2025 KIA CARNIVAL Complaints

My vehicle keeps throwing a code “check hybrid system” and slowing me down to 30mph, it will not accelerate. This is extremely dangerous. I can restart the car and it’s fine but this is a major safety issue considering it keeps happening

The digital instrument panel display on the right side that shows map direction goes blank or start flickering. Audio also fails to function. When it goes blank, the rear camera also stops showing and causes difficulting in reversing the car. This happens randomly, but mostly once car has driven 10-15 mins or more and not right away. Points to some effect due to heat or vibration since the screen flickering begins once its driven a little bit.

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)

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.

I am writing to formally report a serious, recurring safety defect involving the Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system in my vehicle. The system intermittently shuts off completely without warning and suffers from a malfunctioning airflow diverter. This directly impacts driver visibility due to immediate windshield fogging or the inability to de-ice during cold weather conditions. Below are the logged details of the intermittent shutdowns: July 9: System shut off 22 minutes into the drive. Local time: 07:58. Ambient temperature: 76°F. Vehicle settings: 72°F, Fan Speed 3.July 11: System shut off 34 minutes into the drive. Local time: 17:10. Ambient temperature: 92°F. Vehicle settings: Low, Full Blast. Furthermore, the airflow diverter is partially stuck on defrost mode. Air constantly blows onto the front windshield regardless of the chosen setting on the selector. This uncommanded airflow creates rapid temperature differentials on the glass, causing severe condensation and clouding the driver's line of sight during operation. These compounding HVAC failures constitute a significant safety hazard by unexpectedly distracting the driver and severely reducing visibility. I request that these issues be documented and investigated for potential safety recalls. Currently, my vehicle is in the shop with a local KIA dealership. A KIA corporate service technician is on ground and investigating the electrical and HVAC issues. Feel free to reach out for additional observational notes that I have compiled.

This is a bran new vehicle purchased and only driven by me. I have video evidence that on the morning of 8/10/26 my windshield was perfectly fine. On returning at the end of the work day there is a 2 foot long crack internal to the windshield, a stress crack, that starts where the sensor panel is. There are numerous reports of this happening to a large number of Kia Carnival owners and Kia refusing to warranty this.

Fuel evap canister leak was suspected due to very strong gas smell inside vehicle. Dealership had to change out entire fuel tank to deal with whatever was leaking. Got the car back, and the next day, the smell was back. Dealership told us not to worry about the smell, that it was normal. Drove one more time and smell was so strong that it made two adults dizzy and nauseous within five minutes. Nausea lasted multiple hours. Parked and had it towed to dealer. After multiple days, still waiting to hear back, service apartment claims they're waiting for research from Kia. Vehicle has been too dangerous to drive so sitting at dealership for nearly 30 days now, total. No warning lights or messages ever came on to notify us of the problem.

My 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid is experiencing repeated electrical and hybrid battery failures. The battery has died multiple times, and the vehicle has shut off while driving, including at higher speeds. When the vehicle shuts off, all electrical systems reset, warning lights flash, and the dashboard displays “User Authorization” notifications. This creates a serious safety hazard for me and my passengers. The defect has occurred multiple times and remains unresolved despite dealer visits. Kia corporate is not responding and is redirecting me back to BBB Auto Line without providing any repair plan. The defect is ongoing and poses a risk of crash, injury, or loss of vehicle control. These symptoms match other Carnival electrical/battery complaints already filed with NHTSA, including sudden shutdowns, battery failures, and electrical resets. I am submitting this report because the defect continues and Kia has not provided a permanent repair.

While my 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid was parked, my [XXX] child attempted to unbuckle the rear passenger seat belt to exit the vehicle. The buckle mechanism jammed completely and would not release. The seat belt retractor then switched into Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR) mode, continuously tightening and squeezing my child against the seat. Due to the jammed buckle and the aggressive ratcheting of the belt, my child was nearly choked, and I could not create enough slack to free them. I was forced to call 911, and responding emergency services had to physically cut the seat belt to extract my child safely from the vehicle." INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I had two very serious incidents. July 8th: Horn just started blaring unprompted. Locking/unlocking doors, turning motor on, disconnecting battery did nothing to stop it. I was trying everything and as I was trying to find the correct fuse to disable (it wasn't labeled), the horn burned out and started smoldering. If the car was not in my driveway AND I wasn't home, I believe a fire would have started if I didn't pull the fuse AND douse it with water. It was parked next to my garage, so that would have been at risk as well. July 11th: When driving, my brake line burst resulting in a complete failure of my brakes. I narrowly escaped two accidents before I realized something was amiss. But the only warning was ABS was inactive, and active cruise control wasn't working. I had no warning that complete brake failure was imminent. I was extremely lucky. Mechanics had never seen a brake failure fail in a relatively new car in very good condition.