2026 Kia Carnival Recalls, Ratings & Complaints

Incident: October 26, 2026 · Filed: October 26, 2026

I have taken my car 3 times to 3 different Kia dealerships for this issue. First on 9/13/2026, then 10/13/2026 and on 10/26/2026. While driving at highway speed my vehicle suddenly begins to loose power and the check engine light comes on. This is dangerous for myself as well as other drivers.

Incident: July 27, 2026 · Filed: October 23, 2026

Subject: Formal Consumer Complaint: Alleged False Representation of Completed Vehicle Safety Repair I am filing a formal consumer protection complaint regarding a XXX Kia dealership's representation that a safety-related repair was completed on my vehicle. Vehicle: 2026 Kia Carnival SX VIN: [XXX] The dealership represented that a safety-related repair had been completed. However, information subsequently obtained from another dealership raised concerns that the original repair was not actually performed as represented. I believe this discrepancy warrants investigation because it involves the accuracy of dealership service records, potentially misleading representations to a consumer, and possible vehicle safety implications. I request that the XXX Attorney General's Office investigate whether the dealership engaged in deceptive or unfair business practices, including whether service documentation inaccurately represented work as completed. I can provide supporting repair orders, dealership communications, and documentation of the conflicting repair information. I am also pursuing a separate XXX Lemon Law matter involving this vehicle. This complaint specifically concerns the dealership's representations about the safety repair. I request written acknowledgment of this complaint and referral to the appropriate enforcement agency if necessary. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 28, 2026 · Filed: October 13, 2026

Child's arm was crushed in the sliding door when it failed to properly stop due to the sensor failing.

Incident: September 13, 2026 · Filed: October 12, 2026

Driving ar 75mph my car began to decelerate. Depressing the accelerator only made the engine rev loudly but speed continued to drop. This is a significant safety risk. There was a check engine light and message to take the car to a Kia dealer. The car was towed to a dealer. The dealer was able to reproduce the condition. The dealer replaced 24356 2M000-solenoid-cvvt (valve timing control solenoid). On the way home from this dealer the problem reoccurred. First incident on 9/13/26. Vehicle retrieved from dealer and reoccurring problem on 10/9/2026.

Incident: September 17, 2026 · Filed: September 17, 2026

The alert “consider taking a break” with the coffee cup symbol won’t stop going off. It goes off when I first start driving, it goes off every other minute sometimes, it does off for no reason all the time. It is so distracting. Today it was rainy and I’m sure is one reason it kept going off. It was also garbage day and someone put their garbage can on the road right on the line. The alert had gone off 15 times within my 20 minute drive after school drop off. It was making me angry and was super distracting. I was looking at the screen instead of the road as it started beeping again and didn’t see the garbage can. It smacked my side view mirror into the passenger window and shattered it completely. A minor thing, but is going to cost a ton. It’s frustrating to feel trapped into constantly being annoyed whenever I need to drive because there is no way to shut it off, but it literally goes off for no reason. It goes off so much I don’t take it seriously at all. It’s literally useless. And it’s not a little warning. The beeping is loud, the image covers a big portion of the screen, and it turns off my music and my gps prompts. It aggressively demands attention. It can’t keep doing this. I can’t be this distracted with my kids in the car. Every seat is full and I have to drive 30 minutes to one school and 10 minutes to the next school for drop off and pick up every single weekday twice a day. I need them to be safe, but that’s less possible when this alert is constantly going off and demanding attention the way it does. It’s a serious risk. It is reckless to put something so distracting in a vehicle that can cause death from an accident. I could understand if it went off after 4 hours of driving, but that’s not what’s happening. Multiple people have complained about it in social media. Something needs to be done to get this off of or vehicles. It’s unnecessary to suggest someone take a break. Especially after 5 min. That’s not a sensor warning about an actual problem.

Incident: July 2, 2026 · Filed: September 16, 2026

Grill on bumper allows large objects to fly through hitting condenser. This is an issue, it happened to my vehicle and the identical loaner car we were given while our car was in the shop for repairs. I was told by the dealership to solve this problem carnival owners should follow other cars at a greater distance. Because I have children I already set my cruise control to follow other vehicles at a 4 car distance…. How much further should a carnival owner allow?

Incident: September 12, 2026 · Filed: September 16, 2026

Battery shuts down overnight. To get the car to start you need to pop the hood the night before use a jump start and keep your manual key handy. All electronics shut down completely

Incident: August 28, 2026 · Filed: September 1, 2026

I purchased a new 2026 Kia Carnival EX and noticed an unusually intense amount of heat coming from underneath the vehicle on the passenger side, particularly around the rear passenger door/second-row seating area. I first noticed the issue while the vehicle was parked and I was standing outside the open rear passenger door installing car seats and floor mats. The heat radiating from underneath the vehicle was intense enough that my feet and lower legs became extremely hot while standing next to the vehicle I also noticed that the seat/floor rails and other exposed metal components in and around the second-row passenger area became extremely hot to the touch. I could only keep my hand on some of these metal components briefly before the heat became too uncomfortable and I had to remove my hand. I am concerned about the safety of this condition because these hot surfaces are in an area routinely accessed by passengers, including children entering and exiting the second row. I am concerned about the potential for contact burns as well as whether the amount of heat being transferred into the floor, rails, and surrounding components could indicate an exhaust, emissions, heat-shielding, or other mechanical problem. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. At this time, the exact component or system responsible for the excessive heat has not been identified. The issue has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a Kia dealer or independent service center. I have contacted Kia service personnel regarding having the vehicle inspected. I was informed that if the vehicle is inspected and the dealership cannot reproduce or identify a problem, I may be responsible for an approximately 210 diagnostic charge. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or another independent party regarding this issue. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages indicating a problem before or when I noticed the heat

Incident: July 30, 2026 · Filed: August 3, 2026

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.

Incident: July 29, 2026 · Filed: July 29, 2026

We were driving down [XXX] south towards home and out of nowhere, it sounded like something clapped against our passenger driver's side window. the window completely shattered and then proceeded to fall inwards onto my [XXX] old. It was absolutely traumatizing. Nothing hit us. It just exploded. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)