Excessive oil consumption

[Point37]

Just to be perfectly clear for future readers.

There is NO "Oil Level Light" (or level sensor) installed in the Telluride.
You must occasionally pull the dipstick and check the oil level yourself.

There is however a oil pressure warning (Ubiquitous RED Oil Can) light. Observable on each and every startup (part of a self test) that self extinguishes after the oil pressure rises above the threshold.
If/when you see the red oil can light up while driving? Most likely you're in for a major headache.
Most usually this will only happen if you're down to two quarts or less and there's insufficient volume of oil to satisfy the entire engine.

subarus have both a low oil level light and low oil pressure light probably cause they know they consume oil...probably time that kia gets on the ball with this as well...would save some owners some headaches and some dealer headaches...unless the inflow of repairs to the dealer is part of the plan

 

[OldPilot]

subarus have both a low oil level light and low oil pressure light probably cause they know they consume oil...probably time that kia gets on the ball with this as well...would save some owners some headaches and some dealer headaches...unless the inflow of repairs to the dealer is part of the plan

News bulletin: All engines consume oil. Service tip: The oil level should be monitored just as it has been by responsible owners for a century or more.

 

[Point37]

News bulletin: All engines consume oil. Service tip: The oil level should be monitored just as it has been by responsible owners for a century or more.

hot off the presses: a lot of people don't have common sense so a low oil level light would help

 

[HardRightEdge]

News bulletin: All engines consume oil. Service tip: The oil level should be monitored just as it has been by responsible owners for a century or more.

I've had a series of vehicles owned from new up to 10 years and 100,000 - 150,000 miles, going back decades, that burned no perceptible oil from dip stick readings--2014 Toyota Sienna V6, 2006 Honda Accord V6, 2004 Toyota Sienna V6, and more. I believe the only time I had to add oil in the last 30 years was a one-time, one quart add in a 1996 Chrysler JXi convertible with a Mitsubishi V6 which might have been caused by a low fill on an oil change. I was not so fastidious in checking it in those days. My current 28,000 mile 2020 Mazda CX-5 2.5L normally aspirated also burns no oil.

I'm not alone in this. Many, many folks report no oil consumption on any number of makes and models.

Even so, I couldn't agree more with your service tip. I check dip sticks around ever 2-3 weeks as a precaution.

The industry standard seems to be 1 quart or less consumption every 1,000 miles is within acceptable parameters, not qualifying for warranty service on that basis alone. That ain't "normal", but it is what it is. The takeaway is that failing to check the dip stick between oil changes could run the engine near dry which might account for the examples above of folks finding themselves 4 quarts low! However, it's hard to account for no check engine light in that circumstance.

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[OldPilot]

I've had a series of vehicles owned from new up to 10 years and 100,000 - 150,000 miles, going back decades, that burned no perceptible oil from dip stick readings--2014 Toyota Sienna V6, 2006 Honda Accord V6, 2004 Toyota Sienna V6, and more. I believe the only time I had to add oil in the last 30 years was a one-time, one quart add in a 1996 Chrysler JXi convertible with a Mitsubishi V6 which might have been caused by a low fill on an oil change. I was not so fastidious in checking it in those days. My current 28,000 mile 2020 Mazda CX-5 2.5L normally aspirated also burns no oil.

I'm not alone in this. Many, many folks report no oil consumption on any number of makes and models.

Even so, I couldn't agree more with your service tip. I check dip sticks around ever 2-3 weeks as a precaution.

The industry standard seems to be 1 quart or less consumption every 1,000 miles is within acceptable parameters, not qualifying for warranty service on that basis alone. That ain't "normal", but it is what it is. The takeaway is that failing to check the dip stick between oil changes could run the engine near dry which might account for the examples above of folks finding themselves 4 quarts low! However, it's hard to account for no check engine light in that circumstance.

Yes. All of that. I think there are two things happening here that are making naïfs think oil is eternal.

First, my impression is that engines are using less oil. Why, I don't know, but I did have a Nissan Frontier that in 130K miles of driving did not use any oil between 4K mile changes.

Second, we are seeing longer and longer oil change intervals, so "between changes" gives more time for oil to be burned.

These two trends are sort of battling with each other but the bottom line is the same: It is wise to check an engine's oil level once in a while. In my case, a '24 Telly with 8K miles, my checking interval is 1K miles. If it trends toward using more oil, I will shorten the interval.

 

[HardRightEdge]

First, my impression is that engines are using less oil. Why,

Compared to 40 years ago, I suppose. Closer engine tolerances, mostly, facilitated by advanced design, materials, computerization and lubricants. That's "for the most part". I'm not sure the average turbo is any better than normally aspirated engines from years ago. Many turbos were hurried though design and production in recent years to meet emissions standards. They'll get better over time.

 

[Kao]

Just to be perfectly clear for future readers.

There is NO "Oil Level Light" (or level sensor) installed in the Telluride.
You must occasionally pull the dipstick and check the oil level yourself.

There is however a oil pressure warning (Ubiquitous RED Oil Can) light. Observable on each and every startup (part of a self test) that self extinguishes after the oil pressure rises above the threshold.
If/when you see the red oil can light up while driving? Most likely you're in for a major headache.
Most usually this will only happen if you're down to two quarts or less and there's insufficient volume of oil to satisfy the entire engine.

My car, like many others on this forum, were BONE DRY. And got NO warning light whatsoever! When I got to the dealership, it was down 7 quarts of oil less than 3 months after last oil change, at around 5700 miles. No oil can light at all. No burning oil. No oil drips or leaks. So don’t tell people it will come on when they are 2 quarts down. It is not true. I too am getting an engine replacement from Kia for excessive consumption.

Kia MUST address this with owners. Thankfully, my dealership went to bat for me on this. We need to bring this to the attention of JD Power, Car and Driver and all the other auto award companies who called the Telluride “the car of the year” for 3 years running. Let them bring it to public attention.

 

[OldPilot]

My car, like many others on this forum, were BONE DRY. And got NO warning light whatsoever! When I got to the dealership, it was down 7 quarts of oil less than 3 months after last oil change, at around 5700 miles. No oil can light at all. No burning oil. No oil drips or leaks. So don’t tell people it will come on when they are 2 quarts down. It is not true. I too am getting an engine replacement from Kia for excessive consumption.

Kia MUST address this with owners. Thankfully, my dealership went to bat for me on this. We need to bring this to the attention of JD Power, Car and Driver and all the other auto award companies who called the Telluride “the car of the year” for 3 years running. Let them bring it to public attention.

Sorry, but if the oil level was as you describe it, you would not have been able to drive to the dealership. The engine would have seized. The fact that the warning light was not on indicates strongly that there was oil in the engine. Hard to know what really happened but your story is internally inconsistent.

Re making a fuss, what you have is an anecdote. You do not have data.

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[Kao]

Sorry, but if the oil level was as you describe it, you would not have been able to drive to the dealership. The engine would have seized. The fact that the warning light was not on indicates strongly that there was oil in the engine. Hard to know what really happened but your story is internally inconsistent.

Re making a fuss, what you have is an anecdote. You do not have data.

I am reporting exactly what I was told by the dealership. The head service tech even can me out to ask me about the shaking I felt the night before. There was enough oil in the reserve that kept it from seizing. So don’t tell me what I went through when you were not present. I have the FACTS of what I went thru with my car. Kia Dealership provided “the data” during that service visit. You are very arrogant to tell people on this forum they are not being truthful about their experiences.

Based upon the data (you claim doesn’t exist) documented on my subsequent oil consumption test, Kia is replacing my engine. That’s a fact, not an anecdote. And they are doing it because MY DEALERSHIP documented to Kia Corporate my car was down 7 Quarts when I brought it in at 98k miles. Under Warranty. More data for you.

 

[HardRightEdge]

Sorry, but if the oil level was as you describe it, you would not have been able to drive to the dealership. The engine would have seized. The fact that the warning light was not on indicates strongly that there was oil in the engine. Hard to know what really happened but your story is internally inconsistent.

Re making a fuss, what you have is an anecdote. You do not have data.

Protests to the contrary, I have to agree with you.

 

[OldPilot]

The head service tech even can me out to ask me about the shaking I felt the night before.

I know of no mechanism where a low oil level would cause an engine to "shake." What did the tech say?

There was enough oil in the reserve that kept it from seizing.

Fascinating. I have not heard of this "reserve"idea. Where is the reserve stored? How much oil? How did you select the "reserve" for use?

You are very arrogant to tell people on this forum they are not being truthful about their experiences.

I never said you were not being truthful as you understood the situation.

... More data for you.

Probably you do not have much scientific or engineering training. "Data" is a statistically significant collection of events, measurements, anecdotes, etc. You can be sure the Kia has vast data on engine issues. Whether the others you cite, " JD Power, Car and Driver and all the other auto award companies who called the Telluride “the car of the year.” have significant data is hard to know. Collecting data on hundreds of cars is very expensive and probably not financially well rewarded by their readers. But regardless, you can fuss and fume all you want, but in the end you are just one data point.

 

[MrMCar]

My car, like many others on this forum, were BONE DRY. And got NO warning light whatsoever! When I got to the dealership, it was down 7 quarts of oil less than 3 months after last oil change, at around 5700 miles. No oil can light at all. No burning oil. No oil drips or leaks. So don’t tell people it will come on when they are 2 quarts down. It is not true. I too am getting an engine replacement from Kia for excessive consumption.

Kia MUST address this with owners. Thankfully, my dealership went to bat for me on this. We need to bring this to the attention of JD Power, Car and Driver and all the other auto award companies who called the Telluride “the car of the year” for 3 years running. Let them bring it to public attention.

It seems like you are mad at me? I think before you do so, I strongly suggest you re-read my post you quoted and not misquote me.
I said: You are likely down to two quarts. NOT what you suggest above.

I have to agree with another member and think that if the engine were down 7 quarts (??) it would have seized or at the very least have been extremely noisy. This is borne from 45 years professional experience with ASE & BMW Master Credentials.

Albeit during my comeuppance in this business, I have at times worked with unscrupulous folks. It takes a VERY long time to seize a well built engine, when purposefully drained of oil AND coolant. Albeit the Oil Pressure warning light was indeed on.
Rather curious that yours was not?? Did it ever work? How are you sure?
Most usually if a wire is off or broken, the light never comes on. Hence the "self check" during the instant you first turn the ignition on.

I am rather curious about Kia's reserve. Please find the documentation about the reserve oil capacity. I would like to know more and/or possibly service the reserve part of the oil circuit. It's something I've never known about. (Other than the Accusump plumbed into the oil circuit of my and my customer's track cars.)

I do know one thing, there are a plethora of some very thin oils out there now (0W-8 and 0W-16 as common examples) and if any shop mistakenly adds the very thin low viscosity oil to an engine that calls for a 5W-30, it WILL consume it in very short order. VERY

It also seems as if your oil PRESSURE light didn't work and your engine went bad shortly after an oil change. Do you know for a fact that it was filled with the RIGHT oil and/or was it filled correctly?
I didn't see a mention of you pulling the dipstick in the end to check the oil level.

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[MrMCar]

subarus have both a low oil level light and low oil pressure light probably cause they know they consume oil...probably time that kia gets on the ball with this as well...would save some owners some headaches and some dealer headaches...unless the inflow of repairs to the dealer is part of the plan

Implementing and having a functioning oil level (often incorporates a quality sensor) sensor is not hard at all anymore. It really comes down to cost.

A new oil pan must be made up so that a sensor can be fitted in a hole, usually three studs and a flange for an O Ring.
Then the wire harness needs to be changed to add in the wiring for the sensor. Could be 2 or could be more/less. It depends if they're going analog (not likely) or sending information along a modern Can/Bus to the cluster and/or information center.
The cluster will need some tweaking and new lines of code added.

The Telly is cheaper than others in it's class by a bit when I was shopping for one. I think it's part of what holds them back from adding in a level/quality sensor.
There's also the added (after the sale) warranty costs. Level sensors have a slightly higher than average failure/replacement rate.

 

[Kao]

Don’t really care if you feel I’m correct or not. Kia is replacing a bad engine based upon their documentation of my constant and frequent oil changes done through the dealership. Engine didn’t pass oil consumption test and Kia is replacing it. Guess they have all the data and anecdotal records they need to replace my engine and they have acknowledged the engine dysfunction.

 

[MrMCar]

Don’t really care if you feel I’m correct or not. Kia is replacing a bad engine based upon their documentation of my constant and frequent oil changes done through the dealership. Engine didn’t pass oil consumption test and Kia is replacing it. Guess they have all the data and anecdotal records they need to replace my engine and they have acknowledged the engine dysfunction.

And you're going to find out about the "reserve" for us?

 

[Sean66]

My 2020 Telluride >100K miles started consuming/losing a lot of oil and running poorly because of that.
My dealer wanted to do an overnight $800 engine flush.
I looked into it myself and found:
1. Oil pan was leaking. I tightened all the bolts up and that stopped.
2. Oil filter housing was leaking. I replaced the gasket and tightened that up.
I changed the oil and filter with top grade synthetic oil.
I cleaned the intake manifold and throttle.
I put 94 octane in with injector cleaner.
She runs great now an barely loses any oil.

Next: sparkplugs.

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[OldPilot]

"The head service tech even can me out to ask me about the shaking I felt the night before."

And please tell us what the tech said about the shaking.

 

[robertabba0]

My 2020 with 39k miles has the same issue, burned 4 qts of oil in 4500 miles since last oil change. It also started to mark a loud tapping noise when accelerating (coming from the engine) and most noticeable when moving from a stop. Dealer has documented this and did some diagnostic. It is now awaiting a new engine, which was approved by Kia. Don’t know how long it will take, but I am happy with my dealership advocating for me and appreciative that Kia is doing the right thing for me. It had regular oil changes. I think I may go with a 5k oil change interval with the new engine as I think Kia has a history of engine issues (mostly with other models but it is still reflective of a possible supplier issue, build quality, or design issue).

How often are you changing the oil?

 

[Point37]

Implementing and having a functioning oil level (often incorporates a quality sensor) sensor is not hard at all anymore. It really comes down to cost.

A new oil pan must be made up so that a sensor can be fitted in a hole, usually three studs and a flange for an O Ring.
Then the wire harness needs to be changed to add in the wiring for the sensor. Could be 2 or could be more/less. It depends if they're going analog (not likely) or sending information along a modern Can/Bus to the cluster and/or information center.
The cluster will need some tweaking and new lines of code added.

The Telly is cheaper than others in it's class by a bit when I was shopping for one. I think it's part of what holds them back from adding in a level/quality sensor.
There's also the added (after the sale) warranty costs. Level sensors have a slightly higher than average failure/replacement rate.

a low oil level light would be a nice feature to have with a gdi engine which consumes oil...set it so it turns on when you're 1qt low...

my '13 legacy low oil level worked great for the 244k miles that i owned it for, probably in a junk yard now...it was so good that i would use 1 of my trip meters for gas fill ups and one for oil top offs...when the subaru was on it's last leg it was consuming oil at a rate of approx. 500-600 mi per quart...low oil light pops on, pull over, dump a quart in and move on...the manual stated how much oil was remaining in the engine when the low oil popped on so the difference in the volume stated for an oil change and the volume left in the engine it worked out to 1.1 or 1.2 qts low...catalytic converter got so clogged up it had to be replaced and then it clogged again within a year since i didn't address the real issue and was just maintaining it with bottles of cat cleaner...the engine needed to be rebuilt and the car wasn't worth the money at that point

so after having to deal with it with the subaru i would like to not have to deal with this issue again with a slimier dealer network in kia...if the telluride turns into that or has so many issues it gets annoying or needs an engine replacement that i have to jump through hoops with a dealer/corporate or it doesn't make it to 180k-200k miles then it will be our last kia...pretty sure that was my last subaru ('25 mazda cx-5 now) as well, although it was pretty easy as far as it required very few major or minor repairs and it did run longer than all my previous vehicles i have owned

 

[DarkMossJustin]

‘21 Telluride owner here. 98,000 miles!

I noticed a lower-than-usual oil level on the dipstick just before my 90k service, added a quart of Mobil 1 Full Synthetic, the same one that has always been in my Telly since its second oil change.

Makes me nervous about the previous 7,500 mile interval between changes.

I’m either going to top off a quart to keep the interval at 7,500, or try do oil and oil filter changes at 6,000, maybe even 5,000 to be safe.

Other than this minor issue and the rear shock/suspension that got resolved two years ago, I’m still happy with my ‘21 and it’s my daily driver and been a great car for countless fun road trips.