NHTSA recalls, safety ratings, and consumer complaints for the 2022 Kia Carnival.
| Trim | City | Hwy | Combined | Annual fuel $ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5L 6 cyl Automatic (S8) | 19 | 26 | 22 | $2,700 |
| Overall Rating | Not Rated |
| Frontal Crash | Not Rated |
| Side Crash | Not Rated |
| Rollover | Not Rated |
Component: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:ELECTRONIC LOCK/LATCH ACTUATOR
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Carnival vehicles. The remote controller assembly for the passenger-side power sliding door may malfunction, preventing the passenger-side sliding door from securely latching.
Consequence: A power sliding door that fails to latch may open while moving, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger-side power sliding door release actuator's drum and holder inside the remote controller assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC221.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Carnival vehicles. The plastic fuel rail tube may have been damaged.
Consequence: A damaged fuel rail tube may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the multi-port injection fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC211.
Engine light turns on every couple months. The Kia either stops accelerating and goes into “limp mode” or gives code for misfiring cylinders. Took to dealership several times, they did nothing but reset battery so light goes off. Unsafe when driving my family around and has turned into an unreliable vehicle. SO frustrating for a new vehicle to have these issues.
I am submitting this complaint regarding the failure of the Kia Connect telematics system and the cessation of critical navigation support for my vehicle. Despite opening a formal support case with Kia (Ticket #25923650), the following issues remain unresolved: Loss of Trip History (Since January 2026): The Trip History feature within the Kia Connect suite has been completely non-functional since January 2026. This prevents the tracking of vehicle usage, mileage, and driving behavior data, which are core features of the paid subscription service. Failure of Connected Routing & Software Obsolescence: The "Connected Routing" feature is no longer operational. Kia support has stated this is due to the vehicle requiring a navigation update; however, Kia has ceased providing all navigation and software updates for this model as of April 2025. Safety Concern: The lack of software support and the failure of "Connected Routing" forces the vehicle to rely on navigation data that is nearly a year out of date. This creates a safety risk when the vehicle provides incorrect guidance on one-way streets, closed roads, or altered traffic patterns. Furthermore, the persistent failure of these telematics services raises serious concerns about the reliability of the vehicle's emergency communication systems, such as Automatic Collision Notification and the SOS Emergency Assistance button, which utilize the same underlying cellular module and software framework. Corrective Action Requested: I am seeking a mandatory software update from Kia that restores full functionality to the Kia Connect suite (specifically Trip History and Connected Routing) or a final navigation map update to ensure the vehicle’s guidance systems remain safe and accurate for the remainder of the service's lifecycle.
The 2022 Kia Carnival has 6 NHTSA recalls and 126 consumer complaints on file. It received an overall safety rating of Not Rated out of 5 stars in NHTSA crash testing. The high number of complaints suggests potential reliability concerns — review the complaint details above before purchasing. For the most detailed information about a specific vehicle, decode its VIN using our free decoder above.
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Component: TRAILER HITCHES
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Carnival vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and verify whether the vehicle is equipped with a Genuine Kia accessory trailer tow hitch assembly. If equipped, dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC265.
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling all 2022 and certain 2023 Carnival vehicles. The auto-reverse feature for the power sliding doors (PSD) may not activate in all situations.
Consequence: A power sliding door that does not auto-reverse can close on an occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will update the power sliding door control module software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC266.
Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.
Consequence: A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC292.
Component: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.
Consequence: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed June 2, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC368. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 24, 2026.
My engine smells like fire and fuel my can will not start or do anything. There was smoke coming out of it. The van has had several issues since buying it. Now it’s completely disabled I heard a popping noise as I was driving and then it died and has not started since.
The driver side passenger door will open by itself when the key fob is near. Today it injured me while pumping gas and almost knocked the gas tank door off and gas pump out. I locked my vehicle to go inside to pay for gas. When I came back to my car to open the gas tank door and inserted the gas pump, the sliding door opened and smashed my wrist in between it and the gas tank cover door. It almost knocked the tank door off but I was able to keep fighting it and pushing it back and it closed. I have deep indents in my wrist and it scuffed the gas tank cover. The sliding doors do not stop when someone is going in or out. It is a safety hazard and should function like a garage door. Stop when it senses something there. I almost lost my wrist today!!!
I am unsure as for what is wrong with my car the dealership keeps saying its running rich and there is a recall on several 2022 Kia Carnivals that say it could be a faulty fuel rail tube. They have also said my map sensor is failing. My check engine light appeared a few days ago and has since been cleared and hasn't came back on, however it is just a matter of time. My children ride in this car as it is my daily driver and I have extremely head headaches. The dealership inspected the car and stated it did not smell like fuel however it definitely does.
Fuel door will not open, there is no manual override, vehicle cannot be refueled and since there is no emergency release it caused me to be stranded at a gas station at night with my 4 kids which is a huge safety concern and should be taken seriously as this is a safety and drivability issue that I should not be held responsible to pay for when it is at no fault to me it is a design/system failure.
The dealer is attempting to classify the torn rubber and pulled-out wiring as “non-recall wear and tear,” but the damage is a direct result of: a latch that sticks, a door that does not close smoothly, a malfunctioning power sliding mechanism, and the repeated force required to compensate for the defect. Under recall law, when an unresolved defect causes additional damage, the owner cannot be held financially responsible for the resulting deterioration. This is a mechanical consequence of a defect, not a cosmetic issue.
Vehicle: 2022 Kia Carnival Component: Liftgate — right-side support/strut (shoulder) failure Safety Issue: The right-hand side trunk strut/support has completely broken, causing the liftgate to drop unexpectedly. The trunk will not stay open and can fall abruptly during use. This creates a significant safety hazard for adults and children standing underneath, and while loading/unloading cargo. There was no prior warning or misuse. The failure is structural and sudden. Resulting Risk: Risk of head/neck injury, especially for children or anyone attempting to open or hold the liftgate. The sudden drop makes the rear of the vehicle unsafe to use. Request: Investigation into whether this is a defect affecting other 2022 Kia Carnival vehicles.
In October 23, 2025 I started to notice a fuel smell while I was driving the vehicle. The smell of fuel seemed more strong while I had the air conditioning running.I would shut off the AC and put the windows down. There was no leaks of fuel on the ground or close to the motor. No check engine light or messages was displayed on dash at anytime. My concern was that I’m constantly driving my small children in car seats to and from school, sports, and appointments the smell the fumes will cause headaches or worse car will catch fire were we would need to make a fast exit out the vehicle. So I made an appointment with Kia of Stockton and they scheduled me for 10/29/26 at 9:30am. Kia first diagnosis was undetermined and charged me another $315 just to keep diagnosing on top of there first fee of $315. Kia discovered after removing the foam that protects the fuel rail the leak was coming from fuel injectors and fuel rail. Fuel injector leaking where injector inserts into rail. Repair was needed due to failure of fuel rail housing not sealing properly. Kia also replaced associated components with the fuel rail clips, bolts, flanges, high pressure sensor, foam, and injector wire harness. According to Kia there tech found short in the injector harness.
Frame of drivers side seat broke in half. I weigh under. 200 pounds and am the primary driver of the car
I went to use my vehicle horn when another driver pulled out in front of me and the sound was way off...it sounded like a clown horn. I subsequently took to the Kia dealer where they diagnosed that one of the horns failed and it was replaced under an extended warranty with a deductible payment. The failure of the horn compromised my safety and the other driver's as the other driver may not have heard my warning that my vehicle was where it was. There was no warning that the horn failed until I went to use it.
Left sliding door window (Drivers side) exploded while driving down the highway. Nobody was around us on a sunday afternoon at [XXX]. [XXX] We were on a flat road so no tension. There is no reason for it to have shattered (my daughter was sleeping laid back in the seat) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The Kia Carnival was parked a slight decline and when the button to close the passenger sliding door the door closed rapidly like a guillotine. Thankfully no children or body part were in the path of the door because it would have severely damaged them. After it closed rapidly the door was unable to be opened. The dealership is still working on the Carnival and it has been over 3 weeks and they said they have never seen anything like this since it tore off a bolt in the body frame and caused damage to the body frame and they were unable to open it. Still don't have a timeline for repair. Also concerned it may happen to the other side and the safety issues around it.
Dealer says recall sc211 doesn’t apply to this vehicle, however CEL is displaying (once again) with DTC “P0191 Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor Range/Performance”. Kia dealer has does minimal investigation/diagnosis with no resolution.
When traveling on the highway, the vehicle would not shift into a higher gear limiting the control of the vehicle to accelerate to the flow of traffic. The transmission would not shift for approximately 1/4 of a mile and was stuck at a max speed of ~35 mph and it would not accelerate. This loss of control almost caused an accident and put my family and self at extreme risk. Eventually the vehicle did finally shift gears allowing us to accelerate with the flow of traffic (60mph) This issue with a delay in shifting gears has intermittently happened on prior occasion when accelerating from a full stop, however, this was the first time it happened at an accelerated speed. The vehicle is not safe to operate and was towed to a service center; however, the issue is intermittent and not easily reproducible -- making it even more dangerous as you do not know when it will happen next.
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