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2023 Kia K5 transmission problems

11 complaints (10% of all complaints for this car).

owner complaints
11
of this car's complaints
10%
crashes
0
recalls
1

Which part fails

Owners did not name a specific part.

At what mileage

Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.

0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+

Kia K5 transmission problems in other years

20212022202320242025

Related recalls

Power train: automatic transmissionReported October 11, 2022 · 69,038 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk
Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.

Recall number 22V760000 · Recall details

What 2023 Kia K5 owners say

Most recent owner complaints, unedited.

Filed Oct 22, 2025 · Transmission · DE

I’m loosing power when i drive

Filed Sep 26, 2025 · Transmission · CA

While driving at about 70 MPH the right rear tire locked up temporarily causing loss of control of the vehicle. Luckily there were not other cars around as the car was in 3 lanes prior to coming to a complete stop. If this happened in traffic it could have caused a significant accident. There were no warning lamps on dash before or after the incident. After inspecting vehicle on side of road I could not see any issues. Drove about 15 yards and heard a grinding noise. Vehicle was towed to dealership. Dealership has inspected vehicle and advised it was caused by a failed awd coupler. The repair will be covered by warranty.

Filed Jun 3, 2025 · Fuel system, Transmission · NC

My 2023 Kia K5 GT (VIN: [XXX]) is experiencing a dangerous complete power loss at highway speeds. I was driving at the speed limit on [XXX] when the vehicle lost propulsion, entered limp-home mode, and illuminated every warning lamp. This has happened six times since purchase. The car is currently parked, and I am not confident enough to drive the car; I nearly missed a crash pulling into the emergency lane from the leftmost lane to the rightmost lane. After losing power in the engine, that was a traumatizing experience. I tried to explain this to people multiple times at different service centers, but they care less: "We can't fix it unless we can reproduce it," but this happens randomly; I cannot make it happen at the service center. This matches the recall SC250 symptoms exactly, though my VIN is excluded. I have tried with Multiple dealers before, but they cannot fix it. They say, "We cannot fix it unless we can reproduce it." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Filed Mar 29, 2025 · Electrical, Engine · PA

2023 Kia K5 GT1, once at 16k miles and now again at 26k miles, while driving, the dashboard console flickered on me and the car lost complete acceleration and power, fortunately on urban roads or else would have been extremely unsafe and dangerous if high speed, especially since I have a child. Pulled over and turned off vehicle, and turned back on acceleration regained but check engine light remains solid. Took it to dealer at 16k miles and they checked it out and just reset the codes, advised if it happened again to bring it back right away. I am aware of the open recall on this Kia model, but my specific vehicle VIN is not impacted. However, I suspect the sudden power loss issue is the exact same issue. This is an extremely dangerous and unsafe issue with this vehicle, particularly if you have kids or are driving high-speeds on the highway!!!!

Filed Mar 5, 2025 · Driver assistance, Transmission · 18,000 miles · CA

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the transmission unexpectedly downshifted, shuddered, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle. The Electronic Stability Control Warning Light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

Filed Sep 11, 2024 · Engine, Transmission · GA

One day I was driving and my car began to shake really bad. It doesn’t transition smoothly when switching gears in transmission. Sometimes it doesn’t accelerate and I’d have to floor the gas to get it going. Rough acceleration. Car would even shake in idle sometimes. It has been doing this ever since. One day it’ll shake, the next day it might not. It doesn’t matter if I drive slower or faster, the car still shakes, has rough to no acceleration, and shifts gears roughly. Engine light is on and is reading misfire of cylinder 3.

Filed Aug 21, 2024 · Transmission · WV

Transmission is itself in neutral while driving. Resulting in irratic RPMs, hesitating acceleration and rough transition to gears. Took care into dealership service department. They seemed that I would need a transmission replacement. Kia approved the request. Still waiting on transmission to be put in.

Filed Aug 14, 2024 · Transmission · 34,000 miles · FL

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, while the transmission was changing gear, the vehicle hesitated and jerked abnormally. The vehicle was taken to a dealer however, the failure could not be replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 34,000.

Filed Jan 5, 2024 · Transmission · IL

When driving my car will send off all dashboard lights, sounds. Lose acceleration. Pull over, rmps fly up and won. Turn car off and turn back on to regain acceleration. Engine light remains on. I know there is a recall for this for my exact car type, but the recall does not show up under my VIN. After a phone call with the federal safety agency, I was told to report my vehicle to the website. My safety and others is at risk for obvious reasons. This can easily cause a crash. This happened once at 5k miles, dealership supposedly fixed it. But it happened again the other day at 19k miles. There are no warnings prior to my vehicle going into safe mode.

Filed Aug 7, 2023 · Engine, Transmission · FL

Received an oil change as part of normal service schedule on a 2023 Kia K5 vehicle purchased August of 2022 (from different dealership). 4 days after this service was conducted, the drain plug in the oil system of the vehicle fell out of my car, therefore draining my vehicle of the oil it needs to operate normally, causing the car to completely stall near my home. I had to pay out of pocket at a nearby Express Oil Change facility to have a new drain plug and oil put into car, after which I immediately brought my vehicle back to this dealership to ascertain what happened. This is the SECOND time this same exact issue has occurred with my vehicle (the first time occurring after an oil change at a different Kia dealership in Charlotte, NC), which I brought to my service advisor's attention prior to them beginning the oil change service. I expressed to this service department that I am extremely concerned there is something malfunctioning or defective within the vehicle that has caused this issue TWICE in an almost-new vehicle, and that I was now concerned there could be possible damage to my engine from this reoccurring issue. The service department at Kia Wesley Chapel did absolutely nothing to address my concerns or the issue other than replacing the drain plug (yet again). This Kia service department, and KIA overall, refuses to recognize or admit to any issue within the vehicle, and I was told to "wait and see if it happens again".

Questions about the 2023 Kia K5 transmission

Does the 2023 Kia K5 have transmission problems?

Owners have filed 11 complaints about the transmission of the 2023 Kia K5, 10% of all its complaints.

At what mileage do 2023 Kia K5 transmission problems start?

Not enough complaints include the mileage to tell.

Was there a recall on the 2023 Kia K5 transmission?

Yes, 1 recall: 22V760000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.

What year does the Kia K5 have bad transmission?

The Kia K5 model years with the most transmission complaints are 2022 (22 complaints), 2021 (19 complaints) and 2023 (11 complaints).

Other 2023 Kia K5 problems

Fuel system 56Body 14Engine 13Driver assistance 7Brakes 6Electrical 6Seats 5Airbags 4Acceleration 2Suspension 2Tires 2Visibility 2Lights 1Wheels 1

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