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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2008 Kia Rondo Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
6about this part
Share
6%of 97 total for the year
Median mileage
13,600miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 6 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2008 Kia Rondo, 6% of the 97 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 13,600 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

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.

“I have a 2008 Kia Rondo lx (v6) which has around 6300miles. I am the first owner and drove it for the last 6 months. Even epa fuel economy estimates are 18 mpg (city : 14 to 22 mpg) and 26 mpg (highway: 21 to 31 mpg) at the window sticker, they were not realistic. I do not complain on city mpg and it is 19-20 mpg in average but in highway mpg, it was very disappointing. I had several travels which take 2 hours at the speed of 65-70 mpg. Every time, it was 21-22 mpg in average. The best one with 65 MPH using cruise control was 23.2mpg. …”

NHTSA complaint #10261468, filed 2009-03, 6,200 miles

“I have 2008 Kia Rondo ex. It jerks when the transmission shifts from 2nd gear to 3rd gear. During the shift, the vehicles suddenly pulls back (feels like the brake was suddenly pushed) and then accelerates. This has been a concern for me as it may lead into accident, especially in the winter when roads are slippery. Sometimes everything seems well. The problem is intermittent with jerk effect low to high. I have already reported three times about it with the Kia dealer but they said that they have not found any problem and insisted that nothing was wrong. …”

NHTSA complaint #10299831, filed 2010-01, 25,000 miles

“Accelerator is drive by wire . The engine experiences hesitation, when taking off from a stop, about 50% of the time, when the AC is on. Sometimes the vehicle begins to accelerate, then the engine drops to idle speed, even when you depress the pedal to the floor. This can cause you to be struck by oncoming traffic, when you are entering a highway or roadway. Usually the vehicle will then take off unexpectedly screeching the tires, when this occurs. …”

NHTSA complaint #10416500, filed 2011-08, 2,000 miles

“The check engine light comes on and the engine timing/ computer being impacted instance happen june 19, 2013 car failed nj inspection cost to repair $782.85.”

NHTSA complaint #10562250, filed 2014-01, 61,003 miles

“The contact owns a 2008 Kia Rondo lx. The transmission is stalling and grinding the gears. The vehicle was taken to the dealer approximately six times. This failure has occurred since there months ago which is when the vehicle was purchased. The Kia manufacturer sent a letter to the dealer to replace the transmission and they refuse to replace it. The failure mileage was 150.”

NHTSA complaint #10266630, filed 2009-04, 150 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2010111%
200957%
200866%
200722%

Other parts of the 2008 Kia Rondo

Fuel system
22 complaintsAir bags
18 complaintsEngine
11 complaintsBody and structure
11 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsSuspension
10 complaintsSteering
8 complaintsBrakes
6 complaintsElectrical system
6 complaintsOther or unknown
6 complaintsEngine cooling
5 complaintsEquipment
4 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2008 Kia Rondo

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