2025 Kia K4 Transmission and drivetrain Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 17%of 47 total for the year
- Median mileage
- —not reported
- Trend
- Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2025 Kia K4, 17% of the 47 complaints for this model year.
Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“As I entered onto i4 reaching the speed of 60 miles an hour my vehicle began to make a high pitched whining noise that got louder as I pressed on the gas pedal, noise dissipated when I let off the gas pedal. Vehicle began to slow down on its own , even when applying pressure to the gas pedal, I had no choice but to pull over on i4, error message displayed “RED CAUTION EMBLEM” error message “Transmission Control Unit” Kia k4 app displayed Diagnostic Alert AT PO72200”
NHTSA complaint #11729395, filed 2026-04“When I drive over 65 mph, I feel the car lose stability, and sometimes I feel those movements in the steering wheel. Also, it doesn't show the actual tire tread depth. In addition. And there is a burning smell.”
NHTSA complaint #11714428, filed 2026-01“To whom this may concern, I was using my cruise control on my way to work. I usually set it to 80 because police are okay with that speed on I-75. I braked before my automatic brakes hit after I got cut off. I pressed resume in the cruise control and it accelerated pretty quick. I’ve experienced that quite a bit, but there’s been a few times that the car exceeded the set cruising speed while trying to resume. I forget it happens because it’s happened about 4 times since purchasing the vehicle. …”
NHTSA complaint #11737989, filed 2026-05“Sluggish acceleration, after I got an oil change a few weeks ago. No warning lights whatsoever, I’m thinking it’s the transmission , taking awhile to speed up especially on highway”
NHTSA complaint #11685834, filed 2025-09“I purchased my 2025 Kia K4 in March 2025. Approximately two months after purchasing the vehicle, around May 2025, I began experiencing serious and recurring safety issues. While driving, the vehicle intermittently loses acceleration and becomes unresponsive when I press the gas pedal. When this occurs, I have to pull over, turn the vehicle off, and restart it before I can continue driving. On other occasions, the vehicle has unexpectedly shut off and restarted on its own while I was driving. The dashboard also goes completely black during these incidents. …”
NHTSA complaint #11770717, filed 2026-10Related service bulletins
- 11017172Apr 17, 2025TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
Transmission and drivetrain: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8 | 17% |
Other parts of the 2025 Kia K4
14 complaintsOther or unknown
12 complaintsAir bags
7 complaintsEngine
7 complaintsForward collision avoidance
7 complaintsLane departure
7 complaintsSteering
5 complaintsVehicle speed control
4 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsEngine cooling
2 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2025 Kia K4
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology