Transmission complaints by model year
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
vehicles transmission gets stuck in 5th gear. when it happens the problem is fixed after restarting the vehicle. no warning that its stuck in 5th gear. When pulling out into traffic the car is very slow to move and my concern is that someone might get hit when pulling out into traffic not knowing the vehicle is stuck in 5th gear since there are no warning light on. after inspection with KIA, after the first incident they said nothing can be diagnosed since it wasn't throwing a code or check engine light. when the car once again got stuck in 5th gear on our last vacation i drove it for around 2 hours or 120 miles in 5th gear to try and get a check engine light to come, one never came on but i recorded videos of it stuck in 5th gear at highway speeds and at a stop in a drive through. it's happened on 3 different occasions all on longer road trip and has never had a warning light come on. …
While driving the vehicle, the automatic transmission stuck in 5th gear. The paddle shifters would not operate, shifting the vehicle into neutral or park had no effect. The vehicle was being operated on a busy highway with multiple intersections, which put all passengers and the vehicle itself in danger since accelerating in 5th gear was almost impossible. The vehicle had to be completely shut off and restarted to reset the transmission. This happened on several occasions. Additionally, the vehicle would stick in gear and lurch into a lower gear when accelerating from a complete stop. No warning lights or sounds occurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealership where it was purchased, and they were able to replicate the problem once. The vehicle problem was reported to KIA and they requested the dealer to replace the electric oil pump. …
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at slower speeds, the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Place Vehicle in Park - Press Brake to Restart" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,500.
Issue: Engine stall & loud tapping/grinding noise Vehicle only has 1,100 miles and has stalled about 5 times when slowing down to about 10mph & then accelerating again. Issue has also happened when going about 3mph & then accelerating. About 10sec stall & then vehicle takes off. Several of the stalls happened even though the Auto/Start switch was engaged to disable feature since I thought maybe a bad switch was the issue causing the stalls, but stalling happens with it on & off. Another issue engine makes a tapping noise when in gear & accelerating up to about 1200rpm. Issue has been getting louder since purchase. …
The vehicle was parked(placed in park on gear shift) in a friends driveway, facing upward on approx. 15Deg incline with the engine idling. My wife exited the vehicle and walked around the front of the vehicle to the houses front entrance where she spoke briefly with the owner inside the front door. On leaving the house the car was gone from where it was left parked. My wife found that it had rolled up the driveway incline until it hit a couple of pine trees at the top end of the drive and stopped. She opened the door and found the gear shift still in the parked position at which point she entered the car, placed it in reverse and backed out of the tree branches and took photos. The incident was immediately reported to KIA America and the dealer. The vehicle has been at the dealer for 3 weeks now with no resolution, undergoing "testing". …
We bought a 2024 Kia Telluride and had it literally 2 weeks long with about 684 miles. My husband and I were driving on a major highway and suddenly we hear a noise and engine line pops up on screen. Car proceeds to literally shut off, the wheel locked up, and we barely made it to shoulder of highway. This was huge safety issue, we had cars honking and speeding by us at 70+. We called the Kia roadside assistance who didn't get a tow truck there till 3 hours later. We don't have anything paper wise yet from the service department . They called and said engine was seized and needing replacement. We are very concerned about getting new engine that could potentially do this again.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission was slipping. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while the vehicle was stopped, it unexpectedly lunged forward. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the muffler. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the ECM software had failed and needed to be reprogrammed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that on two separate occasions while driving the vehicle in Snow Mode and attempting to accelerate while making a left turn, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stopped and restarted the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
Related recalls (1)
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2024 Telluride vehicles. The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Remedy: Owners are advised to manually engage the emergency parking brake prior to exiting the vehicle until the recall remedy is performed.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Telluride years have transmission problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2020 (70), 2021 (28), 2022 (26), 2023 (24) and 2024 (15) model years. Transmission complaints make up 9% of all complaints for the 2020.
Is there a recall for Kia Telluride transmission problems?
Yes — 1 recall, including 24V-214 (driveshaft, Mar 20, 2024). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Telluride transmission problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 18,000 miles; 81% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the automatic transmission (1 mentions).
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.