Kia · NHTSA safety record
Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.
57
Complaints
1
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
Owners of the 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid have filed 57 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2024 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is vehicle speed control, named in 22 of them (39%). The typical failure was reported at 2,500 miles, the median across the 3 complaints that gave an odometer reading.
No recall campaign was matched to this year, make and model. That is not the same as a clean vehicle: recalls are issued against production ranges, and the only reliable check is your own VIN.
Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 57.
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2025 at 38.
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.
1 injured
Sometimes when I start the engine the sliding doors does a quick open and closes. Told the dealership about it and they couldn’t fix the problem. It’s annoying but I Didn’t really have an issue until my [XXX] old got hit on the head by the sliding door. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11673997. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
1 injured
While my 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid was parked, my [XXX] child attempted to unbuckle the rear passenger seat belt to exit the vehicle. The buckle mechanism jammed completely and would not release. The seat belt retractor then switched into Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode, continuously tightening and squeezing my child against the seat. Due to the jammed buckle and the aggressive ratcheting of the belt, my child was nearly choked, and I could not create enough slack to free them. I was forced to call 911, and responding emergency services had to physically cut the seat belt to extract my child safely from the vehicle." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT
NHTSA complaint 11752564, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
fire
I had two very serious incidents. July 8th: Horn just started blaring unprompted. Locking/unlocking doors, turning motor on, disconnecting battery did nothing to stop it. I was trying everything and as I was trying to find the correct fuse to disable (it wasn't labeled), the horn burned out and started smoldering. If the car was not in my driveway AND I wasn't home, I believe a fire would have started if I didn't pull the fuse AND douse it with water. It was parked next to my garage, so that would have been at risk as well. July 11th: When driving, my brake line burst resulting in a complete failure of my brakes. I narrowly escaped two accidents before I realized something was amiss. But
NHTSA complaint 11752483, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
crash
While coasting at very low speed with foot off accelerator or brake, into a crowded parking spot, the brakes failed after foot applied to the brake petal. This caused our vehicle to collide with a vehicle in front of us, pushing it a few feet backwards. Despite strong effort to push brake pedal down further, car would not stop. Pushed circular park button simultaneously with emergency brake tab which we believe ultimately stopped the car. No usual parking system alerts, beeps, lights, etc., turned on during the collision or near pre-collision. Finally, when car reversed to go home, the car made an unusual jerking movement without the usual reverse 'beeping' noise for the hybrid. Car then
NHTSA complaint 11653011, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
NHTSA complaint 11756260, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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.
NHTSA complaint 11756017. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
My 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid is experiencing repeated electrical and hybrid battery failures. The battery has died multiple times, and the vehicle has shut off while driving, including at higher speeds. When the vehicle shuts off, all electrical systems reset, warning lights flash, and the dashboard displays “User Authorization” notifications. This creates a serious safety hazard for me and my passengers. The defect has occurred multiple times and remains unresolved despite dealer visits. Kia corporate is not responding and is redirecting me back to BBB Auto Line without providing any repair plan. The defect is ongoing and poses a risk of crash, injury, or loss of vehicle control. These
NHTSA complaint 11752888, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
On five separate occasions, while turning onto a high-speed roadway and attempting to accelerate to the flow of traffic, the vehicle suddenly lost the ability to accelerate. Despite pressing the accelerator, the vehicle would not exceed approximately 35 mph and then began to decelerate. During both incidents, a "Check Hybrid System" warning appeared, and I was forced to quickly pull over to the side of the high-speed road. The vehicle would only return to normal operation after it was turned off and restarted. This loss of power while merging into traffic created an extremely dangerous situation. Having three young children in the vehicle made the experience especially frightening, and I no
NHTSA complaint 11749457, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 1 | — |
Every Kia on this site — 176 vehicles, 208 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .
If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.
A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.
Compiled and maintained by guarledes
Independent developer and analyst