2022-2026 Kia Carnival Problems: 23 Known Issues

NHTSA campaign 23V179000 (Kia SC265) covers certain 2022-2023 Carnival vehicles equipped with a Genuine Kia trailer-tow-hitch harness. Water may enter the harness connector and short the module printed circuit board, creating a fire risk while driving or while parked with the ignition off.

Kia Service Action SA593 applies to certain 2025 Carnival and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Central Communication Unit software may fail to enter its normal sleep state, creating a dark-current draw from the 12V battery while parked and potentially causing low battery voltage or a no-start condition.

Certain Carnival and Carnival Hybrid digital instrument clusters can unnecessarily enter an overheat-protection mode due to excessive signal noise from the cluster's power-management circuit. When this happens the screen temporarily goes blank while driving, so the speedometer, warning lights and tire-pressure display disappear. Kia recalled the affected vehicles (Kia campaign SC361, tied to NHTSA) as a non-compliance with FMVSS 101 (Controls and Displays) and FMVSS 138 (TPMS). A blank cluster that hides speed and warning telltales raises crash risk.

The side-mirror Blind-Spot View Monitor cameras that display a live feed in the cluster when signaling can flicker, show a distorted image, or go blank. Owners report the cluster feed dropping out and the blind-spot/rear-cross-traffic systems disabling entirely, sometimes needing a replacement rear radar sensor with long parts backorders. Beyond lens contamination, defective cameras and grounding/software faults are implicated.

Some Carnival owners report the vehicle behaving as though it has the Idle Stop & Go auto stop/start feature it was not equipped with, shutting the engine off at stops unexpectedly. Kia service action SA508 is an ECM software update for certain 2023MY Carnivals (built March 24 - July 14, 2022) that may show a temporary, lower-than-expected engine speed while decelerating or idling; it does not reference ISG. The unexpected shutdown at stops is unsettling and, combined with battery-strain conditions, can leave owners unsure whether the engine will restart promptly.

Kia Carnival vehicles equipped with Display Audio 2.0 and 5th Generation AVN Wide head units experience frequent infotainment issues including frozen screens, black screens, and intermittent Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity failures. The system may disconnect during phone calls, navigation, or music playback. Kia issued a service action to update the head unit software to improve connectivity and system stability.

The center-console Qi wireless charging pad on 2022-2024 Carnivals routinely overheats phones (owners cite iPhone 15 Pro Max and others), triggering high-temperature warnings and thermal throttling so the phone gets hot to the touch and stops charging, especially on calls while charging. Owners note the pad lacks an active ventilation fan despite manual references to a cooling system, so heat has nowhere to go.

Owners report the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) / AEB system braking or alarming with no real obstacle present (phantom braking), including on highways, on curved roads, and when cresting slopes where the radar misreads adjacent vehicles or terrain. Unexpected automatic braking at speed is a safety hazard because it can startle the driver and risk being rear-ended. Owners also see 'Check Forward Safety system' warnings when the ADAS faults.

During IIHS updated side-crash testing, the left second-row captain's chair tore loose from the floor, tipping the seat and rear-passenger dummy into the third-row area — a serious injury risk to that occupant and others. Kia strengthened the seat-attachment rails on Carnivals built after August 2023 and launched a product-improvement campaign to retrofit the same fix to earlier vehicles free of charge.

The power sliding rear doors on the Kia Carnival may fail to auto-reverse when contacting an obstruction such as a person, child, or pet. Owners and a class-action lawsuit allege the pinch sensors along the door edge require excessive force to trigger, allowing the door to continue closing on an occupant before finally reversing; Kia says it has not identified a manufacturing or design cause. Kia recalled 51,568 units (2022-2023 models built between Jan 2021 and Feb 2023) under NHTSA campaign 23V-236 (Kia SC266), and at least 9 injuries were confirmed including one broken arm and a fractured thumb. A class-action lawsuit alleges the recall fix was insufficient.

The Kia Carnival (2022-2025) develops issues with the power sliding door system where the door fails to open, close, or latch properly. The power sliding door motor can fail or the latch mechanism becomes misaligned. Some owners report the door opening on its own while driving. Kia recalled certain 2022 Carnivals (NHTSA 21V908, Kia SC221) because the passenger-side power sliding door may not latch securely.

Carnivals with the panoramic sunroof can leak water into the cabin, showing up as a wet headliner or damp footwells after heavy rain. The sunroof relies on corner drain tubes that route water down the pillars; debris clogs the tubes (or seals age/misalign), so water backs up and overflows into the interior. Owners report wet headliners the dealer could not immediately diagnose. Left unchecked, trapped water causes mildew and can affect electronics.

Numerous Kia Carnival owners report windshields cracking spontaneously without any visible impact from road debris. Cracks often appear near the base of the windshield or along the edges and spread rapidly across the entire glass. NHTSA received at least 14 complaints for the 2022 model year alone. Owners have reported difficulty obtaining replacement windshields due to stock shortages at dealerships, and Kia has generally denied warranty coverage claiming the cracks are from impact damage.

Many Carnival owners, especially on lower trims (LX/LXS/LX Plus) that lack the thicker acoustic laminated front glass, report pronounced wind noise from the top rear corner of the front door windows starting around 45 mph and worsening with speed. Owners can often make the noise stop by pressing up on the window seal in that corner, indicating a weak seal or a door slightly out of adjustment from the factory.

NHTSA campaign 24V025000 (Kia SC292) covers certain 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles that do not have roof rails. Interference between a retaining clip and excess roof-panel sealer, or improper assembly installation, may allow a roof molding to loosen or detach. A detached molding can become a road hazard and increase crash risk for other vehicles.

Owners report the paint on low-mileage, often garage-kept Carnivals chipping down to primer within weeks and, in some cases, the base coat/clear coat delaminating and lifting in sheets. Light colors, particularly Snow White Pearl, appear most affected, consistent with a wider Hyundai/Kia clear-coat adhesion pattern attributed to thin paint, poor prep, or inadequate UV protection in the clear coat. One 2022 Carnival owner counted numerous hood chips within eight weeks of purchase.

Owners report the air conditioning gradually losing cooling or quitting entirely, sometimes at low mileage. Kia issued service action SA632 for certain 2025-2026 Carnivals citing excessive clearance between the compressor piston and cylinder that reduces its ability to compress refrigerant. Separately, earlier (2022-2024) owners report DVE18C compressor failures with internal shorts, occasionally denied as not covered, with replacements quoted around $1,400. The compressor is the costliest A/C component, so weak-cooling complaints carry high repair exposure. The OEM compressor is part 97701-R0100 (DVE18C, 6-groove belt-driven).

A common Carnival complaint is a musty/mildew or sour smell from the vents, sometimes appearing within days of a new purchase. The cause is moisture and organic debris collecting on the A/C evaporator and in the HVAC case, where bacteria/mold grow, worsened by constant recirculation use and a slow/blocked evaporator drain. Kia's documented dealer treatment masks the odor and owners report it returning within days, making this a recurring annoyance rather than a one-time fix.

NHTSA complaints for the 2025 Carnival Hybrid are dominated by loss of acceleration — the vehicle suddenly limiting power, with owners held to roughly 30-35 mph, frequently in cold weather (sometimes below 10 F). Restarting the vehicle often temporarily clears it, and dealerships frequently cannot reproduce the fault. This poses a hazard when merging or in traffic. Vehicle-speed-control is the single largest complaint category for the model.

NHTSA campaign 26V232000 (Kia SC368) covers 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles. High-pressure cross-over fuel-pipe nuts may loosen over time, allowing fuel to leak at the connection between the pipe and fuel rail. Fuel odor or a check-engine light may precede the leak; fuel near an ignition source increases fire risk.

Some Carnival owners report the 3.5L GDI V6 consuming noticeable oil between changes (commonly 0.25-0.5 qt, with heavier cases reported), a pattern tied to low-tension piston rings and GDI carbon buildup that affects many direct-injection engines. The risk with the Carnival's larger oil capacity and 7,500-mile intervals is that an owner who never checks the dipstick can run the engine low between services, accelerating wear. Heavy consumers should be documented because excessive consumption can be a warning sign of ring/cylinder wear.

Owners of 3.5L Lambda III V6 Carnivals report a distinct ticking or rattling noise for a few seconds on cold start that fades as the engine warms and oil pressure builds. Reported root causes include the timing-chain tensioner briefly losing its prime, the high-pressure GDI fuel pump, and VVT/cam gear chatter until oil pressure rises. Some owners had belts, tensioners, alternators and oil pumps replaced without resolution while others were told it is normal GDI-pump noise.

Multiple owners report front brake rotors warping early, producing steering-wheel/brake-pedal pulsation and vibration under braking, with some reporting recurrence even after rotors are replaced or resurfaced. Owners and forum discussion attribute it to the minivan's curb weight relative to the rotor sizing. Premature rotor warping plus squeal/grinding from pad wear are among the most frequently reported chassis complaints and add ongoing maintenance cost.