Kia Carnival Complaints

515 consumer complaints on file.

#11760279August 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The digital instrument panel display on the right side that shows map direction goes blank or start flickering. Audio also fails to function. When it goes blank, the rear camera also stops showing and causes difficulting in reversing the car. This happens randomly, but mostly once car has driven 10-15 mins or more and not right away. Points to some effect due to heat or vibration since the screen flickering begins once its driven a little bit.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759505August 25, 2026
SEATS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Ac compressor has now failed twice and this will be the third compressor they are going to install. The car was completely shutting off at lights and having other electrical errors that they said was all related to the ac system. The part is now on back order with the company
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759487August 25, 2026
EQUIPMENT
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival with an external Harmar Swing Away Lift, Model Number: AL100, with a mobility scooter attached. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, after driving for two hours on [XXX] approaching Grand Rapids, Michigan, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the driver became aware that the scooter had detached. The driver was able to pull over and became aware that the scooter was in the left bound lane. Other vehicles had to swerve to avoid a crash. Another driver was able to assist with securing the scooter on the vehicle. After the failure, the contact noticed there was a four-inch gap on the lift while lying on a flat surface. The lift was taken to the installer, who confirmed that the lift was working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to another local dealer for further inspection. 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
#11759022August 24, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
For the past year I have taken my vechicle in due to a strong vinegar smell that comes from the AC in the summer upon start up. They have been unable to remedy this issue. However they have said there is mold in the system. This posses a health issue due to poor air quality especially for small children in the vehicle.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11758111August 19, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While driving approximately 70 mph on the highway returning from Door County, 20 miles north of Manitowoc, on a clear day with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s and no other vehicles nearby, the panoramic sunroof glass spontaneously shattered with a loud noise. The middle portion of the glass was sucked outward/up and away from the vehicle. The sunroof had not been used (or we are unsure if it was ever opened more than once or twice since acquiring the vehicle). Immediately afterward we heard significantly increased wind noise. We pulled over, went to a car wash, vacuumed all small glass pieces from the vehicle, and duct-taped around the inside seam to prevent any remaining shards from entering the cabin. The vehicle is only a few months old. No impact, debris, or external object was involved. Photos of the damaged roof and remaining frame have been uploaded.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757763August 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2027 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while initiating vehicle operation, the messages "Check Hybrid System" and "Stop Vehicle and Check Power Supply" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and received the same messages. The dealer stated that the failure was associated with the 12-Volt battery in the vehicle that was low due to being in port for a while; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and stated that the corporate office was working on the remedy, but there was no estimated date when the remedy would become available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11757456August 17, 2026
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
On our 2024 KIA Carnival, which my wife is the primary driver, the blind spot warning on the passenger side does not work all the time. Driver side is 100% okay. She drives on I40 and hwy111 to and from work daily, and when passing on the left, she looks for the red triangle to let her know it is clear to get back in the right lane. It only works about 50% of the time and the dealership has worked on it three times unsuccessfully, so we put in a complaint to KIA corporate in June and they have been very unresponsive. We keep the vehicle clean, so it is not that. She just wants it to be reliable for safety reasons and it is not. It probably just takes a different set of engineering eyes to look at it but KIA seems like a dead end so far. Please help us. Thanks. BTW, the people at the dealership have been very good to us, we just believe engineers at a higher level need to solve this problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756899August 14, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Car will not start after being parked in my garage for 24 to 48 hours. The battery is drained and needs to be jumped. This has happened three times. I am sure that no fob is left in the car, no interior lights are on, no door is ajar, and nothing is plugged into any USB ports.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756998August 14, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Recall SC368 was performed. After the recall repair, I began smelling gasoline. The dealer has diagnosed a separate fuel-system issue requiring multiple parts including replacement of the fuel tank. More details: My vehicle underwent a safety recall for a fuel leak/fire risk. Following that repair, I developed a strong gasoline odor. My Kia dealer has now identified a separate fuel-system problem that requires replacement of multiple components, including the fuel tank. The dealer has informed me that multiple Carnivals in Arizona are experiencing the same problem and that a replacement fuel tank is currently unavailable nationwide. I do not have a repair date and I do not consider the vehicle safe to drive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756260August 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
I am writing to formally report a serious, recurring safety defect involving the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in my vehicle. The system intermittently shuts off completely without warning and suffers from a malfunctioning airflow diverter. This directly impacts driver visibility due to immediate windshield fogging or the inability to de-ice during cold weather conditions. Below are the logged details of the intermittent shutdowns: July 9: System shut off 22 minutes into the drive. Local time: 07:58. Ambient temperature: 76°F. Vehicle settings: 72°F, Fan Speed 3.July 11: System shut off 34 minutes into the drive. Local time: 17:10. Ambient temperature: 92°F. Vehicle settings: Low, Full Blast. Furthermore, the airflow diverter is partially stuck on defrost mode. Air constantly blows onto the front windshield regardless of the chosen setting on the selector. This uncommanded airflow creates rapid temperature differentials on the glass, causing severe condensation and clouding the driver's line of sight during operation. These compounding HVAC failures constitute a significant safety hazard by unexpectedly distracting the driver and severely reducing visibility. I request that these issues be documented and investigated for potential safety recalls. Currently, my vehicle is in the shop with a local KIA dealership. A KIA corporate service technician is on ground and investigating the electrical and HVAC issues. Feel free to reach out for additional observational notes that I have compiled.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756278August 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a complete stop, the vehicle shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and driven back to the residence. The following day, the vehicle shut off again and was restarted after several attempts. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 34,967.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11756017August 10, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
This is a bran new vehicle purchased and only driven by me. I have video evidence that on the morning of 8/10/26 my windshield was perfectly fine. On returning at the end of the work day there is a 2 foot long crack internal to the windshield, a stress crack, that starts where the sensor panel is. There are numerous reports of this happening to a large number of Kia Carnival owners and Kia refusing to warranty this.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755434August 7, 2026
POWER TRAIN, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Detailed information is in the attached pdf file, but in a nutshell, Kia is covering a safety defect in their vehicles by claiming the process is “proprietary”. On several occasions we have lost propulsion, which means we had no control over our vehicle, and Kia’s explanation is simply, “the vehicle is performing as intended “! These incidents always happened at low speeds, just accelerating from a stop, but left us in a precarious situation as we were left in the middle of a busy intersection with no control over our vehicle! Propulsion would eventually return. After surviving several of these failures, I learned the proper thing was to let both pedals return to their idle position and then the vehicle would recover. This is a most difficult thing to accomplish when surrounded by angry drivers! The failures were identified by Google AI as a Brake Override System, also known as Brake Throttle Override. However, Kia already has a very functional Brake Over Accelerator process, so why would they have two similar functions? Kia knows the answer but is refusing to divulge any information regarding the intention or purpose of this mysterious process which makes our vehicle unsafe!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755491August 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
I am writing to formally express my serious concern and disappointment regarding my Kia Carnival Hybrid. Shortly after purchasing the vehicle, with only approximately 6,000 miles on the odometer, the vehicle suddenly stopped operating while I was driving on the freeway. This created a dangerous situation for my family and other motorists. The vehicle had to be towed to an authorized Kia dealership for diagnosis and repair. No warning or message had appeared before the issue. The dealership retained the vehicle for approximately one week and informed us that a PCB (Printed Circuit Board) component had failed and needed to be replaced. After the repair was completed, we were assured that the issue had been resolved and that the vehicle was safe to drive. Unfortunately, after driving only about 50 additional miles, the exact same issue occurred again. The vehicle once again became inoperable, leaving us stranded and raising significant concerns about the reliability, safety, and quality of this vehicle. We towed the vehicle on 6/22/26 and Kia dealership had it till today 8/7/26 and corporate keep saying they working on it but unresponsive.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11755249August 6, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Fuel evap canister leak was suspected due to very strong gas smell inside vehicle. Dealership had to change out entire fuel tank to deal with whatever was leaking. Got the car back, and the next day, the smell was back. Dealership told us not to worry about the smell, that it was normal. Drove one more time and smell was so strong that it made two adults dizzy and nauseous within five minutes. Nausea lasted multiple hours. Parked and had it towed to dealer. After multiple days, still waiting to hear back, service apartment claims they're waiting for research from Kia. Vehicle has been too dangerous to drive so sitting at dealership for nearly 30 days now, total. No warning lights or messages ever came on to notify us of the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754708August 4, 2026
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle, causing the contact’s six children to become dizzy from the odor. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V232000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the remedy failed to fix the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure occurred after the recall repair was performed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the dealer might offer a buyback of the vehicle. The manufacturer opened a case. The failure mileage was 58,425.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754532August 3, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Distracting feature which is dangerous to the operator: The control for the radio volume is the same knob as the control for the air and heating. As a result when you go to turn down the radio or change the volume you often change the fan and temperature... and likewise when you go to change the temperature you inadvertantly change the volume on the radio which is difficult to change back. The constant switching between the Radio control and the temperature/fan control for the car is a huge distraction for a driver who needs to stay focused on the road Thankfully we have not been in an accident at this time, but the distraction is a concern with this vehicle and we felt should be reported for review.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754290August 2, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:BODY, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The floor railings above the battery, that allow the second row seats to slide, get hot. Extremely hot to the touch. Burning my children’s feet. Not sure if it’s related but the a/c does not stay cold when driving long distance and the HV battery just died last month for no reason. Brand new car.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11754169August 1, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The power sliding door on my Kia Carnival has repeatedly failed to reopen when an occupant was caught in the doorway. On multiple occasions, my young child has become trapped by the sliding door after it began closing. Instead of consistently detecting the obstruction and reversing as expected, the door continued to close and pinned my child until an adult intervened. This creates a serious safety hazard because children can become trapped or injured by the power sliding door. The issue has happened several times, making me concerned that the anti-pinch/obstacle detection system is not functioning properly or consistently. The problem appears intermittent but has occurred often enough that I no longer trust the safety feature. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. I am submitting this complaint because I believe this is a widespread safety defect affecting Kia Carnival sliding doors and understand other owners have reported similar incidents. I am concerned that a child could suffer a serious injury if this defect is not addressed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#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

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