This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.
So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
- San Angelo, TX, USA
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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.
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.
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.
A D V E R T I S E M E N T S
- Yellville, AR, USA