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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2023 Kia Telluride Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
25about this part
Share
12%of 211 total for the year
Median mileage
46,000miles
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

NHTSA recorded 25 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2023 Kia Telluride, 12% of the 211 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 46,000 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“When put into Snow Mode the car won't accelerate from a stop at normal speeds. It feels like the car is stuck in neutral and I'm just coasting. It won't accelerate normally until I switch it into another driving mode like Eco. This has caused a few close calls when turning out of driveways or onto busy streets.”

NHTSA complaint #11556966, filed 2023-11

“Ever since purchasing this 2023 Kia telluride I have felt a skipping or thumping feeling when making a turn from a stop sign or a light, at a slower speed, then accelerating.. I have read many many forums stating this happens in A LOT of these models of vehicles. It is called a failing AWD coupler! I have mentioned it to the dealer but they could not replicate at the shop so I moved on. Now issue after issue is arising with this vehicle.”

NHTSA complaint #11740387, filed 2026-05

“My car just started making a knocking sound when I turn. Brought it in for diagnoses and was told it's the AWD Coupler, WHICH is a part of the powertrain component, but it's not covered under my 100,000 powertrain warranty, and is only covered up to 60,000 miles. This is a known issue according to Facebook, blogs, and reddit and many Kia users have had the same problem on their cars. It should be a recall and fixed if it's happening so frequently.”

NHTSA complaint #11773982, filed 2026-10

“Lack of acceleration when in snow mode. The car decreased speed and I couldn’t get it to increase The car is at dealership now It has happen 7 times and I haven’t even had my first payment. No warning was given I have a video of it. It will not let me upload it.”

NHTSA complaint #11518474, filed 2023-04

“The issue concerns my 2023 Telluride SX X-line (AWD) when driving in the snow mode setting. The issue has occurred on several occasions, approximately 2-3 times last winter when I was driving the vehicle and at least one time this winter when my wife was driving in snowy conditions. The issue is that the vehicle accelerator basically becomes unresponsive when driving in snow mode under a set of conditions that are not easily defined. The issue seems to occur fairly randomly. …”

NHTSA complaint #11567514, filed 2024-01

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2027621%
202597%
2024157%
20232512%
2022268%
2021287%
2020709%

Other parts of the 2023 Kia Telluride

Other or unknown
60 complaintsElectrical system
51 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
38 complaintsEngine
24 complaintsForward collision avoidance
14 complaintsBody and structure
14 complaintsVehicle speed control
14 complaintsSteering
10 complaintsFuel system
9 complaintsLane departure
9 complaintsSeat belts
8 complaintsSuspension
8 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2023 Kia Telluride

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