Jul 14, 2026Electrical systemEngineFuel system
I own a 2026 Carnival Prestige SX Hybrid and having loss of propulsion problems. After much research, and absolutely no help from KIA, I now think my problem is my foot, size 15, is too large to safely drive this vehicle. My shoe intermittently depresses the brake ever so slightly while I accelerate from a stop. This triggers the Brake-Throttle Override which temporarily cuts propulsion power. The BTO is in all US cars but of the five vehicles (2025-26, different manufacturers) I have driven this past six months, this is the only one that has given me concern for my safety! KIA claims the vehicle is operating as expected! I claim that they have engineered the brake and acceleration pedals too close to each other creating a serious safety issue for those of us with larger foot sizes. The owners manual makes no mention of the BTO function nor how to restore propulsion once the BTO has been activated! While all US vehicles have the BTO function, they vary as to how the function performs. In KIA, once the BTO is triggered, all propulsion is suspended! The BTO was designed to prevent runaway acceleration. In this KIA, they have created a new safety problem because they failed to allow enough space for larger footed individuals room to safely operate their vehicle! KIA needs to introduce a foot size requirement for all prospective buyers or redesign the area around the accelerator and brake pedal so safety is no longer an issue!
NHTSA ODI 11750230
Jul 1, 2026Electrical systemFuel system
2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid – Purchased 9/5/2025 Mileage: 8,450 April 2026- While driving over 60 mph, the vehicle's acceleration failed. A "Hybrid Failure" warning appeared on the dashboard, and the vehicle quickly decelerated. I had seconds to safely cross 3 lanes, and the vehicle had to be towed. The vehicle was at the dealership for 13 days, during which no problem codes were reported, and diagnostic scans appeared normal. No safety feature or diagnostic system reported this failure! I was told to take the vehicle because they had nothing to fix without a diagnostic report. May 2026- I drove the vehicle for a few weeks before this occurred again, with the same warning and complete deceleration. The vehicle was brought to a 2nd dealership, nearest to this incident. They have had the vehicle for 29 days with no safety or diagnostic issues to report and no ability to duplicate the problem. During this occurrence, my daughter was able to video the dashboard and deceleration from the passenger seat. I have provided this video to KIA. The national KIA team is refusing a buy-out option for this vehicle after my family and I have repeatedly been put in danger on the road. It also puts drivers around us in danger as we frantically attempt to proceed to safety while quickly decelerating. It is also extremely alarming that the safety systems and diagnostics do not show that these problems are occurring. While the local dealership has been understanding and professional to date; however, the National brand and its refusal to put safety first, especially on a brand-new vehicle, is unacceptable. We can provide the video and any other documentation you would like. We will be engaging with an attorney after Kia National declined our buyback
NHTSA ODI 11747779
Nov 2, 2025Transmission & drivetrainElectrical systemEngine
On the highway, the vehicle would not accelerate and was losing speed even though the gas pedal was fully depressed. Initially, the vehicle was in ECO drive mode, traveling approximately 65 mph and the steering wheel paddle to toggle the regenerative breaking between levels 1-3 prior to getting onto the highway. The vehicle speed dropped from ~75mph into the low 50mph range on the highway and was able to maintain speed then slowly regain speed when then phenomenon would happen again. The engine light was not initially on but did come on eventually. The engine light flashed at first but then stayed solid. Eventually a safe space was found on the side of the highway to pull over and restart the car. After restarting, the vehicle was able to regain highway speed (using caution, slow acceleration to merge back onto the highway), however when attempting to accelerate faster to see if the problem persisted, it did and the car again would not accelerate even when fully depressing the gas pedal. It felt similar to when you push the gas pedal while in park where the engine revs with high rpm's but doesn't move. The road trip was completed using cruise control, which seemed to have less issues (although not zero issues). After exiting the highway, at lower speeds (<30mph) the vehicle was shaking like it was going over rumble strips until it could be turned off and restarted. Component: power train. Yes, it is available for inspection. Safety issue: While traveling on the highway at times, the vehicle lost speed, was unable to maintain speed and/or accelerate. This could have easily caused a crash at highway speeds (60mph+). inspected by others? No. Will be taken to dealer on 11/3/25 Warning lights: The engine light came on after the initial incident. Kia Connect app, the following diagnostic codes were received; P030000, P030100, P030300.
NHTSA ODI 11697070