Kia Carnival Complaints (2026)

55 consumer complaints on file.

#11753681July 30, 2026
POWER TRAIN, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving on an interstate during a heavy summer thunderstorm, the vehicle suddenly displayed a warning stating, "There may be a problem with the Battery Management System," along with a "Check Hybrid System" message. At the same time, the check engine light illuminated and the hybrid system stopped functioning without any prior warning. Approximately 10–15 minutes before the incident, I had driven through approximately 4 inches of standing water on a surface street at a speed of about 25 mph. After entering the interstate and traveling at approximately 65 mph in heavy rain, the hybrid system suddenly disabled itself. Cruise control was not engaged at any point during the trip. Immediately after the warning appeared, the vehicle experienced a significant loss of power and entered what appeared to be a reduced-power (limp) mode. The gasoline engine continued to run, but acceleration was severely limited, making it difficult to maintain speed or accelerate with surrounding highway traffic. This occurred at night, during heavy rain, on a busy interstate.The unexpected reduction in power created a hazardous situation and increased the risk of being struck by other vehicles while attempting to merge or pull over. After I was able to safely stop and restart the vehicle, the "Check Hybrid System" and Battery Management System warning messages disappeared. The vehicle has approximately 6,000 miles and was purchased new. This vehicle is used to transport my family, including my wife and our three young children. I believe this presents a significant safety concern because the sudden loss of power occurred without warning while traveling at highway speed in adverse weather conditions. Even though the vehicle remained drivable, the reduced acceleration made it difficult to safely maintain traffic flow or move to the shoulder, increasing the risk of a collision. I request that this issue be investigated to determine whether there is a defect affecting the hybrid system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753576July 29, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We were driving down [XXX] south towards home and out of nowhere, it sounded like something clapped against our passenger driver's side window. the window completely shattered and then proceeded to fall inwards onto my [XXX] old. It was absolutely traumatizing. Nothing hit us. It just exploded. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751239July 18, 2026
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Hello there - I am a fairly new owner of a KIA carnival hybrid 2026. I leased the vehicle in March'26. I have about 2200 miles put on the vehicle. On XXX at around 11am I was driving the vehicle on the left lane of freeway at ~65 mph and there was a sudden flash of Engine Maintenance service light and the vehicle cut out power to the accelerator pedal and started to bring the vehicle to a stop. This is in the fastest lane of the freeway while there was cars behind me. Luckily there was space to stop on the left side of the lane and I parked my car with the EMS light still on. Mind you that cars were going past me at 65+ mph. This is a major safety concern. I switched off the vehicle and turned it back on and the check engine light was still on but I was able to drive the vehicle to an exit and return home. I had the vehicle switched off for a few hours and when I turned it back on, the check engine light was gone. I scheduled a service at the dealership I purchased and explained the situation, they checked the codes/logs and test drove the vehicle and returned the vehicle back to me saying they cannot duplicate the issue. Whether the issue is resolved or not, I am majorly concerned that the diagnosis is incomplete and this issue can happen anytime on a freeway which is a safety hazard. This should not be happening on a brand new vehicle. I have raised a complaint to KIA corporate as well. There are a lot of other users companing similar issues: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750230July 14, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I own a 2026 Carnival Prestige SX Hybrid and having loss of propulsion problems. After much research, and absolutely no help from KIA, I now think my problem is my foot, size 15, is too large to safely drive this vehicle. My shoe intermittently depresses the brake ever so slightly while I accelerate from a stop. This triggers the Brake-Throttle Override which temporarily cuts propulsion power. The BTO is in all US cars but of the five vehicles (2025-26, different manufacturers) I have driven this past six months, this is the only one that has given me concern for my safety! KIA claims the vehicle is operating as expected! I claim that they have engineered the brake and acceleration pedals too close to each other creating a serious safety issue for those of us with larger foot sizes. The owners manual makes no mention of the BTO function nor how to restore propulsion once the BTO has been activated! While all US vehicles have the BTO function, they vary as to how the function performs. In KIA, once the BTO is triggered, all propulsion is suspended! The BTO was designed to prevent runaway acceleration. In this KIA, they have created a new safety problem because they failed to allow enough space for larger footed individuals room to safely operate their vehicle! KIA needs to introduce a foot size requirement for all prospective buyers or redesign the area around the accelerator and brake pedal so safety is no longer an issue!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750056July 13, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
What component or system failed: The hybrid battery management system (BMS) failed while driving. The dashboard displayed a Battery Management System error along with a lane assist warning. The vehicle then completely lost propulsion, no response from the accelerator pedal, while on an incline, causing the vehicle to roll backward down the hill. The vehicle is currently at the dealership (Kia Temecula) and available for inspection but no one has reached out to me for days. Safety risk: The vehicle lost all forward propulsion while in motion on a hill and began rolling backward, with no ability to accelerate or control forward movement. This posed a serious risk of collision or rollaway accident. I shut the vehicle off and restarted it, which restored partial function for approximately 1 minute before the same failure recurred. Has the problem been reproduced/confirmed: Not yet confirmed by dealer — vehicle was towed to Kia Temecula on 7/12/26 via Kia roadside assistance and is awaiting diagnostic inspection. Dealer scheduling offered August 4, 2026 as the earliest availability, which is unacceptable given the safety nature of the defect. Inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance, etc.: Not yet inspected. Vehicle towed to authorized Kia dealer; diagnostic pending. Warning lamps/messages prior to failure: Yes — Battery Management System error and lane assist function warning appeared on the dash immediately before the vehicle lost propulsion. No prior symptoms were noted before this incident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748140July 3, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving our 1 month old car we intermittently heard a loud clap sound, we assumed it was due to it being a hybrid vehicle. Well on Wednesday we were merging on to the freeway at approx 20 mph when we heard an extremely loud bang and the 3rd window imploded. There was nothing that hit the car, no point of origin for any foreign object, but rather an implosion. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This happened within inches of my child's head and terrified my child. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? We immediately assessed the vehicle was not safe to drive and filed a complaint with Kia Corporate and called the dealership we purchased it from to be assessed and repaired. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It is currently at the dealership. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The only oddity was the intermittent clapping sound we heard randomly over the past few weeks of driving our new van.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747779July 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid – Purchased 9/5/2025 Mileage: 8,450 April 2026- While driving over 60 mph, the vehicle's acceleration failed. A "Hybrid Failure" warning appeared on the dashboard, and the vehicle quickly decelerated. I had seconds to safely cross 3 lanes, and the vehicle had to be towed. The vehicle was at the dealership for 13 days, during which no problem codes were reported, and diagnostic scans appeared normal. No safety feature or diagnostic system reported this failure! I was told to take the vehicle because they had nothing to fix without a diagnostic report. May 2026- I drove the vehicle for a few weeks before this occurred again, with the same warning and complete deceleration. The vehicle was brought to a 2nd dealership, nearest to this incident. They have had the vehicle for 29 days with no safety or diagnostic issues to report and no ability to duplicate the problem. During this occurrence, my daughter was able to video the dashboard and deceleration from the passenger seat. I have provided this video to KIA. The national KIA team is refusing a buy-out option for this vehicle after my family and I have repeatedly been put in danger on the road. It also puts drivers around us in danger as we frantically attempt to proceed to safety while quickly decelerating. It is also extremely alarming that the safety systems and diagnostics do not show that these problems are occurring. While the local dealership has been understanding and professional to date; however, the National brand and its refusal to put safety first, especially on a brand-new vehicle, is unacceptable. We can provide the video and any other documentation you would like. We will be engaging with an attorney after Kia National declined our buyback
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11747450June 30, 2026
BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS, BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING
I am reporting an intermittent but serious safety issue with my Kia Carnival involving the backup camera system. Since approximately May 2026, the rear backup camera has failed more than 10 times. When the issue occurs, the display will either: Show a completely blank screen, Flicker repeatedly, or Turn into a solid green screen. Once the failure begins, it continues even after repeatedly turning the vehicle off and back on. The system only starts working again after the vehicle has remained powered off for several hours. This is a significant safety hazard because when the backup camera fails, the parking assist system/sensors also stop functioning. As a result, while reversing, I lose both the camera view and the audible/object detection assistance. This substantially increases the risk of backing into a pedestrian, child, cyclist, or another vehicle, especially in parking lots and residential areas. The problem has occurred more than 10 times over the past several weeks. I have taken multiple videos clearly documenting the failures, including the blank screen, flickering display, and green screen. I have brought the vehicle to the Kia dealership for inspection. However, because the problem is intermittent and could not be reproduced during their inspection, they stated that they were unable to diagnose or repair the issue. Despite this, I have video evidence demonstrating the recurring failure. This appears to be an intermittent electronic or software defect affecting a critical safety system. A backup camera is an important safety feature intended to help prevent backover crashes. The simultaneous loss of both the camera display and parking sensors creates an unacceptable safety risk. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue to determine whether it represents a broader defect affecting Kia Carnival vehicles and whether a recall or other corrective action is warranted before this defect contributes to a serious injury or fatality.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746424June 25, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2026 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, while avoiding another vehicle that almost crashed into the vehicle, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver, and the front passenger side of the vehicle crashed into a guard rail and the front bumper detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags had not deployed. A Police report was filed. The contact sustained back, neck, and head pain from the impact in the crash. Medical attention was sought, and the contact was diagnosed with a whiplash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,272.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
3
Deaths:
0
#11743596June 11, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
Subject: Safety Complaint – Power Sliding Door Failure Injuring Child (2026 Kia Carnival) I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a 2026 Kia Carnival. During normal use, the vehicle’s automatic power sliding door closed while my [XXX] child was partially outside the vehicle near the door track area. The door continued to close and did not stop or reverse when it encountered my child, resulting in the child being pinned between the sliding door and the vehicle body. I physically intervened by placing my body in the path of the door to stop it and remove my child. The child sustained bruising to the legs and torso. The concern is a potential failure of the anti-pinch / obstruction detection system on the power sliding door, which is intended to prevent this type of injury. I am requesting that this incident be documented and reviewed as a potential safety defect. Vehicle: 2026 Kia Carnival Incident involved: automatic power sliding door failure to reverse upon obstruction Injury: bruising to a [XXX] child (legs and torso) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11742376June 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I had pickup my vehicle from the dealership where it had been since the 29th of May due to a previous incident exactly the same as what occurred this time. The vehicle had been returned to me as the service department could find nothing wrong from the May 29th incident. On my way home from the dealership, the vehicle started the same as on May 29th. When accelerating from a stoplight, I lost all propulsion. After about 60 seconds the vehicle recovered and I turned to go back to the dealership. At the aforementioned intersection (crossing over I35) it again lost propulsion, only this time for a longer period of time. I was in heavy traffic and the car behind me was honking even though I had my hazard warning flashers operating! I made it to the dealership where the service manager agreed to do a ride along. We were about to the end of the ride along when the vehicle lost propulsion power. It wasn’t as severe and recovered quickly. The service manager said he had noticed the brake pedal move at the time I accelerated. His theory was that the brake being applied at the same time as the acceleration cause the computer to get confused and it’s reaction was to remove propulsion. No offer was given to take the vehicle back for further testing. I dropped the service manager off and proceeded to return home, being cognizant of my foot placement and insuring it was well away from the brake when accelerating. KIA Care has so far refused to get involved. While I recognize braking at the time of acceleration is counterproductive, it should not cause a catastrophic propulsion failure. Plus the system sets no flags that it had this event! I have tried recreating this failure by using my left foot on the brake while accelerating with my right. This doesn’t recreate the problem so it must be a timing issue. I do not know if this issue is unique to my vehicle or is shared with other hybrids! If KIA Care refuses to investiga, the lemon law might have to be invoked!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11741107May 31, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We were driving on highway, approximately 2 miles from home, when we suddenly lost power to the drive train. Eventually it started moving again but after a short distance we again lost power to the drive train. It appeared that whenever it transferred from gasoline to hybrid or electric, we would loose power. We were in traffic and this was not a desirable situation. We applied hazard flashers and were able to limp home. We had no way to lock the hybrid into gasoline mode so every time it switch to electric we stalled out and had to wait several minutes before it would transfer back to gasoline mode. Vehicle is currently at dealership for repair but at this time they have not run any diagnosis on the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740932May 29, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
While driving a brand new Kia Carnival Hybrid (purchased yesterday), I experienced a severe, life-threatening powertrain acceleration lag from a rolling start. My children were in the car and this was very scary. When attempting to accelerate into oncoming traffic on a wet road surface, the vehicle completely hesitated and dropped power for approximately 1.5 to 2 seconds, leaving the vehicle stranded in the path of oncoming traffic. When the power finally engaged, it delivered a violent surge of torque that caused the front tires to break traction and squeal aggressively. This software-driven hesitation and power-distribution lag represents a severe safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740309May 27, 2026
AIR BAGS, SEAT BELTS
The contact owned a 2026 Kia Carnival. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently hit a deer. The check engine warning light illuminated after the collision. The contact's wife was occupying the front passenger's side seat and the contact's daughter was occupying the rear driver's side seat during the collision. The air bags failed to deploy, and the seat belts failed to retract as needed. There was no reported injury. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody, where it was totaled by the insurance company after further investigation. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle operated as designed upon reviewing pictures of the damaged vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 2,379.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11739601May 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE/BCM, POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a . The contact stated that while parked when the brake was depressed, press start button, when put in reverse, it says gear is selected, the vehicle stayed in neutral. This happens intermittently. The stop button was pressed, all of the instrument panel warning indicators would not illuminate. When pressing p for parking to engage parking, it appeared as if it was in park; however the vehicle unexpectedly reversed. The vehicle was able to be stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the issue could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate mileage was 2,200.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11738682May 19, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Battery died at under 3,300 miles. After roadside came and jumped the batter, it died again after two days. Jumped again for the second time, when driving the car around it would randomly shut off even when the car is moving at higher speeds on freeway. The shut off would be for just one second and comes back on - everything starts resetting. And goes to user authoriztions notifications. Car shut off three times while driving around.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734512April 29, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
-A "Check Hybrid system. Stop safely. " warning has come on 7 times now. The vehicle loses power and slows down abruptly before coming to a complete halt. This has happened on railroad tracks, the highway, and an intersection where my wife and children were almost hit by other motorists. The dealer has not been able to reproduce the code, but we have pictures and videos of said incidents. The vehicle has been inspected by Kia technicians and "fixed" multiple times, but this keeps happening and I will not risk my family's lives any longer. There has been zero warning every time this system failure has occurred. We are undergoing a buyback process with Kia corporate and are prepared to take legal action under Georgia state lemon laws. Thank you for your time.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11731247April 14, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car now auto locks on the vehicle upon exit, even with key fobs in the car. The first few months I had the car this did not happen. I left me keys and phone in the car. I turned vehicle off, exited the vehicle and walked around to get my daughter out of her car seat. After about 5-8 seconds of walking around. The car automatically locked. The key fob was placed in the center console. My 1 year old daughter was left trapped in the vehicle, placing her life in danger. I had to call emergency services and have them open it for me. This is a huge saftey concern. I never changed any setting to allow for this. The car should not auto lock, and definitely should not lock with keys in the vehicle a few seconds after exiting.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728640April 1, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SEATS, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2026 Kia Carnival MPV Hybrid SX Prestige(Exterior: Astra Blue Interior: Tuscan Umber / Off-Black) purchased December 2025. Two separate safety-related defects have gone unresolved for 31+ cumulative days across two dealer repair visits. DEFECT 1 — INSTRUMENT CLUSTER: Instrument cluster screen goes blank while driving, eliminating speedometer, TPMS, and all warning indicators. First observed February 2026. Dealer visit February 13–17 (4 days): technician said could not replicate. Defect recurred. Kia has since issued a federal safety recall confirming this exact defect — citing FMVSS noncompliance and stating the blank screen increases crash risk due to a software error causing overheat protection mode. Vehicle was at dealer for an active safety recall defect that went undiagnosed during a repair visit. DEFECT 2 — SEAT MODULE: Second-row seat module failed. Vehicle returned to dealer March 5 (still there, 27+ days). Wiring harness replacement attempted approximately March 21 — failed, defect persisted. Kia Engineering formally escalated approximately March 24. Seat module ordered but not yet installed. No resolution or completion date provided. Vehicle has been out of service 31+ cumulative days. Safety recall defect went undetected during prior dealer repair visit. Both defects remain unresolved on a vehicle purchased just 97 days ago.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11728404March 31, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sliding Door Sensor Failed My daughter was getting in the van, when her brother hit the door button, if my husband wouldn’t have glanced over at that exact moment and pulled her back, this would’ve been another story. THE SENSOR IS NOT SENSITIVE ENOUGH! We as mothers are demanding sensors sensitive enough to detect smaller, fragile children!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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