Self level rear suspension missing with the tow package

[Alohatl]

I just recently realized that my 2020 SX with the tow package installed doesn't have self level rear suspension. I am currently working with Kia Consumer Affairs and local dealership to sort this out. Wonder if anyone has similar experience? I certainly wasn't aware till recently I am taking some heavy load and started noticing it. :-/

 

[Jjhh06]

I just recently realized that my 2020 SX with the tow package installed doesn't have self level rear suspension. I am currently working with Kia Consumer Affairs and local dealership to sort this out. Wonder if anyone has similar experience? I certainly wasn't aware till recently I am taking some heavy load and started noticing it. :-/

Yes same issue as rear shocks need replaced on 2020 Kia telluride.

 

[TellyBear23]

I just recently realized that my 2020 SX with the tow package installed doesn't have self level rear suspension. I am currently working with Kia Consumer Affairs and local dealership to sort this out. Wonder if anyone has similar experience? I certainly wasn't aware till recently I am taking some heavy load and started noticing it. :-/

Self-Leveling on a 2020 SX is on “Optional Feature.”

 

[Alohatl]

Self-Leveling on a 2020 SX is on “Optional Feature.”

Yeah, it is. It should be part of the tow package, which includes hitch receiver and self level rear suspension. Luckily I still have the soft copy of the car sticker with all the descriptions

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[TellyBear23]

Yeah, it is. It should be part of the tow package, which includes hitch receiver and self level rear suspension. Luckily I still have the soft copy of the car sticker with all the descriptions

I noticed on the 2020 brochure that it is included in the package.

Very odd and weird.
Good luck and keep us posted for other members going through the same issue.

 

[2020Telly]

How do you know you don't have it? Did you check the part numbers of the rear shocks?

It's my understanding that there are three parts on the 2020 Telluride offered in 2019.

Standard 55307-S9000

Standard on Prestige Pkg w/o towing 55307-S9050

Self-Leveling on EX or SX w/ towing 55367-S9000

 

[Alohatl]

How do you know you don't have it? Did you check the part numbers of the rear shocks?

It's my understanding that there are three parts on the 2020 Telluride offered in 2019.

Standard 55307-S9000

Standard on Prestige Pkg w/o towing 55307-S9050

Self-Leveling on EX or SX w/ towing 55367-S9000

I had two Kia dealerships to check and confirm it's not installed. It started off when I took the car to one Kia dealership for routine checkup, and I mentioned the self-level suspension seems not quite working. Then they said it's not installed to referred me to call Kia Customer Affair. After talking to the Kia customer affair, they asked me to work with the Kia dealership where I bought the car. They also confirmed it's installed. :-/ One good thing at least is that I think they ran my VIN and confirmed it is supposed to be there, and my car's sticker shows that too.

 

[2020Telly]

I had two Kia dealerships to check and confirm it's not installed. It started off when I took the car to one Kia dealership for routine checkup, and I mentioned the self-level suspension seems not quite working. Then they said it's not installed to referred me to call Kia Customer Affair. After talking to the Kia customer affair, they asked me to work with the Kia dealership where I bought the car. They also confirmed it's installed. :-/ One good thing at least is that I think they ran my VIN and confirmed it is supposed to be there, and my car's sticker shows that too.

If I were you I would seek reimbursement and go get better aftermarket shock or airbags.

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[Alohatl]

If I were you I would seek reimbursement and go get better aftermarket shock or airbags.

Any suggestion on shock and airbags? I think there might be existing threads discussing about it. At some point, I do consider a small lift for better offroad handling. Thanks!

 

[2020Telly]

Any suggestion on shock and airbags? I think there might be existing threads discussing about it. At some point, I do consider a small lift for better offroad handling. Thanks!

I have AirLift Helper bags (60860) and I manually add/remove air as needed when I check my tires before towing.

Towing package

The dealer is telling me they can add the towing package with the self leveling suspension. I thought that was factory only. Can someone verify?

tellurideforum.org

Also considered SumoSpring (CSS-1125).

Details on the bag part numbers:

Installed AirLift bags

Pretty bad squatting problem with just a few added weight (under 400lbs). And I don't think my self-leveling shocks are working correctly because I was blinding oncoming traffic with my headlights on our way home at night. They kept on flashing us. Ordered a set of airlifts to see if it helps...

tellurideforum.org

But you could go one further and get the Air Compressor with wireless remote:

Installed AirLift bags

Are you sure you have the right hitch drop? That trailer does not look level, and is probably contributing to the squat. I would really consider a bigger drop on your hitch. At least find a website or something to determine whether it's appropriate. That doesn’t appear to be a trailer. It’s...

tellurideforum.org

The other option is to go to an offroad suspension shop and have them mount universal heavier duty shocks or universal airbags and mount them to the frame.

My personal opinion is that these self-leveling shocks are not the thing you want if you do a lot of towing and notice sag. You are going to wear out the expensive shocks more. These are meant to soften your ride and level out an uneven cargo load and possibly some unevening that might happen from a light towing load. They are sold on the Palisade as a convenience feature not a towing option/package. For lots of towing you want a stiffer suspension not a softer one.

I don't think you want to try adding these helper bags (or any other system) if you got the self-leveling mando shocks from Kia. I think the shocks are meant to work assuming they can mechanically pump without anything else preventing them from moving. Any other system to level would counteract the self-leveling and they might not work properly. But if they work too well that means they might wear out faster and they aren't cheap to replace.

 

[Alohatl]

I have AirLift Helper bags (60860) and I manually add/remove air as needed when I check my tires before towing.

Towing package

The dealer is telling me they can add the towing package with the self leveling suspension. I thought that was factory only. Can someone verify?

tellurideforum.org

Also considered SumoSpring (CSS-1125).

Details on the bag part numbers:

Installed AirLift bags

Pretty bad squatting problem with just a few added weight (under 400lbs). And I don't think my self-leveling shocks are working correctly because I was blinding oncoming traffic with my headlights on our way home at night. They kept on flashing us. Ordered a set of airlifts to see if it helps...

tellurideforum.org

But you could go one further and get the Air Compressor with wireless remote:

Installed AirLift bags

Are you sure you have the right hitch drop? That trailer does not look level, and is probably contributing to the squat. I would really consider a bigger drop on your hitch. At least find a website or something to determine whether it's appropriate. That doesn’t appear to be a trailer. It’s...

tellurideforum.org

The other option is to go to an offroad suspension shop and have them mount universal heavier duty shocks or universal airbags and mount them to the frame.

My personal opinion is that these self-leveling shocks are not the thing you want if you do a lot of towing and notice sag. You are going to wear out the expensive shocks more. These are meant to soften your ride and level out an uneven cargo load and possibly some unevening that might happen from a light towing load. They are sold on the Palisade as a convenience feature not a towing option/package. For lots of towing you want a stiffer suspension not a softer one.

I don't think you want to try adding these helper bags (or any other system) if you got the self-leveling mando shocks from Kia. I think the shocks are meant to work assuming they can mechanically pump without anything else preventing them from moving. Any other system to level would counteract the self-leveling and they might not work properly. But if they work too well that means they might wear out faster and they aren't cheap to replace.

Thanks for all those good info. This is great stuff! I did recall seeing in the forum some challenge working with the self level suspension. Maybe it's a good thing it was not installed on my SX after all. However, I do need to see if Kia would do the right thing to settle it.

 

[2020Telly]

Thanks for all those good info. This is great stuff! I did recall seeing in the forum some challenge working with the self level suspension. Maybe it's a good thing it was not installed on my SX after all. However, I do need to see if Kia would do the right thing to settle it.

Good luck. My window sticker says I should have remote start on my key FOB but Kia didn’t do anything about it.

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[WhiteSX]

Did you purchase the vehicle used or new? I had my dealer swap out the self leveling Nivomat rear shocks for the standard setup. I don't tow, and I don't care. The vehicle ride improved significantly. If you purchased "used", could it be possible the previous owner did the same? Here's a link to my story: Bad Shock on a 2020 SX with factory towing package

Enjoy the ride.

 

[Alohatl]

Did you purchase the vehicle used or new? I had my dealer swap out the self leveling Nivomat rear shocks for the standard setup. I don't tow, and I don't care. The vehicle ride improved significantly. If you purchased "used", could it be possible the previous owner did the same? Here's a link to my story: Bad Shock on a 2020 SX with factory towing package

Enjoy the ride.

I purchased brand new.

 

[2020Telly]

If I were you @Alohatl, I would try to find out if the self-leveling mechanical shocks were the only thing missing and they also gave you the standard springs. If you got the standard springs then just keep driving with the standard shocks and more and more options will be open to you as more vehicles are sold. Then I would try to seek a refund from Kia on their cost to add the equipment they were supposed to sell you. If the vehicle rides fine don't push your luck as I'd just pocket that money and replace the shocks when needed. If you want to look at something like the AirLift Helper Bags for ~$125 to prevent some sag for low cost they may also increase the lifespan of your standard shocks.

If you were given the softer springs and the standard shocks then I would be concerned that the shocks will wear down sooner because the shocks may not have been spec'd to work with the softer springs. Even then I still wouldn't ask for the OEM self-leveling suspension parts and just seek a refund. But in that case I would look at either a 2" lift or 2" lowering (I'd go with the lift) with the Eibach Lift Springs that just came out, and again just replace the standard shocks when they go bad with an aftermarket alternative that doesn't break your budget. The KYB Excel-G Aftermarket rear shocks are $70 each and the Eibach 2" lift kit is $400. With the cost of a little labor you could be around $150 plus labor to replace the standard shocks if they go bad or around $600 plus labor to get a 2" lift that includes 4 all new springs and 2 rear shocks.

Based on what I have read, I'm very happy I didn't have the option to get the self-leveling suspension. As I travel with cargo and passengers and do light towing, I prefer stiffer springs and less expensive shocks when they wear down.

 

[Alohatl]

If I were you @Alohatl, I would try to find out if the self-leveling mechanical shocks were the only thing missing and they also gave you the standard springs. If you got the standard springs then just keep driving with the standard shocks and more and more options will be open to you as more vehicles are sold. Then I would try to seek a refund from Kia on their cost to add the equipment they were supposed to sell you. If the vehicle rides fine don't push your luck as I'd just pocket that money and replace the shocks when needed. If you want to look at something like the AirLift Helper Bags for ~$125 to prevent some sag for low cost they may also increase the lifespan of your standard shocks.

If you were given the softer springs and the standard shocks then I would be concerned that the shocks will wear down sooner because the shocks may not have been spec'd to work with the softer springs. Even then I still wouldn't ask for the OEM self-leveling suspension parts and just seek a refund. But in that case I would look at either a 2" lift or 2" lowering (I'd go with the lift) with the Eibach Lift Springs that just came out, and again just replace the standard shocks when they go bad with an aftermarket alternative that doesn't break your budget. The KYB Excel-G Aftermarket rear shocks are $70 each and the Eibach 2" lift kit is $400. With the cost of a little labor you could be around $150 plus labor to replace the standard shocks if they go bad or around $600 plus labor to get a 2" lift that includes 4 all new springs and 2 rear shocks.

Based on what I have read, I'm very happy I didn't have the option to get the self-leveling suspension. As I travel with cargo and passengers and do light towing, I prefer stiffer springs and less expensive shocks when they wear down.

If I were you @Alohatl, I would try to find out if the self-leveling mechanical shocks were the only thing missing and they also gave you the standard springs. If you got the standard springs then just keep driving with the standard shocks and more and more options will be open to you as more vehicles are sold. Then I would try to seek a refund from Kia on their cost to add the equipment they were supposed to sell you. If the vehicle rides fine don't push your luck as I'd just pocket that money and replace the shocks when needed. If you want to look at something like the AirLift Helper Bags for ~$125 to prevent some sag for low cost they may also increase the lifespan of your standard shocks.

If you were given the softer springs and the standard shocks then I would be concerned that the shocks will wear down sooner because the shocks may not have been spec'd to work with the softer springs. Even then I still wouldn't ask for the OEM self-leveling suspension parts and just seek a refund. But in that case I would look at either a 2" lift or 2" lowering (I'd go with the lift) with the Eibach Lift Springs that just came out, and again just replace the standard shocks when they go bad with an aftermarket alternative that doesn't break your budget. The KYB Excel-G Aftermarket rear shocks are $70 each and the Eibach 2" lift kit is $400. With the cost of a little labor you could be around $150 plus labor to replace the standard shocks if they go bad or around $600 plus labor to get a 2" lift that includes 4 all new springs and 2 rear shocks.

Based on what I have read, I'm very happy I didn't have the option to get the self-leveling suspension. As I travel with cargo and passengers and do light towing, I prefer stiffer springs and less expensive shocks when they wear down.

Thanks for the suggestion. Your suggestion is great and I am considering doing a 2” lift and airbags. Any concerns on the breaking the warranty from Kia?

I also wonder how to tell if I have a standard or softer springs (other than how it feels )?

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[2020Telly]

Thanks for the suggestion. Your suggestion is great and I am considering doing a 2” lift and airbags. Any concerns on the breaking the warranty from Kia?

I also wonder how to tell if I have a standard or softer springs (other than how it feels )?

Your warranty will not be entirely voided by replacing springs or shocks. For example if you have a problem with your electrical or engine they would have a tough time proving that your suspension change was the cause. Additionally, I think the parts of the suspension that wear out over time are prorated. Most suspension shops include a warranty on their parts as well as warranty on their service and if you had some other issue that the manufacturer was blaming on their work they are usually happy to provide proof that it wasn’t caused by them. But considering you didn’t even get what you paid for, I’d be more worried if they gave you the wrong springs for the standard shocks then you could have some later to be seen issue. I think the springs have a tag or sticker on them with a part number. If you can get the part number it’s easy to tell. Check out this post for the actual part numbers:

Post in thread 'Bad Shock on a 2020 SX with factory towing package'
Bad Shock on a 2020 SX with factory towing package

Here's where to look for the part number.