Kia bulletin SA648
What it saysThis bulletin has been revised to include additional information. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Jun 26, 2026, received Jun 18, 2026, about the power train — 2 documents under this number: TSB_TRA116_R1, TSB_TRA116. It names 1 model year (2027). A service bulletin is not a safety recall: it is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a condition, and whether the work is paid for depends on the warranty in force. Quoting the number at a service desk can save a diagnosis.
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What the bulletin says
Source: NHTSA's summary of the manufacturer's communicationWhat it applies to, as the document itself states it — the build window in the manufacturer’s own words, read by machine from the PDF NHTSA serves. The build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb; the dealer settles a borderline vehicle by its VIN.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (SA648) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to replace the transaxle assembly on certain 2027MY Telluride Hybrid (LQ2 HEV) vehicles produced from February 02, 2026, through March 20, 2026. The affected vehicles may exhibit a rough 3rd → 4th gear upshift and/or 5th → 4th gear downshift accompanied by an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp with DTC P073500 stored.
Documents filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_TRA116_R1 | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | 11034231 | PDF, 587 KB |
| TSB_TRA116 | Service bulletin | Jun 3, 2026 | 11033995 | PDF, 556 KB |
What the document itself lists
Labour operations and the time the manufacturer allows
| Operation | Description | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 260A21R0 | V 450A1 3U100 1 (SA648) Transaxle Assembly Replacement (2WD) | 4.3 hrs |
| 260A21R1 | V 450A1 3U150 1 (SA648) Transaxle Assembly Replacement (AWD) | 4.6 hrs |
| 260A21R2 | V 450A1 3U100 1 (SA648) Transaxle Assembly Replacement (2WD) | 4.3 hrs |
| 260A21R3 | V 450A1 3U150 1 (SA648) Transaxle Assembly Replacement (AWD) | 4.6 hrs |
Read by machine from the document NHTSA serves (8 pages), read Sep 29, 2026. A part number is shown only where it matches Kia’s own catalogue shape, an operation only with its code and time, and a description only where the reader got it whole; anything it could not settle is left out, and the PDF is the record. Times are the manufacturer’s warranty allowances, not a quote. Listings and prices on eBay Motors are the seller’s.
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The summary is NHTSA’s abstract of the document, as filed under 49 CFR 579.5. One communication is usually filed as several documents — the bulletin, a dealer notice, an owner letter — and the number on any of them finds this page. A PDF link is shown only once NHTSA’s own server has been seen to serve that document; the rest are checked over the following nights. Quote the number at a service desk; it is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Model years it names
Source: as the manufacturer filed themA vehicle page’s bulletin list shows the newest few communications filed against that model year; the count there is every one.
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What owners reported
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseOwners of the 1 model year this bulletin names have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 10 of them name Power Train — the same broad component group this bulletin is filed under. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so that means the same area of the vehicle, not necessarily the same fault.
The contact owns a 2027 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that upon coming to a stop or while accelerating from a stop, the vehicle shifted into neutral(N) and required to manually shift to drive(D).
2027 Kia Telluride · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Oct 22, 2026 · ODI 11773076
A complaint is one owner’s account, not a defect finding, and a bulletin is not a recall. Nothing here says this bulletin was issued because of these complaints, or that the repair it describes fixed them. Complaint files on this site begin in 2015.
More bulletins about the power train
Source: same model, same component group12 other manufacturer communications filed against the Kia Telluride under the same component group (power train), newest first. The eight newest are listed; the rest are on the Kia list.
| Number | Kind | Dated | NHTSA’s summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_CHA129_R1 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (Revision 1) - This bulletin has been revised to include additiona… |
| CA2604 | Service bulletin | Aug 25, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ELECTRIC OIL PUMP REPLACEMENT (CA2604) - This bulletin provides the procedure to replace the Electric Oil Pump… |
| TSB_CHA129 | Service bulletin | May 23, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive… |
| TSB_CHA128_CLSD | Service bulletin | May 23, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 4WD COUPLING NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT) - CLOSED & SUPERSEDED BY CHA129 - This bulletin is now closed an… |
| TSB_CHA128 | Service bulletin | Apr 30, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 4WD COUPLING NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive… |
| TSB_TRA046_R5 | Service bulletin | Apr 17, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/rev… |
| TSB_TRA089_R1 | Service bulletin | Apr 10, 2025 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TCM MIL ON DTC P074100 LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New… |
| SC303Z | Service bulletin | Aug 30, 2024 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: RIGHT FRONT DRIVESHAFT INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (SC303Z) - This bulletin provides in… |
Quote the number at the service desk. It is what the dealer’s system is keyed on.
Every manufacturer communication NHTSA holds for Kia, by the number printed on the letter.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA, 49 CFR 579.5Is Kia SA648 a recall?
No. A service bulletin is a manufacturer communication filed with NHTSA under 49 CFR 579.5; a safety recall carries an NHTSA campaign number (two digits, a letter, six digits) and a federal duty to repair for free. Check the vehicle’s recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls, or on its page here.
Is the SA648 repair free?
Not automatically. A service bulletin describes how to diagnose or repair a condition; who pays depends on the warranty in force, any extension, and the dealer. Quoting the number can save a diagnosis either way. Every Kia warranty extension on file lists the ones Kia has filed.
Which vehicles does SA648 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 1 model year: 2027 Kia Telluride. Whether one particular vehicle is affected is a matter of its VIN and its build, not its model year alone. The document itself sets the build window: 2027MY Telluride Hybrid (LQ2 HEV): built on or after 2 Feb 2026; Telluride Hybrid (LQ2 HEV): built 3 Feb 2026 – 20 Mar 2026 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.