The Lemon Index
Transmission complaints owners filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) for each model year, per 100,000 cars sold. A complaint counts when it's filed under the transmission, or under the power train and the owner describes the transmission (shifting, slipping, gears, CVT). It's an owner's report, not a confirmed defect, and older years have had longer to collect complaints.
What owners describe
Share of this model's transmission complaints that mention each symptom. One complaint can mention several.
Transmission and power train recalls
- 2024 2024
The intermediate shaft and right front driveshaft may not be fully engaged, which can result in vehicle roll away while in PARK.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. Check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
In owners' words
My torque converter is failing on my 2020 Kia Telluride. This is a known issue among other owners of this model year, and I believe Kia knows about it and is refusing to acknowledge because of how expensive it is.
2020 Kia Telluride owner · NHTSA complaint
P0741 Error Codes - Torque Converter issue around 100k miles. Shuttering at low rpm between 2nd and 3rd gears. This is a known issue for owners of the 2020 model year. TCM software update and transmission oil change did not fix.
2020 Kia Telluride owner · NHTSA complaint
Quick answers
Which Kia Telluride years have transmission problems?
By transmission complaints filed with NHTSA per car sold, the worst Kia Telluride years are 2020, 2021, 2022.
What are common Kia Telluride transmission problems?
Owners most often describe slipping, hard or jerky shifting, delay or hesitation.
Which Kia Telluride years have the fewest transmission complaints?
Since 2010, the Kia Telluride years with the fewest transmission complaints per car sold are 2025, 2024, 2022.
See every problem, not just the transmission: Kia Telluride reliability by year. How we count