2021SX with tow & self leveling Rough Ride

[Pickupmann]

I seen that Kia has a service recall TSB-113 but my question is I only have 32k miles on my SUV and the rear rides like I have NO SHOCKS at all I feel every bump on the road? Is this a Warranty Issue?

 

[Pickupmann]

UPDATE: I have been reading other posts all over this Telluride blog about Self Leveling Shocks along with Rough riding. Needless to say you can replace the “self leveling shocks” with regular shocks. In some posts they suggested using KYB 3440062 so I picked up a set and installed them but my Telluride afterwards the rear sat 1” lower than the front. These might work well with a Telluride W/O Self leveling shocks. So I did a little more research on KYB website and found KYB 3440061 which are 2” longer installed them and the rear stands a 1/4” taller than the front PERFECT. No more Rough Ride!!

 

[GunnarG]

UPDATE: I have been reading other posts all over this Telluride blog about Self Leveling Shocks along with Rough riding. Needless to say you can replace the “self leveling shocks” with regular shocks. In some posts they suggested using KYB 3440062 so I picked up a set and installed them but my Telluride afterwards the rear sat 1” lower than the front. These might work well with a Telluride W/O Self leveling shocks. So I did a little more research on KYB website and found KYB 3440061 which are 2” longer installed them and the rear stands a 1/4” taller than the front PERFECT. No more Rough Ride!!

Did you remove the inner bump stop or replace with another shorter version? I replaced with these shocks (3440061) and its bottoming out worse than before

 

[GunnarG]

Update: OK these totally did not work for my 2020 SXP AWD model. I went home completely removed the bump stops to see if that would help and when i lowered car off jack they shocks were bottoming out, so the 2" longer (3440061) is too long, the 3440062 may work but I can't confirm since I didn't try but they are at least the same length as the originals. I ended up putting the stock auto-levels back on for now and found them new online for about $380/EA

note: the rough ride I was empiercing when I first put the replacement 3440061 shocks on was the shocks sitting on the bump stops. the ride height (measure from floor to top of rear fender arches) was 32". After I removed the bump stops to see if that gave me any cushion the new ride height was 30.5" and so soft virtually any movement would bottom out springs. literally could only pull the car forward 20' of test ride before backing into shop and swapping back to stocks (for now)

Conclusion, yes you can swap out auto-level for regular shocks, remove wheel, its 3x 19mm(3/4") bolts holding the shock in. if using the upper cradle it's a 17mm to remove that, bump stop on auto-level is much wider but can still use or replace with smaller, then reassemble, whole job, both sides about 20-30 minutes. For me, after removing the shocks and inspection I found I had 1 shock that was frozen so I'm just going to replace the 1 bad and call it, i'm already into the project $180 and not worth my time to figure it out again on the 3440062's since its only 1 (for now)

Hope this helps someone

in the pic you can see the stock auto-level (55367-S9000 left) vs the KYB 3440061, the KYB is longer and smaller components

 

[trevdan]

FYI, I've had both self-leveling shocks fail at 50k and 65k miles within 6 months of one another. The first one was covered by warranty. The recent one the mechanic said "he can't find a problem". I even drove with him to demonstrate that the rear right is dampening properly and the rear left is rigid and bounces the whole car. He said he couldn't feel it (smh).
I'm now purchasing a new Nivomat for diy replacement. Curious is this is necessary or can I get by with my own tools and some ingenuity? Can't find any description of what this kit actually does anywhere
"Insulator Assembly Kit - Kia (55310-S1150FFF)

 

[GunnarG]

FYI, I've had both self-leveling shocks fail at 50k and 65k miles within 6 months of one another. The first one was covered by warranty. The recent one the mechanic said "he can't find a problem". I even drove with him to demonstrate that the rear right is dampening properly and the rear left is rigid and bounces the whole car. He said he couldn't feel it (smh).
I'm now purchasing a new Nivomat for diy replacement. Curious is this is necessary or can I get by with my own tools and some ingenuity? Can't find any description of what this kit actually does anywhere
"Insulator Assembly Kit - Kia (55310-S1150FFF)

I replaced everything myself. If you have any mechanical knowledge and basic tools you can do it. its pretty straight forward, jack up rear, remove wheel, then its 3 bolts (i believe 19mm/3/4") to remove shock. (did have to use a pry bar on one side to get lower section out, was sandwiched in pretty good but I think that will vary car to car. then once the shock is off , remove the dust cap up top with a flathead or pick and there is a nut ( cant recall size exactly but wanna say its about a 14mm?) you take off to remove insulator, then just swap out new one and reverse to install. I did it so many times swapping shocks around I can do it in sub 20 minutes