Kia class action lawsuit overview:
- Who: Plaintiff Marc Brenman filed a class action lawsuit against Kia America Inc.
- Why: Brenman claims Kia manufactured and sold Telluride SUVs with a defect that causes the battery to drain while the car is turned off.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was filed in California federal court.
A new class action lawsuit alleges Kia Telluride vehicles contain a defect that can cause the battery to drain while the vehicle is turned off, resulting in various electrical malfunctions and safety hazards.
Plaintiff Marc Brenman claims the defect affects Telluride models from model years 2020 through 2026 and can leave drivers stranded with an inoperable vehicle.
Brenman argues the defect, which he refers to as the “Parasitic Drain Defect,” is caused by a failure in the vehicle’s electronic control module, which regulates the flow of electricity between the battery and other components.
Brenman claims the defect causes the battery to drain excessively while the vehicle is turned off and creates power surges or uneven power supplies while driving.
The class action lawsuit alleges the defect can lead to stalled engines, failure of essential safety components like the speedometer and power steering, and costly battery replacements.
Kia accused of hiding Telluride battery defect
Brenman claims Kia has been aware of the defect since at least 2021 through consumer complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and its own pre-release testing.
Despite this knowledge, Brenman claims Kia has not issued a recall or informed consumers about the defect, which can manifest quickly after purchase and is detectable through common pre-sale tests, the Kia class action lawsuit alleges.
Brenman claims he began experiencing battery issues with his 2021 Kia Telluride in the fall of 2025, including dashboard messages indicating the battery was discharging to an external device.
He says the problem persisted even after he replaced the battery, and he was eventually forced to jump-start the vehicle with an external power source. He also claims he took the vehicle to a Kia dealership, but the mechanic was unable to determine the cause of the battery drain and charged him for the service.
Brenman wants to represent a nationwide class of consumers who purchased or leased a Kia Telluride from model years 2020 through 2026.
He is suing for violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act, fraud, fraudulent omission, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty and unjust enrichment and is seeking certification of the Kia class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial.
In 2024, two consumers filed a class action lawsuit alleging the same Telluride SUV models from 2020-2024 have a life-threatening brake defect and that the company has not issued a recall for or released a reliable fix.
What do you think of the claims made in this Kia class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.
The plaintiff is represented by Tina Wolfson, Robert R. Ahdoot, Christopher E. Stiner and Lisa Cintron of Ahdoot & Wolfson P.C. and Carter E. Greenbaum of Greenbaum Olbrantz LLP.
The Kia Telluride class action lawsuit is Brenman v. Kia America Inc., Case No. 8:26-cv-01428, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
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