local hitch installer checked with all of his hitch suppliers (Curt, Draw-Tite, etc.) and they all said they would not have their 2023 Telluride kits ready until at least March due to parts shortages.

 

[LarryJordan]

I bet your looking at six months minimum.

They have known about the issue on the 2020 models with 4 pin harnesses for over 4 months and can’t seem to come up with a solution yet. My confidence in Kia at this point is nonexistent.

I finally got my $1,200 back from the dealer for hitch parts that do not exist. It is still hard for me to digest the idea that the salesman scammed me into paying for parts that do not exist in order to close the deal (he could see that I was not going to buy without a hitch). He still says he did not know the parts are not available even though the information is readily available on the Internet including here.

BTW, neither Kia Corp nor the local sales manager made any apparent effort to resolve the issue even though I reported it to both. Customer satisfaction does not appear to be a high priority in Kia. I am not looking forward to a long relationship with them.

 

[SeasTheDay]

I bought a 2023 Telluride SX X-line last week that came with the Tow option. However, it had no hitch receiver installed. The dealer assured me they would get the parts and install the tow package this week. They called today to tell me Kia has not released the parts for the hitch receiver yet and Kia has no forecast date of availability for the kit.

Do any of you have better availability information than my dealer is providing?

We just bought an X Pro last week. I was never told that Kia does not have a hitch for the vehicle. Dealer kept the vehicle to install the OEM hitch. Just told today that Kia does not have a hitch for their 2023.

How can Kia sell a trim package that is specific to towing and not have a hitch!?

Especially on a vehicle selling well above MSRP.

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[LarryJordan]

We just bought an X Pro last week. I was never told that Kia does not have a hitch for the vehicle. Dealer kept the vehicle to install the OEM hitch. Just told today that Kia does not have a hitch for their 2023.

How can Kia sell a trim package that is specific to towing and not have a hitch!?

Especially on a vehicle selling well above MSRP.

This sale of non-existent hitches may actually be a way Kia is dealing with the absence of an OEM hitch…close the sale and then discover there is no hitch. I don’t believe in coincidences. And the Kia parts dealers I have contacted tell me the hitch has not even been designed by Kia yet. That means it has no part number in the Kia parts database. How can a salesman sell an OEM kit that has no part number? Go figure.

A good lawyer could turn this into a class action against Kia If enough phony sales exist.

 

[SeasTheDay]

This sale of non-existent hitches may actually be a way Kia is dealing with the absence of an OEM hitch…close the sale and then discover there is no hitch. I don’t believe in coincidences. And the Kia parts dealers I have contacted tell me the hitch has not even been designed by Kia yet. That means it has no part number in the Kia parts database. How can a salesman sell an OEM kit that has no part number? Go figure.

A good lawyer could turn this into a class action against Kia If enough phony sales exist.

I agree. Their 2023 brochures push the tow capability including pictures of it towing. I would be curious if they used a 2022 for the picture or is it photoshopped. The sales team are either not aware (which is a Corp issue) or aware and purposely deceiving the buyer.

I definitely feel bait and switched which is unfortunate because I really liked their brand until this point.

 

[LarryJordan]

I agree. Their 2023 brochures push the tow capability including pictures of it towing. I would be curious if they used a 2022 for the picture or is it photoshopped. The sales team are either not aware (which is a Corp issue) or aware and purposely deceiving the buyer.

I definitely feel bait and switched which is unfortunate because I really liked their brand until this point.

Well, Kia even has Kelley Bluebook fooled. I wonder where they got the hitch and harness shown in the video at the link below? Kia is pulling a fast one on a lot of people. Shame on them.

 

[Oneto3four]

This sale of non-existent hitches may actually be a way Kia is dealing with the absence of an OEM hitch…close the sale and then discover there is no hitch. I don’t believe in coincidences. And the Kia parts dealers I have contacted tell me the hitch has not even been designed by Kia yet. That means it has no part number in the Kia parts database. How can a salesman sell an OEM kit that has no part number? Go figure.

A good lawyer could turn this into a class action against Kia If enough phony sales exist.

I'm not here to defend Kia, but the reality is that they are likely having to put their resources into the recall for wire harnesses, which is the reason we don't have 2023 hitch options right now.

I know their recall was for the 4-pin, but the reality is that Kia probably uses the same manufacturing source for their wire harnesses on all Tellurides. The supplier is capacitized on their manufacturing lines for the annual volume contracted by Kia for the Telluride. This then gets reduced down to supplier daily capacity. So, for simple math, let's use capacity at 120,000 annually and 240 production days per year. That means the supplier can produce or are contractually obligated to produce 500 wire harnesses per daily. 36,000 Tellurides were recalled, which means they have 72 production days committed to the recall. Potentially worse news? If the same supplier was making the wire harness for Palisade and Kia, that means their daily capacity would be 1,000, however there were 245,000 Palisade recalled. That means 245 production days to meet the need. Now reality is that the supplier likely has more time available than what they are contractually obligated. Since the supplier may potentially liable and want to save face with Kia/Hyundai, they are going to do everything in their power to get these wire harnesses built.

Since their marketing is slanted to pump up the towing capacity, and this was likely developed long before the recall, they are likely not in a position where a lawyer would have any luck with a class action lawsuit against Kia.

Just because a parts dealer said they can't order a hitch has nothing to do with if Kia designed a hitch. They likely have not released the part number into their customer care, aftermarket sales parts database. They are trying to save face on the recall at the moment.

The information above is based on my experience in automotive manufacturing and not based in any information I know first hand with Kia/Hyundai or this situation. All of that being said, it wouldn't take much for Kia to just identify this information to customers, but Kia seems to enjoy keeping their dealer network and customers in the dark with the 2023 Telluride.

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[bruesjoh04]

however there were 245,000 Palisade recalled.

Although note only 40,480 Palisade actually have the affected part. So roughly 76,000 total 4-pin harnesses that require remedy or replacement between the two cars.

 

[LarryJordan]

A

Although note only 40,480 Palisade actually have the affected part. So roughly 76,000 total 4-pin harnesses that require remedy or replacement between the two cars.

A friend bought a 2022 Telluride SX with a hitch installed. When I told him about the recall, he took it to his local dealer and they replaced the harness plug. I don't see how such repairs would impact the manufacturing of hitch hardware for the 2023 models.

 

[LarryJordan]

I'm not here to defend Kia, but the reality is that they are likely having to put their resources into the recall for wire harnesses, which is the reason we don't have 2023 hitch options right now.

I know their recall was for the 4-pin, but the reality is that Kia probably uses the same manufacturing source for their wire harnesses on all Tellurides. The supplier is capacitized on their manufacturing lines for the annual volume contracted by Kia for the Telluride. This then gets reduced down to supplier daily capacity. So, for simple math, let's use capacity at 120,000 annually and 240 production days per year. That means the supplier can produce or are contractually obligated to produce 500 wire harnesses per daily. 36,000 Tellurides were recalled, which means they have 72 production days committed to the recall. Potentially worse news? If the same supplier was making the wire harness for Palisade and Kia, that means their daily capacity would be 1,000, however there were 245,000 Palisade recalled. That means 245 production days to meet the need. Now reality is that the supplier likely has more time available than what they are contractually obligated. Since the supplier may potentially liable and want to save face with Kia/Hyundai, they are going to do everything in their power to get these wire harnesses built.

Since their marketing is slanted to pump up the towing capacity, and this was likely developed long before the recall, they are likely not in a position where a lawyer would have any luck with a class action lawsuit against Kia.

Just because a parts dealer said they can't order a hitch has nothing to do with if Kia designed a hitch. They likely have not released the part number into their customer care, aftermarket sales parts database. They are trying to save face on the recall at the moment.

The information above is based on my experience in automotive manufacturing and not based in any information I know first hand with Kia/Hyundai or this situation. All of that being said, it wouldn't take much for Kia to just identify this information to customers, but Kia seems to enjoy keeping their dealer network and customers in the dark with the 2023 Telluride.

I am trying to be empathetic with Kia, but it just is not working.

The salesman's first offer on the SX X-line was $15,000 over MSRP plus $1,200 to install an OEM hitch & harness the following week. I got up and left the table more than once until he reached a reasonable price...that still included the hitch. The guy clearly understood that I had to have a hitch in order to tow my boat to the Gulf of Mexico every two weeks. He now refers to the lack of a hitch for my SX X-line as "my inconvenience."

My inconvenience means I have to rent or buy a vehicle to tow my boat or ask my friend with a truck to go with me every two weeks until Kia gets around to proving hitch kits...5 to 6 months if the rumors are correct. From what hitch sellers are telling me, they will not have 3rd party hitches either until Kia releases theirs.

I don't see a silver lining anywhere in all of this.

 

[Oneto3four]

Although note only 40,480 Palisade actually have the affected part. So roughly 76,000 total 4-pin harnesses that require remedy or replacement between the two cars.

Google search did me dirty:

Approximately 245,000 Palisade and 36,000 Tellurides are included in these recalls, but the recall focuses primarily on an accessory tow hitch .

Even at 76,000 that's still months of production volume.

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[Oneto3four]

A

A friend bought a 2022 Telluride SX with a hitch installed. When I told him about the recall, he took it to his local dealer and they replaced the harness plug. I don't see how such repairs would impact the manufacturing of hitch hardware for the 2023 models.

I explained one possibility. There could be many more. The least likely is that Kia Corporate doesn't want to sell you more accessories at significant mark up or alienate their customer base.

Your frustration is very understandable. It has been known since the release of the 23 by dealers that they could not add a hitch. I had one of the dealers tell me it was due to wire harness availability. There has been no official communication of when it would be available per the dealer I am working with. It sounds like your dealer took advantage of your want for a Telluride and sold you something they couldn't deliver on. Unfortunately, the amount of untrustworthy dealers when it comes to the Telluride appears to be vast. The communication of Kia Corporate likely being the root of some of the deceit.

When the Chevy Bolt had their fire recall, GM stopped production on new vehicles for 6 months. So, it is possible that Kia is in this position with lack of inventory due to the recall, as this is also a park outside fire risk recall.

I will also concur there is no silver lining in the situation.

 

[JonFar111]

Just as a FYI, my dealer said they could switch out the 4 pin for a 7 pin on my 2020 EX. However they wanted $300 for the parts and installation. I'll consider other options or skip it indefinitely.

 

[LarryJordan]

Google search did me dirty:

Approximately 245,000 Palisade and 36,000 Tellurides are included in these recalls, but the recall focuses primarily on an accessory tow hitch .

Even at 76,000 that's still months of production volume.

I may have discovered the silver lining I am looking for.

It appears the review videos of the 2023 model (see Kelley Blue Book video) that show a hitch/harness on the vehicle were made before the August recall of the 202-2022 hitches. Kia may have finished the design and started producing the 2023 hitch/harnesses, but removed the parts from their list of optional parts when the recall happened. If that is the case, Kia may have an inventory of those 2023 hitch/harnesses in the factory in Georgia waiting to be upgraded to replace the bad harness plugs when they finish fixing the 2020-2022 models that were sold.

That could mean a faster recovery than starting from scratch. Let’s hope that is the case.

 

[Oneto3four]

I may have discovered the silver lining I am looking for.

It appears the review videos of the 2023 model (see Kelley Blue Book video) that show a hitch/harness on the vehicle were made before the August recall of the 202-2022 hitches. Kia may have finished the design and started producing the 2023 hitch/harnesses, but removed the parts from their list of optional parts when the recall happened. If that is the case, Kia may have an inventory of those 2023 hitch/harnesses in the factory in Georgia waiting to be upgraded to replace the bad harness plugs when they finish fixing the 2020-2022 models that were sold.

That could mean a faster recovery than starting from scratch. Let’s hope that is the case.

It's 100% designed and ready for production. I can guarantee that. The question is if it is weeks or months away with the recall.