The 2023 Telluride Towing Saga - Adding some data and pictures, and it's not great news

[ScottV]

I have 2023 SX and I only need a 4 wire solution as neither of my trailers have brakes. So a just installed the

Tekonsha ZCI™ Zero Contact Interface Universal ModuLite® & Installation Kit PART NO 119251.​

This is a no cutting or splicing involved.

Hardest part of the installation was taking apart the rear panels to get at the wires. I used the test function in the ZCI to figure out what signals were on which wires and then installed the sensor on the correct wires.

Then you need to run a power wire all the way to the battery which takes some work and removing more panels. Once it is installed and powered up it needs to “learn” the signals.

Seems to be working as they advertised and shouldn’t have any warranty issues as is doesn’t require any cutting or splicing.

Not a cheap solution as the harness is about 250 to 300$ in Canada.

 

[dtburgh]

I have 2023 SX and I only need a 4 wire solution as neither of my trailers have brakes. So a just installed the

Tekonsha ZCI™ Zero Contact Interface Universal ModuLite® & Installation Kit PART NO 119251.​

This is a no cutting or splicing involved.

Hardest part of the installation was taking apart the rear panels to get at the wires. I used the test function in the ZCI to figure out what signals were on which wires and then installed the sensor on the correct wires.

Then you need to run a power wire all the way to the battery which takes some work and removing more panels. Once it is installed and powered up it needs “learn” the signals.

Seems to be working as they advertised and shouldn’t have any warranty issues as is doesn’t require any cutting or splicing.

thats awesome, but again its so ridiculous that owners of a $50,000 vehicle are having to tear apart their cars to do this! ive done trailer hitch installation and wiring before, but its been all plug and play.. again i cant believe they havent come out with a fix for this yet!! im moving my new vehicle search to something that can actually tow like it states, right off of the lot!

 

[G-101048]

Kia sucked on my 2020 AWD drivetrain problems ( Hyundai recalled their AWD’s right away) and the previous fire hazard with the towing harness. It was discovered in August and it is going to the dealer tomorrow to finally get fixed. Must be kidding! Park away from the house and not in the garage in case it catches fire. (8 months !) I drive around with a halon fire extinguisher just in case. There is a lot to like about the Telly but KIA corporate doesn’t do much for the dealers or customers. Have a new one arriving in May but not taking a 55 k vehicle that can really tow ! Can’t believe some attorney’s aren’t chasing this. The new pilots aren’t as nice as they used to be. Maybe a Mazda CX 90?

 

[tyger23]

Update from Hyundai Parts Pro: As of Monday morning they are still showing a 4-week backorder. So, the story hasn't changed, and if anything the timeframe is moving out. I don't think it will show up in 4 weeks.

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[Sharky]

Update from Hyundai Parts Pro: As of Monday morning they are still showing a 4-week backorder. So, the story hasn't changed, and if anything the timeframe is moving out. I don't think it will show up in 4 weeks.

FWIW - I talked to a salesman yesterday who said the issue has been resolved but the parts (harness) are on back-order.
But, he also said the only way the dealership can make any money on Tellurides is to tack on $10,000 above MSRP.... NOT!

 

[2020Telly]

FWIW - I talked to a salesman yesterday who said the issue has been resolved but the parts (harness) are on back-order.
But, he also said the only way the dealership can make any money on Tellurides is to tack on $10,000 above MSRP.... NOT!

2023 Kia Telluride MSRP and Invoice Prices | Edmunds

Learn how to get a great price on the 2023 Kia Telluride. Edmunds has MSRP, invoice prices, out-the-door prices and an analysis of recent prices paid in your area equivalent to the blue book value.

www.edmunds.com

If you just look at Invoice to MSRP they and they sold at MSRP they would already be to the good between $1,257-$2,384 if they sold at MSRP. Then they probably get bonuses from Kia for the number of cars they sell on top of making money off the financing and all the extras they tack on. If it were me I would avoid saying stuff like that and just enjoy a vehicle that pretty much sells itself and doesn't sit on the lot long enough to have to have price discounts to sell it.

 

[JimSLewis]

same here, super pissed off to there point I've started to look at other vehicles with a tow hitch installed. I sat in the new Honda Pilot yesterday and my god is that thing ever built cheap, everything inside is cheap plastic...I left saying to myself there's ZERO chance I would trade my Telluride for one...The next vehicle I'm going to look at is the Mazda CX90....

 

[JimSLewis]

Do dealers stock the 22 (or 23) hitch? Was going to install myself but so busy with work and have some Home Depot runs coming next weekend. I can skip the lights for a few quick runs and hope I don’t pass any cops I’d rather have it installed then have to rent a truck.

In Eastern MA fwiw regarding dealer stock. Thanks!

If your trailer has its own battery you can turn on the trailer lights by jumping the male end of the 7-pin. A flat-blade fuse between the 12v and the running lights will power the lights using the trailer battery (if you have one). The rest of the lights won't work but that's better than running dark even in the day. I'm sure it's not legal, just sayin'. There are also kits that plug into the trailer side to allow the lights to flash (like if you are running hazard lights). Again, it requires the trailer to have a battery (I pull a teardrop trailer which does) and might be a low-tech, very short-term and not very legal solution for limited use but it'd give you some trailer lights while this harness issues gets sorted.

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[bullyx2]

I have 2023 SX and I only need a 4 wire solution as neither of my trailers have brakes. So a just installed the

Tekonsha ZCI™ Zero Contact Interface Universal ModuLite® & Installation Kit PART NO 119251.​

This is a no cutting or splicing involved.

Hardest part of the installation was taking apart the rear panels to get at the wires. I used the test function in the ZCI to figure out what signals were on which wires and then installed the sensor on the correct wires.

Then you need to run a power wire all the way to the battery which takes some work and removing more panels. Once it is installed and powered up it needs to “learn” the signals.

Seems to be working as they advertised and shouldn’t have any warranty issues as is doesn’t require any cutting or splicing.

Not a cheap solution as the harness is about 250 to 300$ in Canada.

Thanks for installing and confirming that this works in the 23 Telluride. It's a interesting solution I'd never heard of until recently.

Any chance you noted the colors and locations for the wires you "tapped"? My situation is that the ETA for our new Telluride was just pushed back 3ish weeks. We have an event I need to tow a trailer to shortly after the new ETA so trying to get everything lined up to install the hitch and wiring ASAP after delivery. While I am certainly not concerned about my ability to cut/splice OEM wiring and I doubt there would be any warranty issues down the road, Kia as a company, and my local dealers, don't have the best reputations for customer service so I'm leaning towards spending the extra few $$ to know it will never even be a conversation.

Thanks again.

 

[tyger23]

Thanks for installing and confirming that this works in the 23 Telluride. It's a interesting solution I'd never heard of until recently.

Any chance you noted the colors and locations for the wires you "tapped"? My situation is that the ETA for our new Telluride was just pushed back 3ish weeks. We have an event I need to tow a trailer to shortly after the new ETA so trying to get everything lined up to install the hitch and wiring ASAP after delivery. While I am certainly not concerned about my ability to cut/splice OEM wiring and I doubt there would be any warranty issues down the road, Kia as a company, and my local dealers, don't have the best reputations for customer service so I'm leaning towards spending the extra few $$ to know it will never even be a conversation.

Thanks again.

If you look back at the schematics and diagrams I posted back on pages 2 and 3, you should also see the colors indicated. For example, Y/B is Yellow/Black. Some of the diagrams even have the wires colored on the diagram. The pinouts just uses text descriptions of the colors.

Also - keep in mind that the ZCI solution is only a 4-pin flat towing connector. If you have surge brakes or need an electronic brake controller, this solution will not work for you.

 

[bullyx2]

If you look back at the schematics and diagrams I posted back on pages 2 and 3, you should also see the colors indicated. For example, Y/B is Yellow/Black. Some of the diagrams even have the wires colored on the diagram. The pinouts just uses text descriptions of the colors.

Also - keep in mind that the ZCI solution is only a 4-pin flat towing connector. If you have surge brakes or need an electronic brake controller, this solution will not work for you.

Ahhh, sorry about that and big thanks. And yes, our current small trailer is 4 pin so no issues there.

 

[Big Mo]

I wonder if we have the start of a "class" if you follow my meaning. It's going to take an aggressive hit with a 2 by 4 to get Kia to move on this.

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[flatlander]

Back to the original post of using the receiver hitch for a cargo carrier ... we have a '21 Telluride and I am still looking for a hitch cargo carrier that will successfully avoid the heat from the passenger side exhaust. A straight rack takes direct heat, a raised rack takes less heat but still too much. Melted Yeti to prove it, complete with cargo bag strands melted into the cooler (note: cooler still works, just somewhat bubbled appearance from the exhaust melt). We are still rolling with a hitch cargo carrier, when needed, we just take caution to not place anything behind the exhaust - so we use 40-45" of the 60" rack . Anybody come up with a hitch cargo carrier rack that avoids this issue?

 

[2020Telly]

Back to the original post of using the receiver hitch for a cargo carrier ... we have a '21 Telluride and I am still looking for a hitch cargo carrier that will successfully avoid the heat from the passenger side exhaust. A straight rack takes direct heat, a raised rack takes less heat but still too much. Melted Yeti to prove it, complete with cargo bag strands melted into the cooler (note: cooler still works, just somewhat bubbled appearance from the exhaust melt). We are still rolling with a hitch cargo carrier, when needed, we just take caution to not place anything behind the exhaust - so we use 40-45" of the 60" rack . Anybody come up with a hitch cargo carrier rack that avoids this issue?

I have a stowaway and they sell an optional heat shield for the exhaust. StowAway Cargo Carriers - Versatility in Action. I don’t use one on mine because I think it sits far enough away with the swing away style and sitting higher than the exhaust. But I would imagine you could use that heat shield on any other rack.

 

[tellyourride]

Called kia canada, tier1 support have no clue,got transferred to tier2 and was told go wait mid-may for the hitch

 

[Yossarian]

Back to the original post of using the receiver hitch for a cargo carrier ... we have a '21 Telluride and I am still looking for a hitch cargo carrier that will successfully avoid the heat from the passenger side exhaust. A straight rack takes direct heat, a raised rack takes less heat but still too much. Melted Yeti to prove it, complete with cargo bag strands melted into the cooler (note: cooler still works, just somewhat bubbled appearance from the exhaust melt). We are still rolling with a hitch cargo carrier, when needed, we just take caution to not place anything behind the exhaust - so we use 40-45" of the 60" rack . Anybody come up with a hitch cargo carrier rack that avoids this issue?

I had a similar problem with the exhaust and hitch-mounted carrier (with cargo bag) on my 2011 XC-90 V-8 Sport. I solved it by making a deflector out of a couple of galvanized sheet metal panels sold for roof flashing at places like Slowes and Home Despot. I bent them into an open box with a flat extension, all pop-riveted together. The box simply rested on the exhaust, with the flat extension zip-tied to the carrier at the distal end (you can see the holes for the zip ties in the photo below). This would surely work for the Telluride, you'd just have to size things appropriately,

The whole fix was just a few dollars; a few bucks more if you need to buy a pop-riveter. The photos below are of my contraption which has been sitting outside behind my shed since I sold the Volvo a few years back. You're welcome to it if you want to pay the postage to send it. As to fit, the Telly exhaust is about 8-3/8"wide and the box is a bit narrower, about 7-1/2". Lengthwise, it's about 15", so may or may not work with your specific carrier.

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[Yossarian]

I've only been following this thread sporadically, but it looks like the issue still hasn't been resolved by Kia. The on-line configurator still shows only "Tow Mode w/ Self-Leveling Rear Suspension" as an available feature on upper-level trims, but no factory hitch availability. Kind of unbelievable for a mid-size SUV of the Telluride's caliber.

We had to "settle" for an EX-P AWD when we bought our 2022 Telly, which meant forgoing things like we wanted like the 360 degree camera, seat memory and front proximity warning. We were considering a new SX-Prestige to address those shortcomings, but towing is a must and I refuse to jump through the aftermarket hoops that are presently apparently the only way to get that important feature.

Maybe Kia will solve the problem for the 2024 model year; we'll just have to suffer through the wait with our lowly EX-P until then . . .

 

[John Jacobsen]

Back to the original post of using the receiver hitch for a cargo carrier ... we have a '21 Telluride and I am still looking for a hitch cargo carrier that will successfully avoid the heat from the passenger side exhaust. A straight rack takes direct heat, a raised rack takes less heat but still too much. Melted Yeti to prove it, complete with cargo bag strands melted into the cooler (note: cooler still works, just somewhat bubbled appearance from the exhaust melt). We are still rolling with a hitch cargo carrier, when needed, we just take caution to not place anything behind the exhaust - so we use 40-45" of the 60" rack . Anybody come up with a hitch cargo carrier rack that avoids this issue?

Have you considered using self-adhesive reflective heat shielding material that you can cut and apply to the areas affected by the exhaust heat? You can get sheets of the stuff fairly cheaply on Amazon.

 

[jrichard]

I found this thread really helpful in finding a solution to getting flat-4 connection working until the factory harness is available. Here's pictures explaining connecting the Curt 59236. I connected to the wiring on the taillight itself so I can replace this completely for ~$50 per light when the time comes and have "no splice" solution at that time. I can confirm this works with my trailer.

 

[flatlander]

I had a similar problem with the exhaust and hitch-mounted carrier (with cargo bag) on my 2011 XC-90 V-8 Sport. I solved it by making a deflector out of a couple of galvanized sheet metal panels sold for roof flashing at places like Slowes and Home Despot. I bent them into an open box with a flat extension, all pop-riveted together. The box simply rested on the exhaust, with the flat extension zip-tied to the carrier at the distal end (you can see the holes for the zip ties in the photo below). This would surely work for the Telluride, you'd just have to size things appropriately,

The whole fix was just a few dollars; a few bucks more if you need to buy a pop-riveter. The photos below are of my contraption which has been sitting outside behind my shed since I sold the Volvo a few years back. You're welcome to it if you want to pay the postage to send it. As to fit, the Telly exhaust is about 8-3/8"wide and the box is a bit narrower, about 7-1/2". Lengthwise, it's about 15", so may or may not work with your specific carrier.

View attachment 30307Clever!