Add-On: Step Bar

[TelluRIDEandSEEK]

Plenty of folks order their Tellurides with carpeted mats and interior lighting, but has anyone experienced the step bar add on yet? (More importantly, is it worth it?)

I've got some members of our family that are a bit on the small side and would greatly appreciate something like this.

 

[BasilFawlty]

I have same question. I personally don't need it, but my wife is much shorter and it might be helpful for her.

 

[YtoPUVAKdroTJriv]

I have the step bars on my Telly, and it's mostly for esthetics. I like the look. My wife is on the petite side and has no problem stepping right into the vehicle but she appreciates the extra boost.

 

[TellTastic]

Plenty of folks order their Tellurides with carpeted mats and interior lighting, but has anyone experienced the step bar add on yet? (More importantly, is it worth it?)

I've got some members of our family that are a bit on the small side and would greatly appreciate something like this.

Just picked up ours. I ordered with the side steps, both because I like the ride with them aesthetically and in hopes that our little one will soon use them on her own. The wife and I are short and, while the vehicle isn’t that high off the ground, they are nice to have. Most definitely not needed, but I like them

______________________________

 

[TeliRide]

Just added a Telluride OEM Side Step S9F37-AC001 and my wife LOVES it for getting in and out of the car. I also think it looks great (see photo). I considered aftermarket steps that are cheaper, but really like the look of OEM step and prefer OEM fit for important item like this.

I purchased from Kia Parts, Kia Accessories, Kia Auto Parts, Kia Accessory, Guaranteed Best Price | KiaAccessoryStore.com in Connecticut and with their 11% New Registration discount, free shipping and no tax, it was $676.84 delivered to my house in Florida. Local dealer could not get close to this price and I could not find a better price online.

Took me about 2 hours to do RH side and then less than 1 hour for LH side. Instructions were clear and they installed perfectly. I used a single floor jack to lift step into place (rested/balanced center of step on jack) otherwise I would have needed extra hands to lift steps and secure nuts at the same time. Take note that the retainer clips are in the small bag with warning label that goes on B-pillar (I did not find them until last step which is to install the label and I had to improvise at point where these were needed).

So in my opinion, yes the steps are worth it!

 

[TelluRIDEandSEEK]

Wow! @TeliRide @disweds12 Your bars look great!

I'm totally convinced. Will definitely get it!

 

[DallasGuy]

Thanks for this. I had never seen them before, but ordered them because of our kids' ages and difficulty climbing into taller vehicles. Looks fantastic!

 

[TeliRide]

BTW, I also installed 1 inch spacers on all four wheels which I think gives the entire vehicle a different stance on the road and a better look when combined with the side steps / running boards. 1 inch spacers brought the tires out to be inline with the outside edge of the fenders with no interference when steering is in full lock position.

I also tinted front windows/windsheild and re-badged the vehicle all the way around including rims and steering wheel. I believe small changes and attention to detail makes a big difference.

I also had to install an aftermarket liftgate kit as I did not realize it when we purchased to S model that it did not have this feature. Dealer did not give a hoot after we got vehicle home. We purchased S model because we wanted 20 inch rims and a grey trim package (no fake wood) only offered in S. EX had 18 inch rims and SX was out of our budget. If I have any negative comment about the S model is that it has all kinds of bells and whistles, but no automatic lift gate and no garage opener button.

I never would have thought I would buy a Kia, but I did so because of the great ratings the Telluride received in Consumer Reports and based on everything I was reading about this vehicle. So far, very happy!

______________________________

 

[Pappy]

I also had to install an aftermarket liftgate kit as I did not realize it when we purchased to S model that it did not have this feature. Dealer did not give a hoot after we got vehicle home. We purchased S model because we wanted 20 inch rims and a grey trim package (no fake wood) only offered in S. EX had 18 inch rims and SX was out of our budget. If I have any negative comment about the S model is that it has all kinds of bells and whistles, but no automatic lift gate and no garage opener button.

The Running Boards look great!!

Could you share any info on the liftgate kit? Thanks!

 

[TellTastic]

Could you share any info on the liftgate kit? Thanks!

Trying to figure out what you mean.
The LX and S don’t have an automatic lift gate. the EX and SX do. Did you have a specific question? Sorry if I didn’t understand

 

[TelluRIDEandSEEK]

I learned from a dealer recently that the step bars are on backorder and are not available for a custom order request. Has anyone heard this too?

 

[Pappy]

Trying to figure out what you mean.
The LX and S don’t have an automatic lift gate. the EX and SX do. Did you have a specific question? Sorry if I didn’t understand

I thought @TeliRide said he installed an “aftermarket” liftgate kit. I have an S Trim and would be interested in the same. Thx!

______________________________

 

[TellTastic]

I thought @TeliRide said he installed an “aftermarket” liftgate kit. I have an S Trim and would be interested in the same. Thx!

ah! By the looks of it, you’re right. I missed that.
Hope you find a kit that works!

 

[TeliRide]

Hi Disweds,

Yes, I purchased liftgate kit from Autoease Power Liftgate Retrofit. It arrived surprisingly quickly. Instructions left a little to be desired, but representative in China made himself available to answer any of my questions via text and email. This was the only option I could find for a kit. Installation is not really for everyone unless you are comfortable removing lots of panels, removing existing struts and tapping into electrical system etc. I would note that I was not able to get liftgate to work via key fob despite quite a bit of back and forth with China. Works great with rear door handle and with buttons installed on dash and inside of gate. Kia dealer we purchased Telluride from said they would install for us, but once I received the kit they wanted nothing to do with it.

This is my wife's car and she is under 5ft tall which is why the step kit and the liftgate kit were a must for her.

Good luck!

 

[TellTastic]

@TeliRide , thanks for the detailed message.
@Pappy , I think this is more for you than me.

Hi Disweds,

Yes, I purchased liftgate kit from Autoease Power Liftgate Retrofit. It arrived surprisingly quickly. Instructions left a little to be desired, but representative in China made himself available to answer any of my questions via text and email. This was the only option I could find for a kit. Installation is not really for everyone unless you are comfortable removing lots of panels, removing existing struts and tapping into electrical system etc. I would note that I was not able to get liftgate to work via key fob despite quite a bit of back and forth with China. Works great with rear door handle and with buttons installed on dash and inside of gate. Kia dealer we purchased Telluride from said they would install for us, but once I received the kit they wanted nothing to do with it.

This is my wife's car and she is under 5ft tall which is why the step kit and the liftgate kit were a must for her.

Good luck!

 

[Pappy]

Thanks, @TeliRide for the details on the kit. Not having the power liftgate was one of the few thing I miss on the S trim. It’s the first thing my wife noticed, lol. I guess I’ve been too busy playing with the bells and whistles to notice much. Glad to know there’s an upgrade out there that actually works.

______________________________

 

[bdasma]

Just added a Telluride OEM Side Step S9F37-AC001 and my wife LOVES it for getting in and out of the car. I also think it looks great (see photo). I considered aftermarket steps that are cheaper, but really like the look of OEM step and prefer OEM fit for important item like this.

I purchased from Kia Parts, Kia Accessories, Kia Auto Parts, Kia Accessory, Guaranteed Best Price | KiaAccessoryStore.com in Connecticut and with their 11% New Registration discount, free shipping and no tax, it was $676.84 delivered to my house in Florida. Local dealer could not get close to this price and I could not find a better price online.

Took me about 2 hours to do RH side and then less than 1 hour for LH side. Instructions were clear and they installed perfectly. I used a single floor jack to lift step into place (rested/balanced center of step on jack) otherwise I would have needed extra hands to lift steps and secure nuts at the same time. Take note that the retainer clips are in the small bag with warning label that goes on B-pillar (I did not find them until last step which is to install the label and I had to improvise at point where these were needed).

So in my opinion, yes the steps are worth it!

Thanks so much for the tip!!! Ordered mine today and sure enough that was the complete price. I looked all over and never saw this site. Mine was to be on my special order option for $690 along with the Illuminated scuff plates for $310 but my VIN shows that it will not be installed as a PIO so I was on my own to solve the problem. I love this site. It has saved me literally $$$$ on suggestions and recommendations. THANKS SOOO MUCH for the post!!

 

[claybakin247]

Hi Disweds,

Yes, I purchased liftgate kit from Autoease Power Liftgate Retrofit. It arrived surprisingly quickly. Instructions left a little to be desired, but representative in China made himself available to answer any of my questions via text and email. This was the only option I could find for a kit. Installation is not really for everyone unless you are comfortable removing lots of panels, removing existing struts and tapping into electrical system etc. I would note that I was not able to get liftgate to work via key fob despite quite a bit of back and forth with China. Works great with rear door handle and with buttons installed on dash and inside of gate. Kia dealer we purchased Telluride from said they would install for us, but once I received the kit they wanted nothing to do with it.

This is my wife's car and she is under 5ft tall which is why the step kit and the liftgate kit were a must for her.

Good luck!

Very nice updates! Thanks for lift gate resource.

Expecting to purchase the S trim soon but contemplated the EX mostly for the auto lift gate and I love the interior. IMO the wood grain looks nice, certainly a lot better than I would have expected because.... faux, usually not the way I roll. LOL! Haven’t seen the S interior in person yet but am underwhelmed by photos of the console. Still, not enough to go for the EX and give up the 20” rims.

I’m curious about those spacers, seems like an inexpensive update? I would likely need to have the dealer install any of these things. My hubby is handy but not a car enthusiast like so many others here.

I‘ve been looking for more feedback from S owners. So thanks!

 

[TellTastic]

Very nice updates! Thanks for lift gate resource.

Expecting to purchase the S trim soon but contemplated the EX mostly for the auto lift gate and I love the interior. IMO the wood grain looks nice, certainly a lot better than I would have expected because.... faux, usually not the way I roll. LOL! Haven’t seen the S interior in person yet but am underwhelmed by photos of the console. Still, not enough to go for the EX and give up the 20” rims.

I’m curious about those spacers, seems like an inexpensive update? I would likely need to have the dealer install any of these things. My hubby is handy but not a car enthusiast like so many others here.

I‘ve been looking for more feedback from S owners. So thanks!

obviously not an S owner here, but my .02 -
During test drives, we sat in a dealer LX, S, and EX-P fully loaded with every accessory add on.

we were not impressed with the LX at all. The S was / is nice and is a very good value, by my wife likes certain ammenities that came standard with the EX, such as the auto tailgate. We were indifferent about the (Gray vs faux wood) paneling on the S- vs EX+, but I’m a bigger fan of the wood. We also think that the button placement and infotainment enhancements with the EX+ trims were far superior than that of the S- trims. We also liked the comfortability of the seat upholstery on the EX+ trims.
Of course, on EX standard, you get the 18” rims. That may be a bummer to you since you mentioned that, but we wouldn’t trade what we got with the EX amenity wise (EX-P in our case, so 20s) just because it comes with 18s.
you can always buy an aftermarket rims/tire combo and/or spacers which would cost more than an auto-tailgate kit, but in the long run, imo, that would be the better route.

 

[claybakin247]

obviously not an S owner here, but my .02 -
During test drives, we sat in a dealer LX, S, and EX-P fully loaded with every accessory add on.

we were not impressed with the LX at all. The S was / is nice and is a very good value, by my wife likes certain ammenities that came standard with the EX, such as the auto tailgate. We were indifferent about the (Gray vs faux wood) paneling on the S- vs EX+, but I’m a bigger fan of the wood. We also think that the button placement and infotainment enhancements with the EX+ trims were far superior than that of the S- trims. We also liked the comfortability of the seat upholstery on the EX+ trims.
Of course, on EX standard, you get the 18” rims. That may be a bummer to you since you mentioned that, but we wouldn’t trade what we got with the EX amenity wise (EX-P in our case, so 20s) just because it comes with 18s.
you can always buy an aftermarket rims/tire combo and/or spacers which would cost more than an auto-tailgate kit, but in the long run, imo, that would be the better route.

Oh thank you! This is just the info I was looking for. It’s not enough of an upgrade I don’t think to make me spring for the EX much less EX-P. But once I actually get to experience the interior of the S I may change my mind.

In any case, the price dif is huge in my world. I’m a working artist and my hubby is blue collar in a dying industry, printing. We are empty nesters close to retirement. It’s a stretch to even swing the S AWD version. But this will be a 10 yr or more investment so I want to make the best decision, even if it means pumping out so many pots that I’m doing it in my sleep!

I think I can save enough for a DP on an EX by spring, but that seems so far off. Then again, where am I gonna go in it in the next few months what with the pandemic? I‘m near DC, winters suck here. My normal travels to friends and family have been grounded. It will sit in my driveway most of the time since I work at home. (Have just discovered I’ll be hard pressed to fit it in my 2 car garage with my pottery studio and a workshop, plus beer fridge and kitchenette also in there. Bummer.)

Go ahead though. Talk me into the EX.