What 46 owners told NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Carnival Hev

Kia Carnival's 2nd row seta pretensioners are not working. In the vent of suddent breaks, the seat belts are not latching, and hence not holding the kids in the seats. We have faced this issue several times. Once my daughter came out of seat completely, since the seat belt didn't latch the belt. We took to the dealership(Kings Kia, Mason, OH), the technician agreed, there is problem with 2 seats, however, there is problem with all 3 seats. The dealership said they are still waiting for Kia corporate to send the new seat belt latch system, but there is no response from Kia yet.

NHTSA ODI 11559445

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated there was oil leaking from the vehicle onto the floorboard nearby the brake pedal. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer who diagnosed that a seal for the steering column was leaking and could cause the steering wheel to seize while driving. The Lane Keep Assist and Steering Assist would deactivate independently. The contact was informed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 3,337.

NHTSA ODI 11541931

The vehicle throws a forward collision warning and then suddenly brakes to slow down while driving with no road hazard in front. This occurs about once every 10 days. This is a safety hazard because the forward collision warning has to be turned off every time the car is turned on. It will not stay off. During sudden braking, an accident may occur behind the vehicle. We have left the car at the dealer for 3 days while paying for a rental car and they said they could not reproduce the error. I have contacted KIA through their website about a week ago and have received no response. I have video evidence of this problem occuring on dashcam.

NHTSA ODI 11540995

I have an issue that involves the metal railings in the center of the vehicle (on the floor) to get hot enough to burn and blister you. I filed a complaint with Kia which opened a case. I also took my vehicle in and this issue was verified by their mechanic. I was assigned a case number and after the employee on my case spoke with the enginer team it was determined that the only option for me was to purchase mats to cover the metal railings. I purchased both all weather and fabric mats when i purchased the vehicle. these mats do not cover the railing nor would you want them to. it would prevent the seats from moving forward and back and it would also be a fire risk. I have tried to find a solution with kia with no success. There are other forums of people complaining of the same issue such as this one https:// [XXX] I just purchased my car brand new and Kia has put me in a position to just deal with these safety issues. Besides mats that i already have the suggestion was to just not touch the rails that are on the floor where you put your feet. I put 10,000 down on a brand-new vehicle because i had the intentions of keeping it long term. now im in a position where I have to look for a safer vehicle with no help from KIA. This complaint may not help me but maybe it can help someone else. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11538635

Purchased in Aug 2022 brand new I express concern very early on that the back door would reopen after starting the car I express concern about shifting/breaking being automatic/ice light coming on when you hit bumps coming in parking lots and the doors not unlocking. All were evaluated and basically all for nothing “ could not be duplicated” I called, left voicemails, emailed the dealership with concerns Advised there was a recall on Back door which was one of my complaints did recall update still and issue The back door should not re open and stay open that is not a safety feature this day and age it’s asking to be mug, robbed ect. After the 3rd time in a week happening I called the dealership spoke to the president and advised I no longer felt safe I just want to turn in the lease have it bought back and my down payment returned. I have 3 children safety features they claim are not safe in my eyes. One example driving by myself out of a parking lot the back door reopened as I was backing out and I assumed it would just reshut - no it stayed wide open. No movement. No unlocking, turning off after auto start under a few mins. I called Kia and have yet to speak to the agent, phone tag, no emails back. Reviews online show multiple people have these issues.

NHTSA ODI 11535166

The metal rails where the middle seat of the middle row is located occasionally gets too hot to touch. My daughter who was sleep had her sandals off. She woke up because her foot was hot. Shortly after her toe blistered. You won’t notice it if you have shoes on. It has happened while we were traveling and it happens when we’re just idle.

NHTSA ODI 11529374

Unknown. My vehicle has cut off in the middle of traffic several times. Another incident was when my vehicle was shaking uncontrollably and couldn't go over 40. The check engine light never comes on. One dealership looked at it and said nothing was wrong even though one of the techs heard the vehicle. They said because the check engine light wasn't on that there was nothing that they could do. Took it to the kia dealership in Huntsville. They know something is wrong but because no check engine light or codes. They don't know where the problem is . My main issue is when something is wrong. No lights or codes show up. I haven't had it a year yet. Safety concerns with it cutting off in the middle of traffic .

NHTSA ODI 11526804

The contact's daughter owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving 65-70 MPH, within 48 hours of purchasing the vehicle brand new, the vehicle lost motive power. Additionally, the brakes and power steering became inoperable. Several unknown warning lights illuminated, and alarms sounded. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure, and that the manufacturer was working on a fix. The contact stated that the taillights also failed to work intermittently. The contact also stated that the reverse lights would engage unintendedly. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was due to a system update error and that the fix was currently being developed. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

NHTSA ODI 11521238

The tailgate door attempted to close on my head when I was putting something in the trunk when my husband walked away with the key. I had a key with me too.

NHTSA ODI 11520607

today while I was driving my sunroof shattered, big explosion, luckily my sunshade was close and not to many vehicles were around me. I call dealer, they didn't want to hear it and told me to call my insurance !!??? My car is barely 2 month old???

NHTSA ODI 11519833

The side sliding (rear) doors do not stop when there is an object in between. Even when you put heavy force (this is in some angles), the door continues to close. With mild force, the door just refuses to recognize and closes out. It is a big safety concern with small children, since if the force applied by adults is not enough, then any force the child would apply is definitely not going to stop the door from closing.

NHTSA ODI 11517982

The sliding power doors do not reverse when hitting a person or object. You have to use excessive force to get them to reverse and only some of the time do they even reverse. I have taken this to the dealership and they said they would contact me within 48 hours with an update but it's been a month and in spite of me attempting to contact them for a follow up they have not returned calls or emails. Safety of myself and others have been put at risk when the door is closed it does not stop and will crush whatever is in the door. Dealer was able to reproduce the problem about half of the time. Occasionally, if you hit the door in a specific spot, it might reverse but when an actual person stands in the door it does not reverse. No warning lights or messages occur I purchased the Carnival July 1 of 2022 and was not aware at the time of the sliding door problem. It wasn't until I read of others having the issue that I tested mine. I was honestly shocked that the doors in most cases did not reverse. I've tested it multiple times and I've had to get out of the way when in spite of using a lot of force it didn't reverse. I also have a 2004 Honda Odyssey that I've had for almost 20 years and this door works perfectly. Reverses with even a minor resistance. I expected all minivans to perform the same way. There are multiple incidents found online where these doors have crushed people. I'm aware of a recall just released but this does NOT fix the issue! It only adds 2 beeps and slows down the door. This is unacceptable in a real life situation so this "recall" is not acceptable. I realize KIA does not want to pay to have these doors fixed but when a child dies or suffers a severe injury they will be forced to.

NHTSA ODI 11516486

The car keeps shutting of while driving ,the car jerks when accelerating, I press on the gas and sometimes it doesn't accelerate at all .the car windshield cracked, the doors closed on my hands when I was retrieving my coat the doors didn't open back up i had to snatch my hands and arms back. I have a video of car shutting off if you need it

NHTSA ODI 11513801

We are concerned about the safety of the sliding doors on your 2023 Kia Carnival. The sensor does not detect objects in its path while closing, and we have already experienced two incidents and we noticed that require a great deal of effort and force to stop the door before someone gets hurt. The sensors are not working properly they need to be repair as soon as possible in order to ensure the safety of your kids.

NHTSA ODI 11510709

Auto-stop/reverse on power side doors is not sensitive enough to prevent crushing hazard if someone gets caught in the dirt closing. I have to push with considerable force to get door to reverse and it still slams my arm or body hard against the frame before reversing. We are concerned or 6 small children will be seriously injured. There are a bunch of folks reporting broken/bruised hands on Carnival forums online and some reporting that the dealership service center has made an adjustment from the manufacturer that results in the door auto stop/ reverse being much more sensitive, after checking NHTSA and making a report. I'd like to know if this is an option?

NHTSA ODI 11508931

Rear sliding door safety sensors not working properly. Doors do not stop closing unless excessive force is applied by an adult before the sensors start working. Young children would not be able to stop the door from closing on them and likely would get hurt because of it.

NHTSA ODI 11509010

Rear automatic door shut on adult even after bumping into the individual. The sensor did not stop the door from closing. This could have caused serious injury, especially if this were to happen to a kid.

NHTSA ODI 11501879

The door closing automation applies excessive force before the safety function engages to re-open. This poses a high risk to children and small adults with narrow limbs and/or the fingers of any aged person. On January 11, 2023, my 4 year old's hand was closed in the door without the door stopping or re-opening. This resulted in deep lacerations to his fingers and swelling necessitating emergency room medicine and imaging to eliminate potential of fracture. I tested this morning with the doors by opening and closing and inserting objects as well as my body to determine an approximation of closing force. Even with a full sized adult, the closing force is sufficient to move the trunk of an adult body to the side before safety mechanisms engage. Door travel continues for 2 to 3 inches before safety retraction engages. Children arms, feet, or other appendages are narrow enough that they will be impacted with the force of the mechanism in a pinching mechanic before the safety engages and allows removal of the limb. In this case, the fingers of a child closing their own door was not sufficient to activate the safety mechanism and the door closed fully, causing (thankfully) minimal injury. I have contacted Kia service this morning and will follow their directions. Internet research indicates no recall or technical service bulletin for this problem at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11501451

Very small rock hit windshield and cracked entire windshield; crack spread quickly and has continued to progress

NHTSA ODI 11489012

Sliding door shut on toddlers fingers, the safety mechanism for the door to open failed.

NHTSA ODI 11477782

Daughter presses the button on the inside of the van. She didn't move her hand soon enough out of the way for the door to close. The door closed on her hand, she had to press the button open from the door closing on her thumb. She came balling her eyes out to me. Her thumb swelled 3 x's as big. The sensor should be way more sensitive like a garage door opener.

NHTSA ODI 11471929