What 20 owners told NHTSA about the 2026 Kia Carnival Hev

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, while avoiding another vehicle that almost crashed into the vehicle, the contact attempted to turn the steering wheel, and the vehicle became difficult to maneuver, and the front passenger side of the vehicle crashed into a guard rail and the front bumper detached. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags had not deployed. A Police report was filed. The contact sustained back, neck, and head pain from the impact in the crash. Medical attention was sought, and the contact was diagnosed with a whiplash. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,272.

NHTSA ODI 11746424

Subject: Safety Complaint – Power Sliding Door Failure Injuring Child (2026 Kia Carnival) I am submitting a safety complaint regarding a 2026 Kia Carnival. During normal use, the vehicle’s automatic power sliding door closed while my [XXX] child was partially outside the vehicle near the door track area. The door continued to close and did not stop or reverse when it encountered my child, resulting in the child being pinned between the sliding door and the vehicle body. I physically intervened by placing my body in the path of the door to stop it and remove my child. The child sustained bruising to the legs and torso. The concern is a potential failure of the anti-pinch / obstruction detection system on the power sliding door, which is intended to prevent this type of injury. I am requesting that this incident be documented and reviewed as a potential safety defect. Vehicle: 2026 Kia Carnival Incident involved: automatic power sliding door failure to reverse upon obstruction Injury: bruising to a [XXX] child (legs and torso) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11743596

The contact owned a 2026 Kia Carnival. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle inadvertently hit a deer. The check engine warning light illuminated after the collision. The contact's wife was occupying the front passenger's side seat and the contact's daughter was occupying the rear driver's side seat during the collision. The air bags failed to deploy, and the seat belts failed to retract as needed. There was no reported injury. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The vehicle was then towed to an autobody, where it was totaled by the insurance company after further investigation. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle operated as designed upon reviewing pictures of the damaged vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 2,379.

NHTSA ODI 11740309