2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid

While I was driving, the car's engine shut off, and I could no longer accelerate. The car went into neutral and the brakes felt harder to press; the steering wheel did, too. Luckily, it happened after I turned into a mall parking lot. Since the car came to a stop and I couldn't accelerate, I turned it off and back on. Then I parked the car and turned it off. After 30 mins I started the car again and drove back home. The instrument cluster showed all types of warnings and failures when the issue happened. Since I panicked when it happened, I did not think about taking photos. Tomorrow I plan on taking the car to the dealer. This is a new car, driven only around 3500 miles. I am afraid this will happen again, and in a worse situation, like on the freeway.

NHTSA ID

11772300

Incident

Oct 19, 2026

On XXX my nearly new 2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid SX Prestige, with approximately 5,650 miles on the odometer, caught fire while I was driving in [XXX]. The fire originated in the engine compartment, where components of the hybrid electrical system, including the Hybrid Power Control Unit (HPCU)/inverter assembly, were subsequently found severely damaged. The incident occurred unexpectedly during normal vehicle operation and created an extremely dangerous situation. A vehicle fire while driving presents a serious risk of injury or death to the driver, passengers, and other road users. Following the incident, I sought emergency medical attention due to smoke inhalation. I was evaluated at an emergency department, including blood testing for carbon monoxide exposure. The vehicle was subsequently transported to an authorized Kia dealership. Kia America was notified of the incident and subsequently offered to repurchase the vehicle under California’s Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. However, the manufacturer has not provided me with a definitive technical explanation of what caused the fire. I am extremely concerned that this incident may involve a potentially serious defect in the hybrid electrical or power management system that could affect other Kia Carnival Hybrid vehicles. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this incident, evaluate whether similar fires or electrical failures have been reported, and determine whether further investigation into a potential vehicle safety defect is warranted. I have photographs documenting the fire and resulting damage, medical records from my emergency department visit, and correspondence with Kia America. These materials can be provided upon request. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11770376

Incident

Sep 8, 2026

We rented a Kia from Budget in [XXX], they rented us a car with 19,000 miles on it. After driving it for a week and over 1000 miles we headed back to the airport. First the right front tire blows and it is completly bald with steel cables showing after two hours a tire store comes and fixes the tire. We get on the road and drive 20 miles and the left front tire blowes and after two more hours the same tire store replaces the other tire. We had to pay out of pocket and have not recieved anything back from Budget rental. This is the car information. XXX Plate: [XXX], Budget Car No: XXX, Rental Agreement: XXX Blue Kia Carnival, Rental Date: Sept.XXX Tires: Solaris 235/65R17 103H INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11769991

Incident

Sep 9, 2026

2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid SX. The digital instrument cluster intermittently flickers, goes blank, and displays “NO SIGNAL” while driving, potentially causing loss of access to speed, gauges, warning indicators, and other safety information. The failures occur unpredictably. I initially noticed the issue after the vehicle had been parked in the sun and the dashboard was very hot, but I do not know whether temperature is related. I first brought the vehicle to an authorized Kia dealer in August 2026. The dealer documented and verified my complaint. The repair order states that moving the monitor caused it to flicker and display “No Signal.” The dealer identified Kia campaign SC361R1 as having an update for this concern and performed the update. The display flickered again while the technician was re-securing it. I was told to return if the problem persisted. It did. The instrument cluster screen goes blank for several minutes at a time while the car is running or it flickers on & off for extended time (up to minutes) and resets to normal randomly. I returned the vehicle for further diagnosis. The dealer again verified the blank/flashing/“NO SIGNAL” condition. Kia Techline directed diagnostic testing and then advised replacement of the instrument cluster. The dealer installed a replacement cluster, but it also went blank and displayed “NO SIGNAL.” Techline then approved replacement of the main dashboard wiring harness. During teardown, the dealer discovered an aftermarket amplifier had previously been spliced into the OEM harness. The dealer now states it is “likely” the amplifier was disrupting the cluster signal and is denying warranty coverage. The exact cause remains UNKNOWN. The vehicle is currently disassembled at the Kia dealer, and the original harness/splice is presently available for inspection. The replacement harness has not yet been installed. Kia America has been notified under Customer Care Case #26389879.

NHTSA ID

11767908

Incident

Aug 27, 2026

Ac compressor has now failed twice and this will be the third compressor they are going to install. The car was completely shutting off at lights and having other electrical errors that they said was all related to the ac system. The part is now on back order with the company

NHTSA ID

11759505

Incident

Mar 4, 2026

While driving approximately 70 mph on the highway returning from Door County, 20 miles north of Manitowoc, on a clear day with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s and no other vehicles nearby, the panoramic sunroof glass spontaneously shattered with a loud noise. The middle portion of the glass was sucked outward/up and away from the vehicle. The sunroof had not been used (or we are unsure if it was ever opened more than once or twice since acquiring the vehicle). Immediately afterward we heard significantly increased wind noise. We pulled over, went to a car wash, vacuumed all small glass pieces from the vehicle, and duct-taped around the inside seam to prevent any remaining shards from entering the cabin. The vehicle is only a few months old. No impact, debris, or external object was involved. Photos of the damaged roof and remaining frame have been uploaded.

NHTSA ID

11758111

Incident

Aug 19, 2026

The contact owns a 2027 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while initiating vehicle operation, the messages "Check Hybrid System" and "Stop Vehicle and Check Power Supply" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and received the same messages. The dealer stated that the failure was associated with the 12-Volt battery in the vehicle that was low due to being in port for a while; however, the failure persisted. The dealer was contacted and stated that the corporate office was working on the remedy, but there was no estimated date when the remedy would become available. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100.

NHTSA ID

11757763

Incident

Aug 8, 2026

Mileage

100 mi

Car will not start after being parked in my garage for 24 to 48 hours. The battery is drained and needs to be jumped. This has happened three times. I am sure that no fob is left in the car, no interior lights are on, no door is ajar, and nothing is plugged into any USB ports.

NHTSA ID

11756899

Incident

Aug 14, 2026

IMPORTANT REMINDER: OWNER NOTIFICATION: CARNIVAL POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE (KA4PSD2 FLIGHT#105) - This document is the owner notification advising Kia's ongoing commitment to providing vehicle owners with a superior ownership experience. We would like to remind vehicle owners about the proper use of the power sliding door and its automatic stop and reversal feature in the Kia Carnival. The power sliding door feature is designed to enhance accessibility and ease of use, but it’s important to understand its functions and limitations to ensure safe and reliable operation.

RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR BDC AND UWB (SA663) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Ultra-Wideband (UWB) logic of certain 2025-2027 Carnival and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. The connection and controller logic between Digital Key and Ultra Wideband-supported smartphone devices has been improved to reduce 12V battery consumption.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: ULTRA-WIDE BAND SENSOR SOFTWARE UPDATE (SA663) - This bulletin provides information to improve the Digital Key 2 system logic on certain Digital Key 2-equipped 2025-2027MY Carnival (KA4) and 2025-2027MY Carnival Hybrid (KA4 HEV) vehicles listed in the table below. Under certain conditions, repeated Digital Key recognition may contribute to 12V auxiliary battery discharge. The improved software limits Digital Key recognition after repeated Welcome/Approach Unlock activations, when the user (or digital key) moves away from the welcome zone, or when the battery state of charge falls below a specified threshold. This condition may only affect customers using an Ultra-Wideband-capable smartphone.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: OWNER NOTIFICATION: CARNIVAL POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE (KA4PSD2 FLIGHT#105) - This document is the owner notification advising Kia's ongoing commitment to providing vehicle owners with a superior ownership experience. We would like to remind vehicle owners about the proper use of the power sliding door and its automatic stop and reversal feature in the Kia Carnival. The power sliding door feature is designed to enhance accessibility and ease of use, but it’s important to understand its functions and limitations to ensure safe and reliable operation.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 2ND ROW SEAT (LH & RH) FOLDING TENSION SPRING REPLACEMENT (PI2602) - This bulletin provides information to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during the operation on certain 2022-2026MY Carnival (KA4) produced from 1/4/2021 through 4/14/2026 and certain 2025-2026MY Carnival Hybrid (KA4 HEV) vehicles produced from 5/21/2024 through 4/8/2026. To aid in the manual adjustment of the outboard second-row seatback in the subject vehicles, the seats are equipped with recliner springs that work in conjunction with a user-controlled seatback angle lever or walk-in lever. This seatback motion is controlled by the user to achieve their desired seat position. To improve usability, Kia has developed a newly designed second-row seatback recliner spring that will dampen the motion of the manual second-row seatback angle adjustment. (Note: Only the second-row outboard seats are affected. The second-row center seat, if equipped, is excluded from this campaign.)

PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2602) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign on certain 2022-2026 MY Carnival and certain 2025-2026 MY Carnival Hybrid (HEV) vehicles, equipped with manual (folding) second-row seats, to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during operation.