Kia Carnival Complaints (2023)

52 consumer complaints on file.

#11650351March 24, 2025
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
Unknown as to what exactly happened, but my husband put my daughter in her car seat buckled her and was just fine. We arrived to our destination no more than 15 minutes later and her chest clip buckle had busted apart. I do have video of the chest clip and how it was apart, however, as soon as I get the new piece and I will not have it to show due to needing the car seat. I do have video of the incident right after I noticed it and other videos showing the parts and pieces. My daughter ended up having the pieces that you press together to unlock the magnetic chest clip apart in her mouth. The magnet circle was still in the chest clip keeping it closed and locked in place. However, it very easily could have came open and out and her eat the magnet. I have contacted the manufacturer and she let me know that other car seats have had the same problem, but there is no recall. She just said she will send me a replacement piece.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11648937March 18, 2025
SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that the seat belt located in the rear middle row was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the seat belt needed to be replaced. The dealer ordered the part, which was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11642856February 14, 2025
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
The car seat harness fails to stay engaged in a safe and secure position. When tightened to the correct position it becomes loose. I contacted Nuna and they advised I should clean the harness adjuster button from debris but I did that and the harness is still coming loose. I don’t know how many times my children have been transported while wearing this faulty harness over time since purchasing our seats in 2021 but we are in our vehicle daily so my guess is upwards of 100’s of times. The manufacturer refuses to take accountability and recommends we wait indefinitely for a new car seat fabric cover, cleaning kit and instructions to alter the car seat for the purpose of cleaning the harness adjuster button ourselves.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11622340October 28, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The windshield started cracking while the car was parked and continued cracking over the next week. The crack now runs from the center top, 3/4 of the way across the driver's side
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11616158September 24, 2024
STEERING
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that an unknown fluid was leaking from the left side of the steering column while driving at various speeds. The contact took the vehicle to a dealer where the parts on the steering column were wiped down and the contact was instructed to return the vehicle to the dealer if the failure persisted. The failure returned and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer. A diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced; however, the part for repair was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 10,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11608607August 14, 2024
VISIBILITY/WIPER
My 2023 KIA Carnival has a windshield cracked even without hitting rock or anything. My vehicle was parked on the driveway overnight. I can prove that the damage occurred without the car moving. I have this issue on my dash cam too. The data is saved with date and time. Kia Findlay Las Vegas refuses repair. It's not an official recall about this problem. But Similar cases can be read on the Internet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11605645July 31, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rails in the middle row where the seats connect to, get extremely hot to the point where it is very hot to touch. This is a safety issue that could potentially cause a fire and/or burn my children’s’ feet. It doesn’t matter if the car has been driven for a short period of time or on a long trip, regardless the rails get very hot
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11598816July 4, 2024
ENGINE
We drove an hour then sat in the car while it was on for about 30 minutes. The gas tank was 14% full. We started driving again down a bit of a hill & got to a stop light. The car started beeping & said “engine off! Switch to N then start engine” We turned the car off and back on & it started working.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11595394June 19, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY
Gas door does not open. It is faulty and won’t open when car is locked or unlocked. Unable to open to add fuel to vehicle. It has been giving issues for 3 months. This seems to be a VERY common problem with all KIA Carnivals.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11592689June 5, 2024
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The metal rails on the floor where the seats slide are very hot and we are afraid it will run our children. It is more in the center near the second row.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11590913May 27, 2024
STRUCTURE:BODY, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The driver’s side sliding door was closing and crushed my wife between the door and B pillar. It did not retract upon encountering the resistance of my wife’s body, and continued to close. She has bruising on her arm, and shoulder pain. When submitting this report on the NHTSA website, there is a recall for this exact issue. We have not had the vehicle examined as it is a holiday weekend, and the dealer is closed. Medical attention will be pursued if the pain and bruising does not subside.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11559445December 11, 2023
SEAT BELTS
Kia Carnival's 2nd row seta pretensioners are not working. In the vent of suddent breaks, the seat belts are not latching, and hence not holding the kids in the seats. We have faced this issue several times. Once my daughter came out of seat completely, since the seat belt didn't latch the belt. We took to the dealership(Kings Kia, Mason, OH), the technician agreed, there is problem with 2 seats, however, there is problem with all 3 seats. The dealership said they are still waiting for Kia corporate to send the new seat belt latch system, but there is no response from Kia yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11541931August 31, 2023
LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: STEERING ASSIST, STEERING:COLUMN
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated there was oil leaking from the vehicle onto the floorboard nearby the brake pedal. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that a seal for the steering column was leaking and could cause the steering wheel to seize while driving. The Lane Keep Assist and Steering Assist would deactivate independently. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 3,337.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11540995August 27, 2023
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
The vehicle throws a forward collision warning and then suddenly brakes to slow down while driving with no road hazard in front. This occurs about once every 10 days. This is a safety hazard because the forward collision warning has to be turned off every time the car is turned on. It will not stay off. During sudden braking, an accident may occur behind the vehicle. We have left the car at the dealer for 3 days while paying for a rental car and they said they could not reproduce the error. I have contacted KIA through their website about a week ago and have received no response. I have video evidence of this problem occuring on dashcam.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11538635August 15, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have an issue that involves the metal railings in the center of the vehicle (on the floor) to get hot enough to burn and blister you. I filed a complaint with Kia which opened a case. I also took my vehicle in and this issue was verified by their mechanic. I was assigned a case number and after the employee on my case spoke with the enginer team it was determined that the only option for me was to purchase mats to cover the metal railings. I purchased both all weather and fabric mats when i purchased the vehicle. these mats do not cover the railing nor would you want them to. it would prevent the seats from moving forward and back and it would also be a fire risk. I have tried to find a solution with kia with no success. There are other forums of people complaining of the same issue such as this one https:// [XXX] I just purchased my car brand new and Kia has put me in a position to just deal with these safety issues. Besides mats that i already have the suggestion was to just not touch the rails that are on the floor where you put your feet. I put 10,000 down on a brand-new vehicle because i had the intentions of keeping it long term. now im in a position where I have to look for a safer vehicle with no help from KIA. This complaint may not help me but maybe it can help someone else. 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
#11535166July 28, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
Purchased in Aug 2022 brand new I express concern very early on that the back door would reopen after starting the car I express concern about shifting/breaking being automatic/ice light coming on when you hit bumps coming in parking lots and the doors not unlocking. All were evaluated and basically all for nothing “ could not be duplicated” I called, left voicemails, emailed the dealership with concerns Advised there was a recall on Back door which was one of my complaints did recall update still and issue The back door should not re open and stay open that is not a safety feature this day and age it’s asking to be mug, robbed ect. After the 3rd time in a week happening I called the dealership spoke to the president and advised I no longer felt safe I just want to turn in the lease have it bought back and my down payment returned. I have 3 children safety features they claim are not safe in my eyes. One example driving by myself out of a parking lot the back door reopened as I was backing out and I assumed it would just reshut - no it stayed wide open. No movement. No unlocking, turning off after auto start under a few mins. I called Kia and have yet to speak to the agent, phone tag, no emails back. Reviews online show multiple people have these issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11529374June 28, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The metal rails where the middle seat of the middle row is located occasionally gets too hot to touch. My daughter who was sleep had her sandals off. She woke up because her foot was hot. Shortly after her toe blistered. You won’t notice it if you have shoes on. It has happened while we were traveling and it happens when we’re just idle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11526804June 13, 2023
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Unknown. My vehicle has cut off in the middle of traffic several times. Another incident was when my vehicle was shaking uncontrollably and couldn't go over 40. The check engine light never comes on. One dealership looked at it and said nothing was wrong even though one of the techs heard the vehicle. They said because the check engine light wasn't on that there was nothing that they could do. Took it to the kia dealership in Huntsville. They know something is wrong but because no check engine light or codes. They don't know where the problem is . My main issue is when something is wrong. No lights or codes show up. I haven't had it a year yet. Safety concerns with it cutting off in the middle of traffic .
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11521238May 9, 2023
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact's daughter owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH, within 48 hours of purchasing the vehicle brand new, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the brakes and power steering became inoperable. Several unknown warning lights illuminated, and alarms sounded. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure, and that the manufacturer was working on a fix. The contact stated that the taillights also failed to work intermittently. The contact also stated that the reverse lights would engage unintendedly. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was due to a system update error and that the fix was currently being developed. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11520607May 5, 2023
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, STRUCTURE:BODY
The tailgate door attempted to close on my head when I was putting something in the trunk when my husband walked away with the key. I had a key with me too.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

← Back to Kia Carnival