Kia Carnival Complaints

397 consumer complaints on file.

#11674719July 19, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
A/C system on my 2024 Kia Carnival failed twice within weeks. First at 60,100 miles, repaired at dealership for $398. Then again shortly after, leaving vehicle undrivable in summer heat. Kia has done nothing despite having a case number (#25267950). This is a recurring failure that affects safety and comfort during high-temperature seasons. I believe this is a manufacturer defect and request a formal investigation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673961July 16, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
The car doesn't start after overnight, or after a period of no usage for a certain time. Push button doesn't start the engine, it takes 25-30 attempts to get it started. It keeps happening almost every day.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11673327July 14, 2025
Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
My child’s seat buckles are still not locking into place. I’ve contacted Nuna and their response was they needed 24-48 hours to find a solution as I’ve already don’t the seat recall solution. But they told me I can’t use this seat for my child. So I’m stuck without a car seat until they find some solution for me. I found this issue because my child was able to move the seat straps on his own, while I was driving down the highway.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11672647July 11, 2025
VISIBILITY/WIPER
My front windshield on my 2022 Kia Carnival has shattered in two places from a small hit. I have owned lots of cars and never had a windshield break in two places all the way across. There must be an issue or problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11671372July 5, 2025
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle vents gasoline fumes into the passenger cabin causing drowsiness, headaches, and impaired cognitive function as well as exposure to a carcinogen. Vehicle has significantly high levels of CO2 inside the cabin at all times (2000-4000ppm) as well as TVOC and HCHO being higher than OSHA allows. Engine temperature gauge does not function properly and sliding doors have closed on myself and my children leaving bruises. If car were to be in an accident it would likely explode. Critical levels of CO2 have caused me to fall asleep while driving on several occasions including on the highway. I have brought car to Kia dealership in Tucson, AZ on 4 occasions, is currently back again for gas smell and high levels of CO2, with no resolution. Dealer manager and service team did confirm gas fumes in cabin and are currently using my CO2 monitor to test for CO2 levels. Vehicle component hasn't been inspected by police, insurance rep., or others. There are no warning lights of any kind on any instance of these occurrences. Images will not upload- email or call.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11670806July 2, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Was driving through a roundabout, at slow speed, and heard a very loud pop, then I felt something poking me on my right arm and it was glass. Looked up and my sunroof was shattered. Nothing above me, nothing falling out of the sky, but totally shattered.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669584June 26, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
I was turning onto a main thoroughfare fare, and the van was slow to accelerate, Engine light briefly blinked, then went off, and then when I was on the interstate I had to pull over the van was running rough. Once I went back on the road, the steering wheel was shuddering and finally the engine smoothed out. This has happened more two other times to me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11669436June 26, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Purchased a 2024 Kia Carnival on Monday, June 2 from a dealership. On Friday, June 6, the battery was dead and I had to have it jumped. I took it to the dealership the next week to have it looked at and they said the battery was fine. A week and a half later, after sitting for two days, the car wouldn't start again. Had it jumped again and took it back to the dealership. They seem to be confused with the issue and said they will need to have the car until the battery dies again so they can see it in "real time". A quick Google search indicates that this is by far not an isolated event. Something is very wrong with the electrical draw.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11667760June 18, 2025
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While I was driving on a highway, my vehicles "check engine" and "batter" lights were illuminated and a warning came across the car screen that said something along the lines of "Battery Management System Failure" and then "Powertrain failure". The car was not able to accelerate by pressing the gas pedal, and the heating/cooling features within the car stopped working. I quickly changed lanes to get to the far left shoulder of the highway, putting other cars at risk of my car that was slowing down to 50mph as I was getting over. When I would press on the gas pedal, nothing would happen. The car did remain on. When the dealership received the car the next morning they conducted what they referred to as a recall, but KIA refers to it as a "Service Action" - SA617 MCU DTC Logic Improvement. This requires a simply software update, which the dealership conducted, and the car was then working just fine, with no issues that I had indicated above. The dealership was Greenway KIA of Rivergate, 1526 Gallatin Rd North, Madison, TN 37115. The warning lights in the car illuminated about 5 seconds before the car was no longer able to accelerate due to the powertrain failure. In talking about the problem with a KIA representative, it was communicated that KIA has looked into this and it didn't pose any serious problems, so they left it as a "Service Action" item, not a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11666909June 14, 2025
ENGINE
On 6-9-25, for the second time in the 10 weeks that I have owned my new 2025 KIA Carnival it has failed to accelerate beyond 30 MPH after pulling away from a traffic light. The vehicle displayed a warning that The Speed Limit Was 30 MPH and would not accelerate beyond that speed. The speed limit was not 30 MPH. I was able to pull onto a side street and take a photo of the warning, I took the vehicle and the photo to Boniface-Hiers KIA on 6-10-25. The dealership was not able to determine the problem but thought it could have some connection with the cruise control system. Once again I was lucky not to be rear ended by the car behind me.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664731June 3, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We have a 2024 kia carnival lx trim. The power sliding door pose a serious safety risk. My [XXX] daughter was getting out of the vehicle and decided to try and climb back in as the door was closing. The door did not detect her body at all and continued to close her head in the door. She was left with a black eye and a smashed blood shot thumb from trying to get her head out of the door. A few days later I was strapping my children into their carseats and was getting ready to step out of the vehicle when my husband turned the vehicle on. The power sliding door stopped closing and started re-opening then closing again. I thought I had enough time to step out but didn't the door closed with my entire adult body in the way without detecting me there. It took for me to excessively force to door to open back up and I now have a shoulder injury from doing so. We really need these doors to be recalled and a proper sensor to be installed on them. Had my daughter been younger than she was things could have been way more serious. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
2
Deaths:
0
#11664391June 2, 2025
STRUCTURE
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the driver's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim flew off and struck the vehicle behind, almost causing a crash. The contact pulled over to the side of the road temporarily. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the vehicle was inspected. The dealer determined that the trim needed to be replaced; however, the repair was not covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 22,023.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11664108May 31, 2025
POWER TRAIN
My car was jerking between 1-2 rpm while driving on the highway, on other roads as well. It was very hard to accelerate and merge with traffic with this issue. Check engine light came on two days later and it’s says it’s the torque converter.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663751May 29, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
The passenger side sliding door would not respond to any button pushed to open the door. Once I get it manually opened, it will not latch upon closure resulting in a beeping and warning in my dash. I can turn off power doors and manually force it to shut and most of the time that works but this specific incident it was not working. I ensured that there was nothing blocking the door from shutting and finally got it to shut and latch. I drove out of the location I was at and the sliding door flew open at about 20mph.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663748May 29, 2025
STRUCTURE:BODY
On [XXX], my kids were getting into the vehicle to go to a playdate. My [XXX] got in the car and into his seat. I was on the driver's side buckling my [XXX] in her car seat and my [XXX] was climbing into the door/her seat on the passenger side. The passenger side sliding door shut on my [XXX] 's hand. I immediately tried to open the door with the button next to the steering column and it would not respond. I then ran around to the other side of the car and used the button on the handle, but the door did not respond to open. I had to manually pull on the handle to force it open off of her hand. No fingers were broken, but the door was shut on her hand completely and she had bruising. 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
#11663660May 29, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, STRUCTURE:BODY
Driver side sliding door closed COMPLETELY on daughter's finger causing significant damage and laceration down to the bone. Required extensive laceration repair.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11663526May 28, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Gas door outside cover would not open which makes it impossible to pump gas. Dealership removed door to enable the ability to pump gas. This then disables the safety feature that keeps the van door from sliding open which a rear passenger may mistakenly open the door and the gas pump hose would be knocked off. if Dealership opens the door to the gas area, and leaves the door to the gas cover ajar slightly to enable the ability to pump gas, this causes an issue if the door is mistakenly opened by a rear passenger, there is no clearance and the door to the gas area would be ripped off. One incident Dec 2023, another incident May 2025
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11661724May 18, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Carnival came with DVD players for kids in the back seat. It contains a volume control that can be controlled by the child. The child at any point can blast the stereo insanely high which can distract the driver and could cause an accident. This needs to be recalled immediately. There is no reason for the sound to be able to be blasted that loud. Then if it happens, there is no fast way to turn it down which causes the driver to fumble. Please look into this immediately as it can effect any owner.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11660327May 12, 2025
LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
The "consider taking a break" feature pops up every 5 minutes when I am driving and it is beyond distracting and leads me to believe I have something wrong with my vehicle. There is no way to turn it off. Please demand that Hyundai/Kia issue a software update so I can turn this off. Thnaks!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11657777April 30, 2025
SEAT BELTS, SEATS
On [XXX], while folding the second-row seatback to access the third row, as the seatback folded forward, it did so with excessive and unexpected speed, causing the seatbelt housing to swing forward and strike my wife, [XXX] , in the head with great force, [XXX] 's face. The impact caused her to momentarily lose consciousness and rendered her unable to move for nearly 30 minutes, during which she remained slumped and dazed in the seat. Fortunately, I was present to support her, preventing further harm. Although we were forced to board a scheduled flight shortly afterward, she continued to experience facial pain, disorientation, and weakness for several hours. We are deeply alarmed that such a hazard exists in a family vehicle, and that no warnings are present in the owner's manual regarding this risk. As a father of three young children, I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences of this design. This type of violent seatback movement combined with a hard, unprotected seatbelt housing could have caused even more catastrophic injuries - especially if it had happened to one of our children. My wife, [XXX] , is still emotionally shaken by the experience, and the trauma has left her fearful of operating the seats at all. This incident has had a significant impact on our family's sense of safety when using the vehicle. 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

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