What 64 owners told NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Carnival Hybrid Hev

Driver side passenger back sliding door will not open or close properly. Door will jam and make a loud noise or will not open when trying to open. Took it the dealership 4 times they replaced the motor but the issue continues.

NHTSA ODI 11724831

Horn stops working and needs to be replaced within a year or less. I reported the first time my horn stopped working and it took 4 months until I can have an appointment and order the part. The second time it stopped working was within a year and scheduling an appointment was difficult. I was almost in an accident and unable to use to both to alert the other driver.

NHTSA ODI 11717275

Horns (high and low) have been replaced 5 times under a warranty. This is a serious safety hazard. Vehicle: Kia Carnival (Model Years 2022–2024) Issue: Repeated horn failure / electrical malfunction Owners of 2022–2024 Kia Carnival vehicles are experiencing repeated horn failures that present a safety concern. Reported symptoms include complete loss of horn function, intermittent operation, delayed response, and in some cases random horn or alarm activation without driver input. When the failure occurs, both the high-pitch and low-pitch horns are often found to be inoperative. Many owners report that dealerships replace both horns, sometimes multiple times, with some vehicles requiring second or third replacements. Kia has acknowledged this issue through a Technical Service Bulletin (ELE-263), which instructs dealers to replace both horns when one fails; however, the bulletin does not identify a permanent root cause or corrective design change. As a result, the issue frequently recurs after replacement. A non-functional or intermittent horn significantly reduces the driver’s ability to warn other road users and avoid collisions, creating a clear safety risk. Given the recurring nature of the failure across multiple model years, this appears to be a systemic defect rather than isolated component wear.

NHTSA ODI 11714079

Due to cables being lined in soy in attracts rodents which cause damage to the car. Multiple electric malfunctions from power lift gate to automatic windows. It is a known issue and is very common.

NHTSA ODI 11713267

Out of nowhere, we started our vehicle that was no more than a year old, and all of the emergency alert indicators on the dash came on. All of the warning lights in the dash. The power steering went out and would go from very stiff to very loose. the car would shutter and then drive normal for a few min and then slow way down without warning. Again, all dash warning lights and alarms would go off. This first appeared on [XXX], we took to the Kia service on Nov. 17, 2025, and it was been in the shop with no repair since that day and todays date is Jan, 12, 2026. As of today they still do not know what is wrong with the vehicle and have no end in sight. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11710508

A/C system on my 2024 Kia Carnival failed twice within weeks. First at 60,100 miles, repaired at dealership for $398. Then again shortly after, leaving vehicle undrivable in summer heat. Kia has done nothing despite having a case number (#25267950). This is a recurring failure that affects safety and comfort during high-temperature seasons. I believe this is a manufacturer defect and request a formal investigation.

NHTSA ODI 11674719

Purchased a 2024 Kia Carnival on Monday, June 2 from a dealership. On Friday, June 6, the battery was dead and I had to have it jumped. I took it to the dealership the next week to have it looked at and they said the battery was fine. A week and a half later, after sitting for two days, the car wouldn't start again. Had it jumped again and took it back to the dealership. They seem to be confused with the issue and said they will need to have the car until the battery dies again so they can see it in "real time". A quick Google search indicates that this is by far not an isolated event. Something is very wrong with the electrical draw.

NHTSA ODI 11669436

Sliding doors closed on my oldest son’s fingers leaving severe indentation on his pointer, middle and ring fingers. My youngest son has his head dragged inbetween the door and the exterior of the vehicle. I was able to dislodge his head by the base of his neck. My dealership was unhelpful and went as far as to gaslight me into thinking any of this was my fault as a parent. I was shown where the sensor was (a thin strip of garbage) and was told that unless the sensor detects depth it will not stop. I was questioned why my child’s head was on the ground of the car and was judged as a mother. I simply explained he’s [XXX] and fell as the door was opening to which the door dragged him by his head. Thankfully my children were unharmed physically but emotionally are scarred. It’s not a matter of IF something tragic happens to another family but WHEN. Make the recall and get this garbage van safe for all families who think it’s safe. I tried to recreate a situation where the sensor should stop using a stuffed bear. The door not only struggled to shut making creaking noises but then completely shut on the child sized stuffed animal INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11647905

Purchased new KIA Carnival in May 2024. In August 2024 ALL of the warning lights came on and started cycling through to check every system. The warnings were the only thing that worked on the instrument cluster. All of the analog instruments stopped working: the speedometer, the tachometer, the fuel gauge, etc.. The blinkers didn't even indicate that they were working. I drove the vehicle directly to the dealership and they could see the problem, but then as quickly as it started it stopped. They said diagnostics did not indicate any problem so they were not able to find the issue to fix it. It started again in February.

NHTSA ODI 11645778

Battery randomly died in the car overnight

NHTSA ODI 11606444

Horn not working. Second time less than 1 year old. First time dealer said it was blown fuse. There are 2 fuses associated with horn shown on diagram. I tested continuity on both and they are good. I believe there is a deeper electrical system issue with this vehicle. Quick forum search indicates this could be a widespread issue.

NHTSA ODI 11597491

1 - Electrical systems, All Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, Blinker, Analog Speedometer, Digital Speedometer, RPM gauge, Climate Control Systems, were all showing as failed or malfunctioning while driving. Driver's unsure if other systems were affected. Driver distractibility was drastically increased and driver and passenger safety was at risk. Unknown component at fault, still in service at dealership. 2 - Very distracted driving, all dashboard lights blinking erratically and beeping noises constantly filling the cabin. Blinker would not work and other gauges were not functioning so driver could not tell speed of vehicle. Driver unsure if other systems affected such as airbags, lighting, braking systems, etc. Family did not want to drive the vehicle. 3 - Problem was not reproduced at dealership but vehicle produced 33 different fault codes. Dealer states another 2024 Kia Carnival is in for the same reasons. 4 - The vehicle has only been inspected by Bob Sight Kia employees. 5 - Nothing else happened prior. Vehicle had less than 200 miles on odometer when first incident occurred on [XXX], 2024. As stated previously, every warning indicator was flashing on and off sporadically. Some warnings weren't on the dashboard screen long enough to read. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11590755

In June 2023, I purchased a 2024 Kia Carnival with approx. 17 miles on it. One thing I noticed after purchasing the vehicle is when I pushed the button to close the power sliding door on the driver side of the vehicle is that halfway during closing it would hesitate, open back up slightly, and then proceed to close. I didn't think anything of it at the time. Prior to [XXX], I had the same issue again but this time the door stopped halfway while closed and just went back and forth over and over again. It did this continually until I turned off the power sliding door and manually closed it. On [XXX], I took the vehicle to a Kia dealership and explained the problem to them and they kept it for a day and stated there was nothing they could do because they could not replicate the problem. Kia wanted to charge me a $180 diagnostic fee which I refused to pay because I knew the problem existed and I had purchased a warranty through Kia which they stated they would not honor unless they found a problem. They advised me to video record the issue if it happened again. Prior to [XXX], the issue happened again only this time my 3 year old child was almost caught in the door, but my wife grabbed her and in doing so the door closed on my wife. After this incident, I was able to duplicate the issue two more times and was able to get it on recording. On [XXX], I took my vehicle to the same dealership and left it for a week. I provided them with my videos. During this time the issue also happened with the service rep and she also had two lube techs witness it, but this didn't satisfy them enough to say they could fix it. Eventually a tech worked on it and stated code "b15a200" showed as "pending" but they needed an "active" code in order to do any work on it. This code showed as "lh outside door handle switch short low". Kia again stated they couldn't work on it because the "tech" ever duplicated the problem. The problem has still persisted. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11582844

Hello, this is my second report file on your team. The first filed is sept 8 2023, its all about my steering column issues, ill already talk with kia customer care unit, they said its still working on, i talk also with my dealership service center, they said its still waiting for the back orders, its almost a month this vehicles is still have leakage, its unsafe because this is a part of steering wheel, if the seal are stock inside, then when i running my vehicles around 65mph in a highway then ill have my 2 kids at the back then accident may do happen, its a big problem for us, i think i reported this vehicles since 2600 miles then now its already 3k plus miles already. The dealer doesnt give me a loaner because they said theres no available! I have only one vehicles we have, please please, this is consider a safety issues, i called how many times your agencies about this but they dont understand my concerned. They said they base on recalls? A lot of kia carnival same like my issue, one of my friend suggest to call you or have a file a report on your agencies so you can help to push the dealer or manufacturer to solved this issue, im hoping that you can help me guys to solve this issue. Im so thankful because i have till now safe my family while driving. I put a file attached. Please guys help me for this concerned! I reported this leakage since 21 of august 2023 to the dealership then scheduled me around 28 of august 2023. Then they said wait for 10 days, till now theres no updated about this,. And they are not concerned about this issue,. I hope this concerned will be highly favorable,. And focus for our goal to help concerned citizen of the united states. God bless america! Regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11544503

Leakage on power steering column, steering little bit hard to handle and some issues while driving at straight line highway,. Heated area, second row seat underneath flooring, electrical issue about seat concerned!

NHTSA ODI 11543884