Kia bulletin TSB_CHA129_R1
What it saysAWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (Revision 1) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. NHTSA’s full summary ↓
Kia filed this with NHTSA as a service bulletin dated Sep 23, 2026, received Sep 30, 2026, about the power train. It names 6 model years (2020–2025). 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: AWD COUPLER NOISE/VIBRATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (Revision 1) - 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 upgrade the 4-Wheel Drive ‘4WD’ system software on some 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON) vehicles produced from January 08, 2019 through December 17, 2025. The affected vehicles may exhibit a noise and/or a vibration, shudder, jerking, binding, or chattering sensation while turning at low speeds (10MPH – 15MPH). This concern may be caused by decreased oil friction within AWD coupling due to continuous vehicle operation in harsh conditions (high/low ambient temperatures, extended duration/distance driving).
Document filed under this number
| Document | Kind | Dated | NHTSA id | At NHTSA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TSB_CHA129_R1 | Service bulletin | Sep 23, 2026 | 11037610 | PDF, 506 KB |
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 6 model years this bulletin names have filed 2,030 complaints with NHTSA since 2015. 156 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.
On the 2020 Kia Telluride, the 13 owners who gave an odometer reading for Power Train reported it at a median of 9,500 miles. That figure is one model year’s, not the whole range this bulletin covers — medians from different model years are not averaged.
My new AWD 2022 Kia Telluride vibration/ humming at 65 mph and above from day 1. It’s been in service 5 times and they are not able to fix the problem. The dealership we bought it from didn’t even admit there is a problem so we had to take it to another dealership which actually admitted there is a problem.
2022 Kia Telluride · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Dec 24, 2021 · ODI 11444915
Shortly after purchasing this AWD vehicle, there is a distinct vibration at highway speeds. The vibration starts at 67 MPH and is there until speeds exceed 75 MPH, where things start to smooth out once again. There is also an odd noise inside the vehicle while the vehicle is traveling in this speed range.
2020 Kia Telluride · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Aug 30, 2019 · ODI 11252376
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
2023 Kia Telluride · Power Train · filed with NHTSA Apr 22, 2023 · ODI 11518474
In depth: 2020 Kia Telluride transmission and drivetrain problems →
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 group13 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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… |
| SA648 | Service bulletin | Jun 26, 2026 | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: TRANSAXLE ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT (SA648) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional in… |
| 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 TSB_CHA129_R1 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 TSB_CHA129_R1 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 TSB_CHA129_R1 cover?
The manufacturer filed it against 6 model years: 2025 Kia Telluride, 2024 Kia Telluride, 2023 Kia Telluride, 2022 Kia Telluride, 2021 Kia Telluride, 2020 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: 2020-2025MY Telluride (ON): built 8 Jan 2019 – 17 Dec 2025; Telluride (ON): built 8 Jan 2019 – 17 Dec 2025 — the build date is on the certification label in the driver’s door jamb.