What Kia Carnival owners have reported to NHTSA, the service bulletins the manufacturer sent dealers, and any federal defect investigations, by model year. See Kia Carnival safety recalls or check your VIN.
Complaints owners filed with NHTSA, by the model year of the vehicle. A high count can also mean a popular year, so compare it with how many were sold.
| Year | Complaints | Crashes | Fires | Injured | Deaths | TSBs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 48 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 27 |
| 2025 | 190 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 0 | 48 |
| 2024 | 75 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 59 |
| 2023 | 51 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 69 |
| 2022 | 136 | 4 | 0 | 34 | 0 | 96 |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
The vehicle systems named most often in Kia Carnival complaints (one complaint can name several).
In the owners’ own words, as filed with NHTSA. Unverified reports; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
"UPDATE TO EXISTING COMPLAINT NHTSA ID 11747231 LCD CENTER DISPLAY / BACKUP CAMERA FAILURE UPDATE TO NHTSA COMPLAINT ID 11747231 I am submitting an update regarding the same unresolved safety defect reported in NHTSA Complaint ID 11747231 involving my 2025 Kia Carnival SX. Mileage when the problem start approximately 8k miles. The vehicle has now undergone five repair attempts for the same recurring LCD/display failure. Repairs have included replacement of the LCD/display, replacement of the radio/head unit, work involving coaxial connections, and most recently repair of what the dealership diagnosed as âinsufficient pin tension.â Kia Tech Line has also been involved. Most recently, …
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint Vehicle: 2024 Kia Carnival Mileage at Failure: Approximately 74,000 miles Incident Date: [XXX] I am filing this complaint regarding a significant safety-related failure involving the power sliding door on my 2024 Kia Carnival. On [XXX], the driver side passenger power sliding door became completely inoperable due to a latch and actuator failure. Prior to service, the door was stuck in the closed position and could not be opened through normal operation. The vehicle was brought to Kia of Columbia, Connecticut, for evaluation. During diagnosis, the service technician was required to force the door open. Once opened, the door could no longer be closed. The dealers…
The battery is draining due to external things but itâs not attached to anything and now all screens in the car flash on and off and go black including speedometer
I had to slam on my brakes and the car went into Limp Mode, not allowing acceleration above 20 MPh. I drove for a while and then pulled into a parking lot and turned off the car and back on again. I was able to achieve normal acceleration after turning the car back on. We felt unsafe having no control over our speed and cars honking and racing around us. I am afraid to drive my family in this car for fear of having to slam on my brakes at a highway intersection or off/on ramp, which could cause a fatal crash. A Kia dealership is performing a diagnostic now and will advise. The vehicle has not been inspected by another agency. No warning lights went on that I can recall.
2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid SX. The digital instrument cluster intermittently flickers, goes blank, and displays âNO SIGNALâ while driving, potentially causing loss of access to speed, gauges, warning indicators, and other safety information. The failures occur unpredictably. I initially noticed the issue after the vehicle had been parked in the sun and the dashboard was very hot, but I do not know whether temperature is related. I first brought the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealer in August 2026. The dealer documented and verified my complaint. The repair order states that moving the monitor caused it to flicker and display âNo Signal.â The dealer identified Kia campaign SC361R1 …
On XXX, the passenger-side power sliding door of my 2024 Kia Carnival EX closed on my [XXX] childâs torso/chest while she was exiting the vehicle and did not stop or reverse before trapping her. I had walked toward the house and reached the garage when I heard an extremely loud scream of pain. I immediately ran back to the vehicle. When I reached her, I personally observed that her torso/stomach was still pinned against the vehicle by the closed power sliding door. She could not move herself away. I had to press the power door button to open the door and release her. She immediately had pain and visible linear red pressure/abrasion marks on her chest/rib area, followed by bruising. She r…
On June 20, 2026, the instrument cluster in my 2022 Kia Carnival became completely inoperative. The failure prevents me from viewing vehicle speed, fuel level, gear position, warning indicators, mileage, and other information normally displayed by the cluster. Because the cluster is the driver's primary source for operating and warning information, I believe the complete loss of the display creates a safety risk while driving. An authorized Kia dealership confirmed the failure on August 17, 2026. The dealer documented the complaint as âcluster inopâ and âunable to get miles.â The technician found no diagnostic trouble codes and checked the fuse, wiring harness, and connectors, all of…
Fuel door actuator is electrically tied to cabin door locks with no manual release and frequently fails to open after repeatedly cycling cabin door locks. Issue is not due to bad batteries or other vehicle related electrical faults. Manufacturer has confirmed defect is present in all Kia models from 2020 until now with no after warranty support.
Repair instructions and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about known issues. A TSB is not a recall, and the repair is usually free only while the car is under warranty; ask your dealer for the bulletin number.
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (WTY048) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to the horn assembly in certain 2022-2024 MY Carnival vehicles from 5 years / 60,000 miles to 10 years / 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, starting from the date the vehicle was first put into service. This warranty extension is to address a horn sound malfunction condition free of charge at no cost to the customer.
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY048) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is s extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to the horn assembly for certain 2022-2024 MY Carnival vehicles manufactured from January 4, 2021 through July 4, 2024, from 5 years / 60,000 miles to 10 years / 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the date the vehicle was first put into service. This warranty extension is to address a horn sound malfunction condition.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY048) - This bulletin provides information associated with the Warranty Extension Program (WTY048) to inspect and, if necessary, replace both the high-pitch and low-pitch horn assemblies on certain 2022-2024MY Carnival (KA4) vehicles produced from January 4, 2021 through July 4, 2024. The affected vehicles may experience a distorted or inoperative horn sound caused by excessive moisture and dust exposure over time. The warranty coverage for repairs related to the horn assembly has been extended from 5 years / 60,000 miles to 1
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (WTY048) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Warranty Extension Campaign WTY048.
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (WTY048) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to the horn assembly for certain 2022-2024 MY Carnival vehicles manufactured from January 4, 2021 through July 4, 2024, from 5 years / 60,000 miles to 10 years / 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, from the date the vehicle was first put into service. This warranty extension is to address a horn sound malfunction condition.
IMPORTANT REMINDER: OWNER NOTIFICATION: CARNIVAL POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE (KA4PSD2 FLIGHT#105) - This document is the owner notification advising Kia's ongoing commitment to providing vehicle owners with a superior ownership experience. We would like to remind vehicle owners about the proper use of the power sliding door and its automatic stop and reversal feature in the Kia Carnival. The power sliding door feature is designed to enhance accessibility and ease of use, but itâs important to understand its functions and limitations to ensure safe and reliable operation.
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY Carnival, EV9, K5 and Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicleâs network communication performance.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 2ND ROW SEAT (LH & RH) FOLDING TENSION SPRING REPLACEMENT (PI2602) - This bulletin provides information to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during the operation on certain 2022-2026MY Carnival (KA4) produced from 1/4/2021 through 4/14/2026 and certain 2025-2026MY Carnival Hybrid (KA4 HEV) vehicles produced from 5/21/2024 through 4/8/2026. To aid in the manual adjustment of the outboard second-row seatback in the subject vehicles, the seats are equipped with r
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2602) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign on certain 2022-2026 MY Carnival and certain 2025-2026 MY Carnival Hybrid (HEV) vehicles, equipped with manual (folding) second-row seats, to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during operation.
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (PI2602) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Product Improvement Campaign PI2602.
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS AND SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (PI2602) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during operation in certain 2022-2026 MY Carnival vehicles manufactured from January 4, 2021 through April 14, 2026 and certain 2025-2026 MY Carnival Hybrid (HEV) vehicles manufactured from May 21, 2024 through April 8, 2026.
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (PI2602) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during operation in certain 2022-2026 MY Carnival vehicles manufactured from January 4, 2021 through April 14, 2026 and certain 2025-2026 MY Carnival Hybrid (HEV) vehicles manufactured from May 21, 2024 through April 8, 2026.
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opens these when complaints point to a possible safety defect. Many end in a recall.
On April 10, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving 5 consumer complaints alleging the Power Sliding Doors (PSD) auto-reverse function failed to work properly in the model year (MY) 2022 Kia Carnival minivan vehicles.At that time, ODI was aware of 3 complaints alleging injuries to consumer?s arm, hand or shoulder caused by the closing PSD.Additionally, consumers alleged being trapped against the closing door while it was traversing
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation public data (complaints, manufacturer communications, investigations), model years 2010 and later. Had a safety problem? Report it to NHTSA.
In complaints filed with NHTSA for model years 2021–2026, owners most often name: electrical system, unknown or other, engine. 500 complaints are on record.
No. A complaint is an unverified report from an owner. A technical service bulletin (TSB) is the manufacturer telling dealers how to fix a known issue; it is not a safety recall and is usually covered only under warranty. A recall is a formal safety action, and its repair is free.
File a vehicle safety complaint at NHTSA.gov. NHTSA reads every report, and patterns of complaints are what open defect investigations and, eventually, recalls.
