Kia Carnival Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 418 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Kia Carnival (2022–2026) that have at least 5 complaints. 2022 has the most, with 136. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (138 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst Carnival years →
All Carnival model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 29 | 2,379 | 2 | 27 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2025 | 126 | 13,000 | 1 | 48 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2024 | 75 | 7,000 | 2 | 59 | Too new to compare | Too new |
| 2023 | 52 | 32,500 | 4 | 69 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Too new |
| 2022 | 136 | 2,438 | 6 | 96 | Not compared (fewer than 3 comparable model years) | Stable |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system138 30%
- Other or unknown121 26%
- Body and structure59 13%
- Engine45 9.8%
- Fuel system38 8.3%
- Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)24 5.2%
- Transmission and drivetrain19 4.1%
- Seats16 3.5%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2022: “2022 Kia Carnival. The outer middle seats in the 8 passenger model. I have accidentally used the lever to fold the seat foward when I meant to use the one that pulls it foward on the track. When the seat came foward it hit me in the head such force I though I was going have a concussion. I was left with a minor headache afterward.the second time I thought it broke my nose. I can still feel it as I type this. This in my opinion would cause sever injury to a small child or elderly person if they were to do the same. To me those seats are dangerous if not prepared when folding the seats foward.”
NHTSA complaint #11416351, filed 2021-05, 1,000 miles2025: “I was on the on-ramp getting on the highway and whenever I started to increase speed and try to get over into the next lane, I noticed the car all of a sudden jumped a little bit and then it started consistently jumping in the check engine light was flashing, and I couldn’t keep the car over what ended up being 50 mph anytime I tried to go over 50 mph. …”
NHTSA complaint #11733125, filed 2026-042026: “Sliding Door Sensor Failed My daughter was getting in the van, when her brother hit the door button, if my husband wouldn’t have glanced over at that exact moment and pulled her back, this would’ve been another story. THE SENSOR IS NOT SENSITIVE ENOUGH! We as mothers are demanding sensors sensitive enough to detect smaller, fragile children!”
NHTSA complaint #11728404, filed 2026-03Other Kia models
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About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology