2022 Kia Carnival Electrical Problems

My 2022 Kia Carnival, approximately 80,000 miles, had intermittent dashboard warning lights and grinding brake noise for a few weeks. I brought the vehicle to Tasca Kia White Plains first time on 4/14/26 then again on 5/8/26. The dealership initially could not reproduce the issue, then later suspected an ABS sensor issue and ordered the part. On 5/12/26, before the repair was completed, I was driving downhill with my children in the vehicle when the brakes failed to respond properly. I had to steer off the roadway and go over rocks/boulders to stop the vehicle. At that time, the brakes would not respond normally, and I could not immediately shift the vehicle into Park. Police and towing services were involved. The dealership later replaced an ABS sensor. However, when I reviewed the codes with the service manager, I was told the ABS sensor code did not appear on the date of the brake incident. I was also told that an ABS sensor failure itself would not typically cause hydraulic brake failure. I am concerned that the sensor replacement does not explain the brake failure and that this may involve a brake/ABS/electronic stability control safety issue.

NHTSA ID

11738446

Incident

May 12, 2026

My engine smells like fire and fuel my can will not start or do anything. There was smoke coming out of it. The van has had several issues since buying it. Now it’s completely disabled I heard a popping noise as I was driving and then it died and has not started since.

NHTSA ID

11723675

Incident

Mar 6, 2026

Fuel door will not open, there is no manual override, vehicle cannot be refueled and since there is no emergency release it caused me to be stranded at a gas station at night with my 4 kids which is a huge safety concern and should be taken seriously as this is a safety and drivability issue that I should not be held responsible to pay for when it is at no fault to me it is a design/system failure.

NHTSA ID

11705444

Incident

Dec 15, 2025

The dealer is attempting to classify the torn rubber and pulled-out wiring as “non-recall wear and tear,” but the damage is a direct result of: a latch that sticks, a door that does not close smoothly, a malfunctioning power sliding mechanism, and the repeated force required to compensate for the defect. Under recall law, when an unresolved defect causes additional damage, the owner cannot be held financially responsible for the resulting deterioration. This is a mechanical consequence of a defect, not a cosmetic issue.

NHTSA ID

11704051

Incident

Oct 6, 2025

I went to use my vehicle horn when another driver pulled out in front of me and the sound was way off...it sounded like a clown horn. I subsequently took to the Kia dealer where they diagnosed that one of the horns failed and it was replaced under an extended warranty with a deductible payment. The failure of the horn compromised my safety and the other driver's as the other driver may not have heard my warning that my vehicle was where it was. There was no warning that the horn failed until I went to use it.

NHTSA ID

11687146

Incident

Aug 31, 2025

Driver side sliding door closed COMPLETELY on daughter's finger causing significant damage and laceration down to the bone. Required extensive laceration repair.

NHTSA ID

11663660

Incident

May 11, 2025

The back tailgate door, when opened, will go up to desired height set in car settings, then slam back down 1/4 to 1/2 of the total height. Turning off auto open and close it continues to do so. When manually pushing the door to the open position, it will continue the problem. We have had numerous incidents of heads being hit by the door, arms and hands have also been hit. We took the car to the dealership and they said the door actuator would be over $2000 to fix. It seems like this is a similar issue to the side door actuators that had to be replaced via recall.

NHTSA ID

11648679

Incident

Feb 1, 2025

En lo que vade compra me ha dañado 2 baterías las que he tenido que comprar. También daño la bomba de la gasolina. Tuve que pagar la limpieza de las líneas. Casi alrededor de $ 1,000.00 dólares he tenido que pagar de mi bolsillo para un vehículo que lo tengo desde nuevo y que aún pago. También quemó los fusibles y ahora tampoco le funciona la bocina. Es obvio que el problema es eléctrico . Tampoco me han llamado para revisión de las puertas corredizas que no retroceden en muchos de estos vehículos.

NHTSA ID

11644274

Incident

Feb 15, 2025

Sometimes my passenger side door will slam shut if I am parked on the hill and the sliding door lock is on, I have noticed that it only slams shut if that lock is on. If the lock is not on, it closes on its own without pressing the door close button on the door, on the driver side, or on the key fob.It will close quickly and not normal.

NHTSA ID

11607924

Incident

Jul 31, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the instrument cluster malfunctioned, and the screen failed to display as needed. During the failure, the driver was unable to view the speedometer, and fuel gauge, and check engine warning light. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent, but later the instrument cluster became permanently inoperable. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11574392

Incident

Apr 1, 2023

Mileage

80,000 mi

I bought this car June of 2022. The car was days old and the front end started making a popping sound when you turn the wheels. The dealership changed front right axle. There is still a popping noise but now it’s from the front and the back. The transmission went out in February of 2023. They replaced the transmission. Since then the car shakes violently when accelerating, loses power when accelerating, the self drive mode turns on by itself. I have contacted 2 different dealerships about these issues. They say “ they cannot duplicate the problem.” This car is not a safe vehicle for me or my family to ride in. They won’t do ANYTHING about it!

NHTSA ID

11537506

Incident

Aug 9, 2023

Had maintenance and recall "fix" for sliding door issue done on 5/9/2023. Technicians explained to me that the actual sensor that detects when something is in the way of the door closing and in turn force the door to stop and reverse is called the "pinch sensor". That is separate from the speed of the door closing and the sound of it beeping as it closes (what the software update changes/"fixes"). They put a note to check my pinch sensor in addition to doing the software update. Even though I explained and they tested the pinch sensor, they did not do anything to change the sensitivity of that sensor. I put my arm in the door's path, letting it close until just a few inches are left, hoping that it'll detect my arm and reverse back open. It does not. I did this multiple times, same result. The second video is me just pushing on the sensor, from an angle I tried to do from inward to outward (as if I were in the vehicle reaching towards the door and pushing on that sensor). That is how the technician explained to me that the sensor works - it works to reverse if someone is "getting out of the vehicle and pushes on that sensor", it will reverse. That's good it can/will reverse that way, but I am still frustrated because there are issues with that being the only way it reverses. 1) Little kids aren't going to understand the logistics of how/where to push on the sensor "correctly", and 2) I'm more worried about how my kids get out of the vehicle, then push the close button, then reach BACK INSIDE for something (like my arm was reaching inside from the outside). Kia should recall the pinch sensor and replace with a sensor that is actually sensitive to an object being in the path of the closing door (from the outside too). Additionally, I have seen some Carnival owners post online that there doors ARE sensitive and reverse/open at the slightest touch. Since this vehicle is capable of that, Kia should fix this on all Carnivals on which it does not operate that way.

NHTSA ID

11521338

Incident

May 9, 2023

Vehicle’s horn intermittently stops working. The length of outage varies. Restarting the vehicle does not resolve the issue. Safety is at risk due to having no way to alerting other drivers of potential hazards.

NHTSA ID

11518254

Incident

Apr 12, 2023

Horn intermittently works. Some times it works and sometimes it doesn't work. This is a safety hazard if horn does not work. I cannot warn others before collision resulting in many close calls or evasive maneuvers. Other owners experiencing similar issue in Carnival Facebook group. Irvine Kia had my car for a week and s could not fix our reproduce because it was working there. Afterwards, it will still intermittently work. Not sure if weather is affecting it or outside temperature. It doesn't matter, the horn needs to work 100% of the time.

NHTSA ID

11516991

Incident

Oct 1, 2022

When helping my child into the car, she pressed the door close button and the sliding door closed on my body and did not stop. The door sensors on this vehicle do not work and it will close on anything in its path, including tiny fingers. I have not personally called the dealership regarding this issue but I will have them reproduce this issue at the dealership at my next service appointment. The vehicle has not been inspected by anyone. There is no warning that the car sliding door sensors will not work and will close on anything in its path.

NHTSA ID

11507880

Incident

Feb 16, 2023

The safety feature on the sliding back doors is not safe for children. Previous vans I have owned had a sensor that would trigger the door to open back up if it were closing and ran into something, like a child getting caught in the sliding door. I am a grown adult and the door closing on the Kia Carnival is too strong for me to even stop with my entire body weight. A child is going to get crushed in those sliding doors.

NHTSA ID

11491053

Incident

Oct 26, 2022

Car will not accelerate. Error code P211800. Engine control system. Throttle control. Temp outside was 19degrees F. Check engine light is on.

NHTSA ID

11456566

Incident

Mar 12, 2022

The contact owns 2022 Kia Carnival LX. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the engine misfired, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. In addition, the vehicle would shudder when warming up. The vehicle was driven to local repair and diagnosed several times with the same failure, but not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000

NHTSA ID

11455242

Incident

Mar 1, 2022

Mileage

9,000 mi

The throttle body froze up and the Van went into "limp mode". I was driving on a semi-busy road and I could not go above 10mph. It would not let me shift either. Like it was not getting any gas to let me accelerate. The check engine light was on, I used a scan reader and the code came as P2118. Also when it went to the dealership the check engine light was still on. It was inspected by the dealership, but only deleted it and it was given back to us. Yes, the first symptom was the idle was rough and the exhaust was making a deep noise. *Dealership wrote that it had high rpms*, which I never said that to them, I told them( dealership) that it was low rpms with the rough idle. I had it idle for 5 minutes so it could warm up since it was 15 degrees that night. This issue is not safe because I could get hit from behind because the van can not go faster or drive at the marked speed limit on city/highway roads. Also, having issues like this is not safe for my kids or other passengers in the Carnival. The dealership said it is from condensation getting into the throttle body. But I have never had this issue with any other car/truck I have owned.

NHTSA ID

11448472

Incident

Jan 7, 2022

My check engine light keeps coming on due the throttle freezing in the winter and the car won’t go over 14mph when light is on

NHTSA ID

11448444

Incident

Jan 10, 2022

Will not accelerate over 10 Mph in cold temp even after warming up vehicle. Will lose acceleration at a intersection and dangerous while taking a left turn. Check engine light goes on. Throttle bottle issue. Believe it is moisture/water in the throttle body causing it to freeze in colder temps. NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. Many many other Kia Carnivals having same issue. Model is brand new and should not be having these issues. FAMILY CAR.

NHTSA ID

11448401

Incident

Jan 15, 2022

At roughly 9,000 miles we noticed that the lights illuminating the climate control buttons stopped working. We also noticed the gear shift indicators (P, R, N, D) were not lighting up either, and neither was the light that told you what gear you were in. At night it is impossible to see what gear you are in or what button to push to change anything on the climate control. My wife took the car to a car wash and when she tried to put the car in neutral, she put it in reverse because there was no indication as to what gear she was in and she couldn't see, putting her and others around her at risk of an accident. The vehicle was brought into our local Kia Dealership where it was purchased and they ran various tests, all of which showed nothing was wrong even though everyone could clearly see that the lights were not displaying properly. It is still in the dealerships hands with no timetable or even an idea on how to fix it.

NHTSA ID

11447200

Incident

Dec 27, 2021