Kia Optima transmission price snapshot
- Low
- $75
- Average
- $687
- High
- $2,486
Vehicle-specific price guide
How much is a used Kia Optima transmission?
Asking prices from 583 salvage yards in 44 states, broken down by model year, condition grade, and fitment variant.
SKWritten bySaurabh Kumar · Co-Founder & CTO
SK
Saurabh Kumar
Co-Founder & CTO, Part Price Guide
Built the pricing pipeline that collects and normalizes used OEM part listings from salvage yards and online marketplaces across the US.
ASReviewed byAmbika Sharma · Co-Founder & COO
Last updatedOct 31, 2026AS
Ambika Sharma
Co-Founder & COO, Part Price Guide
12 years of project management and technical operations experience. Reviews price guides for sample size, fitment accuracy, and data freshness.
Part overview
About the Kia Optima transmission
What the transmission does, common failure signs, and prices across all vehicles: used transmission price guide →
Also known asGearboxTransaxle
Price summary
A used Kia Optima transmission costs $75 to $2,486, with a median asking price of $431. Based on 1,489 priced salvage yard listings across the US, compatible across 2011–2020 (10 model years), updated Oct 31, 2026. Prices exclude shipping, core charges, and installation.
Grade A (excellent)$429
Grade B (good)$750
Grade C (fair)$850
USD
Condition comparison
Price by part grade
Grade AClean / low wear$75–$2,4861,089 listings
Grade BStandard used$150–$2,162218 listings
Grade CVisible wear$150–$8502 listings
Grade XUngraded$100–$2,332180 listings
| Grade | Price range | Relative range | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grade AClean / low wear | $75–$2,486 | 1,089 | |
| Grade BStandard used | $150–$2,162 | 218 | |
| Grade CVisible wear | $150–$850 | 2 | |
| Grade XUngraded | $100–$2,332 | 180 |
Median by grade
Grade price comparison
Grade A$429
Grade B$750
Grade C$850
Ungraded$375
Median asking price by seller-reported condition grade · $75–$2,486 overall range
Regional supply
Where the Kia Optima transmission is listed
We found priced Kia Optima transmission listings at 583 salvage yards across 44 states. California supplies the most, with 585 listings (17% of the total) from 78 yards. Location matters: yards in Illinois ask a median $294, while Michigan yards ask $760, 159% more for the same part. Shipping usually costs less than that gap for smaller parts, so it can pay to buy out of state.
| State | Listings | Yards | Median ask |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | 585 | 78 | $500+16% |
| Florida | 331 | 46 | $402-7% |
| Illinois | 257 | 29 | $294-32% |
| Texas | 190 | 27 | $294-32% |
| New Jersey | 126 | 22 | $600+39% |
| Arizona | 125 | 13 | $300-30% |
| Michigan | 124 | 25 | $760+76% |
| North Carolina | 114 | 25 | $470+9% |
States with at least 10 priced listings. % is versus the $431 national median.
Replacement cost
What is the Kia Optima transmission replacement cost?
- Used part
- $431
- Kia Optima median asking price
- Labor
- $570–$1,800
- 6–12 hours at $95–$150/hr
- Estimated total
- $1,000–$2,230
- median used part + labor
Labor is a typical independent-shop range for transmission replacement, not a quote for your vehicle; it does not include transmission fluid and filter, and a torque converter check on automatics. The part price is the live median from the salvage-yard listings on this page. Full transmission replacement cost breakdown
Sources
- Labor time estimates: Part Price Guide labor database
(AT), Korea built (VIN K, 1st digit), (2.0L), VIN D (8th digit, plug-in hybrid)36 listingsInterchange 2016–2019$950$668 – $1,963
(AT), Korea built (VIN K, 1st digit), (2.0L), VIN C (8th digit, hybrid)31 listingsInterchange 2016–2019$448$268 – $750
(AT), Korea built (VIN K, 1st digit), (2.0L), VIN E (8th digit, hybrid)31 listingsInterchange 2016–2019$448$268 – $750
Model-year comparison
What does a Kia Optima transmission cost by year?
Market analysis
How much does a used Kia Optima transmission cost?
Asking prices for a used Kia Optima transmission are unusually spread out: the top listing asks more than ten times what the cheapest does, so which unit you pick matters more than the median.
Fitment variant moves the price more than most buyers expect. The most affordable variant we track, (AT), US built (VIN 5, 1st digit), 2.4L, lists at a $228 median, while (AT), US built (VIN 5, 1st digit), 1.6L commands $1,618, a 610% gap inside the same part category. Confirm which variant your VIN requires before comparing quotes.
Model year matters too: 2015 units carry the lowest median at $330, while 2020 tops the table at $575. Parts from 2011–2018 are interchangeable, so if the 2015 fits your vehicle, it offers the best value across 7 compatible years.
Against comparable vehicles, the Kia Optima sits 38% below the Ram 1500 ($700), 83% below the Chevy Silverado 1500 ($2,563), and 79% below the Ford F150 ($2,060) for the same part. The “similar vehicles” cards below open each comparison guide.
Buying a used transmission: what to check
- Ask for the donor mileage. Under 80K miles leaves significantly more service life.
- Confirm the torque converter is included with automatics; most yards include it, but verify.
- Match engine and drivetrain exactly. A CVT from a base trim won't fit a manual sport trim.
- Ask if the unit was test-driven or fluid-inspected before the donor was dismantled.
- Plan a fluid and filter change at install. Old fluid in a good unit causes avoidable failures.
Keep browsing this vehicle
What other Kia Optima parts are priced?
01wide ±151%
Tail Light
$124median
$26$400
02wide ±228%
Side Mirror
$136median
$30$650
03wide ±242%
Wheels
$119median
$25$600
04wide ±217%
Grille
$140median
$30$638
05wide ±202%
Axle Shaft
$105median
$25$450
06wide ±173%
Headlight Assembly
$450median
$110$1,670
07wide ±93%
Engine
$3,000median
$450$6,017
08wide ±211%
Radiator
$110median
$35$500
09wide ±173%
AC Condenser
$110median
$40$420
10wide ±201%
Strut
$75median
$20$321
11wide ±148%
AC Compressor
$125median
$40$410
12wide ±157%
Steering Rack
$150median
$40$510
Price comparisons
Compare Kia Optima transmission prices
Transmissioncompare
Ram3500vsKiaOptima
3500$3,444
Optima$431
$3,013 diff6,400 listings
TransmissioncompareFordF250vsKiaOptima
F250$3,525
Optima$431
$3,094 diff6,081 listings
TransmissioncompareHyundaiElantravsKiaOptima
Elantra$998
Optima$431
$567 diff5,139 listings
TransmissioncompareVolkswagenJettavsKiaOptima
Jetta$850
Optima$431
$419 diff5,138 listings
TransmissioncompareFordTransitvsKiaOptima
Transit$2,650
Optima$431
$2,219 diff4,868 listings
TransmissioncompareHondaCivicvsKiaOptima
Civic$790
Optima$431
$359 diff4,349 listings
Compare fitments
What do similar vehicles charge for this part?
BMWwide ±213%
BMW X3
$943median
$159$4,175
BMWwide ±256%
BMW X5
$1,821median
$300$9,609
Chevywide ±205%
Chevy Equinox
$700median
$120$2,993
Chevywide ±108%
Chevy Malibu
$1,946median
$405$4,614
Chevywide ±82%
Chevy Silverado 1500
$2,563median
$1,227$5,450
Chevywide ±73%
Chevy Tahoe
$2,595median
$1,350$5,144
Chevywide ±75%
Chevy Traverse
$2,898median
$750$5,097
Dodgewide ±288%
Dodge Challenger
$1,798median
$303$10,666
Dodgewide ±304%
Dodge Charger
$750median
$147$4,700
Kiawide ±289%
Kia Forte
$451median
$95$2,700
Kiawide ±285%
Kia Sorento
$785median
$131$4,599
Kiawide ±274%
Kia Soul
$750median
$125$4,235
Common questions
Kia Optima transmission FAQ
How much is a used transmission for a Kia Optima?
The median asking price is $431 across 1,489 priced listings from 583 yards. Grade-A units, the cleanest stock, have a median of $429. 2015 is the cheapest model year we track, with a median of $330.
How much does it cost to replace a Kia Optima transmission?
Using a used part, a Kia Optima transmission replacement typically runs $1,000–$2,230 all-in: the median used transmission for this model lists at $431, and independent-shop labor for transmission replacement typically takes 6–12 hours at $95–$150/hr ($570–$1,800). The labor figure does not include transmission fluid and filter, and a torque converter check on automatics. Labor is a national part-level estimate, not a quote for your vehicle.
Which Kia Optima model years does this price guide cover?
This guide currently has year-level pricing for 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015. Other model years contribute to the overall range where sellers listed them without a year breakdown.
Which Kia Optima transmission years are interchangeable?
Salvage-yard interchange data links Kia Optima transmission fitments across 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. Searching all 10 years widens the pool of units; confirm the part number against your VIN, since trim or drivetrain can split an interchange group.