Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the obstacles and challenges of talent management as well as its success factors in Iranian automotive industries. Design/methodology/approach: This research is a kind of discoverer research done by qualitative approach. The methodology to data collection was interview and research sample was 15 manager in automotive industries. Data analysis was carried out by the coding method, and concepts, minor and major contexts were extracted and lastly the conceptual framework was formed. Findings: Based on the findings of the research, framework of obstacles and challenges in talent management was classified into four categories that are structural challenges and barriers, environmental challenges and barriers, behavioral challenges and barriers and lastly managerial challenges and barriers. In addition, the framework of talent management success factors were categorized into three main sections that are structural success factors, environmental success factors and finally managerial success factors. Originality/value: Problem finding of talent management in automotive industry and identifying obstacles, challenges and success factors in talent management with qualitative approach through interviews with experts from the Iranian industries is the research value. © 2017, © Emerald Publishing Limited.