2025 Kia Carnival

Unknown Went to start my car and the whole system would not respond (key fob and battery was just replaced in july)

NHTSA ID

11776492

Incident

Nov 7, 2026

I was driving about 65 mph down the highway with my 3 children and husband in the car when out of nowhere my front sunroof EXPLODES. It sounded like a gunshot and was absolutely terrifying for my entire family. I went back and forth with Kia (dealership and service advisors acknowledged this is a known occurrence/recall for KIAs) however, after multiple attempts of a goodwill replacement, I was continuously denied.

NHTSA ID

11776003

Incident

Oct 18, 2026

"UPDATE TO EXISTING COMPLAINT NHTSA ID 11747231 LCD CENTER DISPLAY / BACKUP CAMERA FAILURE UPDATE TO NHTSA COMPLAINT ID 11747231 I am submitting an update regarding the same unresolved safety defect reported in NHTSA Complaint ID 11747231 involving my 2025 Kia Carnival SX. Mileage when the problem start approximately 8k miles. The vehicle has now undergone five repair attempts for the same recurring LCD/display failure. Repairs have included replacement of the LCD/display, replacement of the radio/head unit, work involving coaxial connections, and most recently repair of what the dealership diagnosed as “insufficient pin tension.” Kia Tech Line has also been involved. Most recently, I was told the vehicle was repaired and ready for pickup. However, when I arrived at the authorized Kia dealership, the LCD began flickering again while the vehicle was still in the dealership parking lot. Dealership personnel witnessed the failure and recorded video of it. The defect remains unresolved. The display has previously gone blank while driving, caused navigation to become unavailable, and caused the rearview/backup-camera image to become unavailable while reversing. This recurring failure is causing me significant stress and distraction while driving because I do not know when the screen will suddenly begin flickering or go blank again. When the screen unexpectedly flickers or fails while I am driving, it draws my attention away from the road. The loss of the rearview-camera image while reversing also creates a serious safety concern because I unexpectedly lose the camera view behind the vehicle. I regularly transport my family, including young children, and I am extremely concerned about these unpredictable failures. After five repair attempts, the same safety-related defect continues to occur without warning. I respectfully request that NHTSA associate this update with Complaint ID 11747231 and review this continuing safety defect.

NHTSA ID

11768358

Incident

Oct 1, 2026

The battery is draining due to external things but it’s not attached to anything and now all screens in the car flash on and off and go black including speedometer

NHTSA ID

11768241

Incident

Oct 1, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact's minor children were unable to ride in the vehicle due to the odor. Several dealers were contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was contacted by the dealer and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

NHTSA ID

11763722

Incident

Jun 15, 2026

Mileage

6,000 mi

On August 31, 2026, while traveling eastbound on I-14/US-190 in Killeen, Texas toward Temple, an original factory-installed Continental CrossContact RX 235/55 R19 101H tire on a 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid suffered a major failure at approximately 28,975 vehicle miles. A toddler was a passenger in the vehicle. Prior to the failure, there was an unusual tire noise, followed by a much louder noise and the smell of burning rubber as the tire came apart. There were no known tire-pressure warnings or other warning messages before the failure. Fortunately, the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and safely pull off the highway. There was no crash, fire, or injury. Kia Roadside Assistance towed the vehicle to a Kia dealership. The failed tire was replaced. A service advisor at the dealership who personally observed the failed tire subsequently stated that what he observed was tread separation and not road-hazard damage. Approximately 7,091 miles before the failure, at 21,884 vehicle miles, a Kia multipoint inspection documented all four factory-installed Continental tires at 7/32-inch tread depth with “NO DAMAGE.” The tires had also received documented rotations during the vehicle's service history. The failed tire is no longer available for inspection. I contacted the servicing dealership the morning after the incident specifically regarding retaining the failed tire. When I later returned to the dealership to follow up, I learned that the tire had been disposed of. Continental was notified of the incident but has not physically inspected the failed tire because it was disposed of by the dealership. Three other factory-installed Continental CrossContact RX tires remain on the vehicle. I am submitting this complaint because of the serious safety concern associated with a reported tread separation occurring at highway speed and because three tires from the original factory-installed set remain in service.

NHTSA ID

11763549

Incident

Aug 31, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival with an external Harmar Swing Away Lift, Model Number: AL100, with a mobility scooter attached. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 MPH, after driving for two hours on [XXX] approaching Grand Rapids, Michigan, there was an abnormal sound coming from the vehicle, and the driver became aware that the scooter had detached. The driver was able to pull over and became aware that the scooter was in the left bound lane. Other vehicles had to swerve to avoid a crash. Another driver was able to assist with securing the scooter on the vehicle. After the failure, the contact noticed there was a four-inch gap on the lift while lying on a flat surface. The lift was taken to the installer, who confirmed that the lift was working as designed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to another local dealer for further inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11759487

Incident

Aug 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a complete stop, the vehicle shut off. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was restarted and driven back to the residence. The following day, the vehicle shut off again and was restarted after several attempts. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on several occasions; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 34,967.

NHTSA ID

11756278

Incident

Aug 7, 2026

Mileage

34,967 mi

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.

RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY Carnival, EV9, K5 and Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.

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.)