2025 Kia Carnival

The component of the vehicle that malfunction was the front passenger seat. The driver came to a stop at an intersection and the front passenger seat started auto reclining. The seat was reclining into a life, flat position, almost. The driver was concerned because no one was pressing buttons and put the vehicle in park in the seat did not stop auto reclining so the driver turned off the vehicle, but the seat reclined as far as it could into the middle section of the vehicle and encountered the driver’s child in a car seat. The seat reclined onto the child's legs and pinned them down against the car seat and the seat below them. The driver was unable to remove the child from under the seat nor able to physically lift the seat, but the buttons on the front passenger seat on the lower right side, did work in order to lift the seat back into an upright position and unpinned the childs legs. The driver took it and to a dealership to get it looked at and they failed to reproduce the issue. The local dealership did look at the vehicle, but failed to reproduce the issue. There were no warning lights to indicate this was going to occur. The local dealership suggested this was a user error, and that something must have damaged the components of the seat to activate an auto recline, which is still problematic. The dealership said due to the owner unplugging the power to the seat that the issue could not occur again, but they did not solve the mystery or issue of how it actually occurred. The child was restrained in a car seat, and the seat was pushed back in the middle section of the vehicle as far back as it can go. The front seat was still able to auto recline somehow into the child’s car seat and pin them down.

I am writing concerning the Driver Attention Warning system and how it seems to be way too sensitive and when it keeps going off, trying to see what is causing this issue. This seems to be creating more distractions than it is designed to solve. From my understanding Kia through a software update removed any sensitivity adjustments which makes this problematic.

Date/time of incident 03-16-2026 18:09-18:17 * Faulting component: Infotainment screen (screen to the right of gauge cluster) * Incident: While backing out of a parking spot and utilizing the cameras to watch my surroundings, the infotainment screen became unresponsive and began flashing between visual noise similar to 'snow' on old broadcast television, primary colored jagged/blocky artifacts, and a black screen. The screen would occasionally revert back to normal imagery but with severely lagging touch response and stuttering screen transitions. This persisted until I pulled over, parked the car, & restarted the vehicle. After restarting the vehicle the infotainment screen flashed: Solid Black - Solid White - Solid Red - Solid Green - Briefly solid black - Briefly Solid Green - Then the infotainment functionality returned to normal operation after a brief stutter. --I have a video of the last portion of this incident that I can share upon request * All camera related safety functionality became unresponsive/unusable during this incident * I've requested an appointment with the local Kia dealership * As this incident just occurred, I have not yet reached out to other parties * No warning lamps or diagnostic warning appeared during or after the incident

Today, my young daughter pressed the button on the inside of the door to close the sliding door. Her hand was still in the way and the door did not stop. Part of her hand was completely closed in the door and she screamed and cried in excruciating pain. Right away I noticed bruising and took her to the ER for an X-ray. Since she is so young, her bones are very pliable and thank goodness the X-ray showed no fracture, just bruising and swelling. The sliding door has previously not stopped for my older daughters as well. This is a major safety issue.

Due to soy-insulated wiring used in wiring harnesses, rodents are attracted to the wiring components in the engine bay. Even using deterrents doesn't see to affect them. What started as a simple check engine light for what was assumed to be a faulty sensor turned into a total wiring harness replacement. Without knowing that the wiring provided an added risk to damage from external factors, there was no need to check any of the wiring. If the check engine light didn't come on, it was possible that total power loss to the vehicle could've occurred at any time, due to the various wires damaged by the rodents. We were driving on the freeway at the time when the initial check engine light came on, and a loss of power while going 65 mph could've been devastating to both our family and other drivers on the road at the same time. Insurance confirmed that the cause of the wiring damage was related to the rodents being attracted to the material, and at the dealership there were at least 2 other cars needing full wiring harness replacements due to similar damage from rodents.

Was driving to work this morning and the first time I tried to get accelerate, I was unable to get above 31 MPH no matter how hard I pushed the pedal. Had to stop and restart. Not sure if it is due to the -1 degree weather this morning?

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? While driving all of the lights in the car went off. Everything internal, and atleast the head lights externally. This lasted for a second or 2 before everything came back on. The screen said something about loss of something, but I don't remember what exactly. This has only happened once. Yes it can be inspected How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Atleast the head lights went off while driving at night. Possibly my break lights as well. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? no Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? no Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Just the message on the screen

I am submitting a safety-related complaint regarding my 2025 Kia Carnival with approximately 4,000 miles. The vehicle experienced an electronic system failure that required diagnosis by an authorized Kia dealership. The dealer has informed me that the issue is due to a failed Body Domain Controller (BDC), which must be replaced. The vehicle is currently not safe or suitable for normal operation and will remain at the dealership for at up to one week, with the possibility of a longer delay depending on parts availability. The vehicle has very low mileage and has been maintained normally. A failure of a central body control module at under 4,000 miles raises serious concerns regarding vehicle reliability, quality, and potential safety implications, as the Body Domain Controller manages multiple critical vehicle systems. Additionally, during this repair period, the dealership has provided only a Kia K5 sedan as a loaner vehicle. This is not a comparable replacement to a Kia Carnival minivan and does not adequately meet the functional needs of my household, which relies on the Carnival’s passenger and cargo capacity. While this is not a safety issue itself, it compounds the impact of the vehicle failure. I am concerned that this failure may indicate a broader defect affecting other 2025 Kia Carnival vehicles and request that NHTSA review this issue for potential investigation, recall consideration, or further monitoring.

12v Battery died 2 times first on 12/26 then on 1/25. We had to call in roadside assistance for jump start. This was reported to Kia Dublin and Kia Manteca in California. Kia Dublin ran the diagnostics and couldnt find anything. Kia Manteca later found the battery logs showing issues. But said it could have been related to the HVAC recall which is now fixed. But the problem re-occured. This is a brand new vehicle less than 1 year old, still unders warranty. Have reported this to Kia customer care as well. Kia Customer Care Case#XXX So far, we have had the following issues: 1. The front passenger seat recliner stopped working. Kia Manteca replaced the seat frame under warranty. 2. Both rear entertainment screens stopped working. Kia Dublin has ordered them under warranty. Replacement planned for 1/26. 3. Battery died 2 times, luckily car was in the garage we were not stranded anywhere outside. But its frustrating how the new car is not working as expected and stalls so frequently. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The 12-volt battery fully discharges and leaves the vehicle inoperable ONLY when parked in my attached townhouse garage (overnight or 1–3 days). The vehicle starts and runs normally when parked elsewhere (work, airport, etc.) for the same duration. Symptoms: No warning lights prior to failure Dashboard completely dark; no power to doors, lights, or start button Requires jump-start or tow

I WAS DRIVING TO WORK AND HEARD A LOUD NOISE, THEN THE SOUND OF GLASS SHATTERING. I PULLED OVER AND LOOKED AT ALL MY WINDOWS AND DIDNT SEE ANYTHING. I CONTINUTED DRIVING AND I COULD HEAR AIR COMING FROM ABOVE, WHILE AT A REDLIGHT I STARTED OPENING THE SUNROOF COVER AND SAW GLASS. I IMMEDIATELY CLOSED IT AND RETURNED HOME AND GOT MY OTHER VEHICLE. THERE WAS NO CARS IN FRONT OF ME AND NOTHING ABOVE ME.

My 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid produces externally audible audio while the vehicle is locked, with all doors and windows fully closed. Private phone calls, navigation instructions, and other in-vehicle audio can be clearly heard from outside the vehicle indefinitely, even after locking the car. This behavior occurs without warning to the driver and cannot be disabled or controlled through any user setting. The dealership and manufacturer have confirmed this behavior is “by design” and have declined to correct it. This presents a safety and security concern, as it exposes private communications, signals whether a vehicle is occupied, and may attract unwanted attention or increase the risk of harassment, stalking, or theft—especially in parking garages, residential areas, or public locations. The vehicle appears secure to the driver (locked, windows closed), yet continues to broadcast audio externally, which is unexpected and undocumented behavior. I believe this constitutes an unintended external output of vehicle systems while secured, creating a potential safety vulnerability.

I was stopped in in the left turn lane with my right foot on the brake pedal. Suddenly the car began to rapidly move forward. I jammed my right foot down and stopped the car, avoiding an accident.

The component that has failed are both Rear Entertainment System (RES). The vehicle is at the dealership and they are unable to determine the cause hence the vehicle is at the dealership for an additional day. There were no warning lamps, messages or other systems of the problem prior to the failure. The failure happened Oct. 5, 2025. I also called KIA Connect Center on Oct. 9, 2025 and they recommended a soft reset which did not resolve the issue hence finally able to take it to the dealership on Nov. 24, 2025.

I live in Alabama. Temperature here is 34 degrees so far in the morning. My check engine light is on. I have taken it in and had diagnostics and they can't find a code or code history. My heat and AC do not work properly if the ambient temperature on the cluster doesn't show up or is not correct. 72 degrees when it's not working right will run you out of the car it's so hot. The cluster currently says it's -15 degrees outside and has the snowflake beside it. I am scheduled bc they are booked out at the dealership to have diagnostics run on 11/14. I don't know if it is wiring, ambient temperature sensor, max air sensor, HVAC module (dealership had previously cleared water out of the module and then replaced the module, initially when they couldn't find the problem they disconnected the battery and reconnected to reset and clear the code). The dealership in Auburn Al has addressed all the issues and done all the services, updates, and trouble shooting. I'm having to run three different temps in the car and crack the windows when I need heat and AC just crack the windows and adjust the three temps again. I feel like I'm just getting a quick fix each time I go instead of the problem being resolved for good. This has been an ongoing issue especially when the temperature changes (seasons) or fluctuates (throughout the day). I've listed below the most recent start date. I would have to contact that dealership to get the exact timeframe that it ALL started.

I was driving about 6:30ish in the morning and my whole dashboard went black and my head lights turned off couple seconds later it came back on while i am driving. I will be calling the dealership to see what can be checked.

12V battery drains if the car is left unused for more than 3-4 days. Car needs to be jumped to start it up again. The issue occurred in August and I jumped it first time. It started happening again September and had a service appointment with Kia. They hard reset the software but the issue occured again every time I left the car unused for more than 3-4 days.

The 2025 Kia Carnivals have a safety systems that prompts the driver to, "Take and coffee break". The system cannot be turned off and is extremely distracting. The system prompts the driver even if the adaptive cruise control is turned off. I called Kia and they told me to take the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer was not able to turn the computer nag off either. The car makes a noise and the prompt flashes at the driver every few miles. This happens when traveling at highway speeds and in traffic. The driver has to look down from the road to see what the noise is and is greeted with the infuriating "Take a coffee break" message. It is extremely distracting and annoying to the point it induces road rage. The NTSB needs to investigate this system and require manufacturers to either allow owners to turn it off or do not include this feature in their vehicles. The next question is irrelevant because this happens on almost every highway drive. It is not a one time occurrence.

The main screen dashboard suddenly turned off while driving and will not come back. No odometer, turn signal, lane keeping, anything available.

Side passenger doors do not stop when something is in the way when the automatic door close feature is used. We tried holding a hot dog and large piece of celery in the way of the door as it closed. The sensor did not detect either item and broke them both in two. If this was a human limb, finger, neck or other body part, great bodily harm would occur.