Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government
holds on this vehicle.
Owners have filed 124 safety complaints
about the 2025 Kia Carnival with the US government. Of those, 5 people were injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the gasoline fuel system.
The most complained-about system is the electrical system,
named in 82 complaints, 66% of the total.
The typical failure was reported at 13,000 miles,
the median across the 6
complaints that gave
an odometer reading.
Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files
· Covers July 2024 to September 2026 · How this is counted
What is on file
124 complaints on file
124
Complaints
0
Describe a crash
0
Mention fire
5
People injured
0
Deaths
A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a
finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts
them.
A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free.
Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can
answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a
model year.
Which system owners named
Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 82 · 66%
82 66%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 19 · 15%
19 15%
ENGINE 15 · 12%
15 12%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 8 · 6%
8 6%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 5 · 4%
5 4%
POWER TRAIN 5 · 4%
5 4%
SEATS 4 · 3%
4 3%
STRUCTURE 4 · 3%
4 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 3 · 2%
3 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 3 · 2%
3 2%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 2%
3 2%
AIR BAGS 2 · 2%
2 2%
03569
Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it.
One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 124.
When the complaints arrived
By the year NHTSA received them
By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures
happened. They peaked in 2024 at 55.
60 45 30 15
242024252025262026
This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure
happened. The range runs from 2024 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program
NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what
happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2025 Kia CARNIVAL, and it is a separate
question from what owners report going wrong later.
Test
PV FWD
Overall
Not rated
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Not rated
Side barrier
Not rated
Side pole
Not rated
Rollover
Chance of rollover
14.0%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard
A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.
Recall campaigns
1 on file
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.
The risk
A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 2, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC368. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 24, 2026.
Kia America, Inc. · up to 141,032 vehicles across all model years covered
In owners’ own words
Quoted from the complaint file
Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the
people who filed them, not findings of fault.
SEAT BELTS
1 injured
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11657777, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
STRUCTURE:BODY
1 injured
The passenger sliding door pinch sensor did activate; but not before child’s hand was pinched in door and it almost drew blood. Door closes forcefully I have noticed compared to other minivan experiences I have with automatic doors. Quite a bit of force is needed to activate the sensor and cause the door to open back up. It needs to be more sensitive to avoid injury.
NHTSA complaint 11674907. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 injured
Today, my young daughter pressed the button on the inside of the door to close the sliding door. Her hand was still in the way and the door did not stop. Part of her hand was completely closed in the door and she screamed and cried in excruciating pain. Right away I noticed bruising and took her to the ER for an X-ray. Since she is so young, her bones are very pliable and thank goodness the X-ray showed no fracture, just bruising and swelling. The sliding door has previously not stopped for my older daughters as well. This is a major safety issue.
NHTSA complaint 11723970. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1 injured
Passenger sliding door failed to detect my son and closed completely on his arm. The doors will push the kids and don’t detect even adults at times. He now has a buckle fracture that they are concerned is a full fracture in both bone on his forearm. He is [XXX] old. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11737299. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
TIRES:TREAD/BELT
On August 31, 2026, while traveling eastbound on I-14/US-190 in Killeen, Texas toward Temple, an original factory-installed Continental CrossContact RX 235/55 R19 101H tire on a 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid suffered a major failure at approximately 28,975 vehicle miles. A toddler was a passenger in the vehicle. Prior to the failure, there was an unusual tire noise, followed by a much louder noise and the smell of burning rubber as the tire came apart. There were no known tire-pressure warnings or other warning messages before the failure. Fortunately, the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and safely pull off the highway. There was no crash, fire, or injury. Kia Roadside …
NHTSA complaint 11763549, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE
6,000 miles
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact's minor children were unable to ride in the vehicle due to the odor. Several dealers were contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was contacted by the dealer and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.
NHTSA complaint 11763722. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11759487, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
34,967 miles
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.
NHTSA complaint 11756278. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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 …
NHTSA complaint 11755249, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle's passenger cabin continually has a strong odor smell after longer drives or after the vehicle idles for a longer duration in time. The vehicle was brought to Horne, KIA in Gilbert, AZ twice in June for same. Both times the service department stated they could not duplicate the problem and could not ascertain that it has anything to do with recall SC368. The problem continues at time of this writing (07/14/2026). The strong fuel odor is causing headaches to family and young children. The problem could not be reproduced but matches the SC368 recall. KIA Customer Service was contacted today, and they advised the only thing they can do is trust their authorized service department …
NHTSA complaint 11750451, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.
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. How
many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by
the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.
Complaints: NHTSA's ODI
complaint file, published October 2, 2026. One
complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.
Recalls: NHTSA's recall
campaign API, newest campaign on this vehicle filed April 10, 2026.
Investigations: NHTSA's ODI
investigation file, published October 2, 2026.
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.
G
Compiled and maintained by guarledes Independent developer and analyst