2025 Kia Carnival Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 1, 2026 · Filed: October 1, 2026

"UPDATE TO EXISTING COMPLAINT NHTSA ID 11747231 LCD CENTER DISPLAY / BACKUP CAMERA FAILURE UPDATE TO NHTSA COMPLAINT ID 11747231 I am submitting an update regarding the same unresolved safety defect reported in NHTSA Complaint ID 11747231 involving my 2025 Kia Carnival SX. Mileage when the problem start approximately 8k miles. The vehicle has now undergone five repair attempts for the same recurring LCD/display failure. Repairs have included replacement of the LCD/display, replacement of the radio/head unit, work involving coaxial connections, and most recently repair of what the dealership diagnosed as “insufficient pin tension.” Kia Tech Line has also been involved. Most recently, I was told the vehicle was repaired and ready for pickup. However, when I arrived at the authorized Kia dealership, the LCD began flickering again while the vehicle was still in the dealership parking lot. Dealership personnel witnessed the failure and recorded video of it. The defect remains unresolved. The display has previously gone blank while driving, caused navigation to become unavailable, and caused the rearview/backup-camera image to become unavailable while reversing. This recurring failure is causing me significant stress and distraction while driving because I do not know when the screen will suddenly begin flickering or go blank again. When the screen unexpectedly flickers or fails while I am driving, it draws my attention away from the road. The loss of the rearview-camera image while reversing also creates a serious safety concern because I unexpectedly lose the camera view behind the vehicle. I regularly transport my family, including young children, and I am extremely concerned about these unpredictable failures. After five repair attempts, the same safety-related defect continues to occur without warning. I respectfully request that NHTSA associate this update with Complaint ID 11747231 and review this continuing safety defect.

Incident: October 1, 2026 · Filed: October 1, 2026

The battery is draining due to external things but it’s not attached to anything and now all screens in the car flash on and off and go black including speedometer

Incident: June 15, 2026 · Filed: September 11, 2026

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.

Incident: August 31, 2026 · Filed: September 11, 2026

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 Assistance towed the vehicle to a Kia dealership. The failed tire was replaced. A service advisor at the dealership who personally observed the failed tire subsequently stated that what he observed was tread separation and not road-hazard damage. Approximately 7,091 miles before the failure, at 21,884 vehicle miles, a Kia multipoint inspection documented all four factory-installed Continental tires at 7/32-inch tread depth with “NO DAMAGE.” The tires had also received documented rotations during the vehicle's service history. The failed tire is no longer available for inspection. I contacted the servicing dealership the morning after the incident specifically regarding retaining the failed tire. When I later returned to the dealership to follow up, I learned that the tire had been disposed of. Continental was notified of the incident but has not physically inspected the failed tire because it was disposed of by the dealership. Three other factory-installed Continental CrossContact RX tires remain on the vehicle. I am submitting this complaint because of the serious safety concern associated with a reported tread separation occurring at highway speed and because three tires from the original factory-installed set remain in service.

Incident: August 17, 2026 · Filed: August 25, 2026

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)

Incident: August 7, 2026 · Filed: August 11, 2026

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.

Incident: August 1, 2026 · Filed: August 6, 2026

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.

Incident: June 16, 2026 · Filed: July 14, 2026

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 that there are no concerns (Horne KIA). I requested the matter be escalated, but my request was denied.

Incident: June 1, 2026 · Filed: July 9, 2026

The rear sliding door on the driver's side was not locking. I took it to the dealership and they have replaced the actuator, the wiring harness, and the IPM power module. None of this has fixed it. We now have a Kia special mechanic coming to [XXX] to take a look at it. I was told there are 19 other vehicles in [XXX] with the same issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: June 24, 2026 · Filed: July 7, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while parked in a bank drive-thru, the contact's son mentioned that his seat belt was stuck. The contact parked the vehicle in a parking spot and attempted to remove the seat belt; however, the seat belt retracted tightly around his abdomen as the lower half of his body was turning blue, requiring the contact's husband to cut the seat belt. The contact mentioned that it was discovered that all seat belts located in the rear row seats failed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were flickering on and off back in April. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that all the third-row rear seat belts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by replacing the seat belts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the seat belts were replaced and that the vehicle was ready to be picked up. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.