2025 Kia Carnival

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a strong fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact's minor children were unable to ride in the vehicle due to the odor. Several dealers were contacted and made aware of the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was contacted by the dealer and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 6,000.

On August 31, 2026, while traveling eastbound on I-14/US-190 in Killeen, Texas toward Temple, an original factory-installed Continental CrossContact RX 235/55 R19 101H tire on a 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid suffered a major failure at approximately 28,975 vehicle miles. A toddler was a passenger in the vehicle. Prior to the failure, there was an unusual tire noise, followed by a much louder noise and the smell of burning rubber as the tire came apart. There were no known tire-pressure warnings or other warning messages before the failure. Fortunately, the driver was able to maintain control of the vehicle and safely pull off the highway. There was no crash, fire, or injury. Kia Roadside Assistance towed the vehicle to a Kia dealership. The failed tire was replaced. A service advisor at the dealership who personally observed the failed tire subsequently stated that what he observed was tread separation and not road-hazard damage. Approximately 7,091 miles before the failure, at 21,884 vehicle miles, a Kia multipoint inspection documented all four factory-installed Continental tires at 7/32-inch tread depth with “NO DAMAGE.” The tires had also received documented rotations during the vehicle's service history. The failed tire is no longer available for inspection. I contacted the servicing dealership the morning after the incident specifically regarding retaining the failed tire. When I later returned to the dealership to follow up, I learned that the tire had been disposed of. Continental was notified of the incident but has not physically inspected the failed tire because it was disposed of by the dealership. Three other factory-installed Continental CrossContact RX tires remain on the vehicle. I am submitting this complaint because of the serious safety concern associated with a reported tread separation occurring at highway speed and because three tires from the original factory-installed set remain in service.

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.

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.

The vehicle's passenger cabin continually has a strong odor smell after longer drives or after the vehicle idles for a longer duration in time. The vehicle was brought to Horne, KIA in Gilbert, AZ twice in June for same. Both times the service department stated they could not duplicate the problem and could not ascertain that it has anything to do with recall SC368. The problem continues at time of this writing (07/14/2026). The strong fuel odor is causing headaches to family and young children. The problem could not be reproduced but matches the SC368 recall. KIA Customer Service was contacted today, and they advised the only thing they can do is trust their authorized service department that there are no concerns (Horne KIA). I requested the matter be escalated, but my request was denied.

The rear sliding door on the driver's side was not locking. I took it to the dealership and they have replaced the actuator, the wiring harness, and the IPM power module. None of this has fixed it. We now have a Kia special mechanic coming to [XXX] to take a look at it. I was told there are 19 other vehicles in [XXX] with the same issue. 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 parked in a bank drive-thru, the contact's son mentioned that his seat belt was stuck. The contact parked the vehicle in a parking spot and attempted to remove the seat belt; however, the seat belt retracted tightly around his abdomen as the lower half of his body was turning blue, requiring the contact's husband to cut the seat belt. The contact mentioned that it was discovered that all seat belts located in the rear row seats failed. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were flickering on and off back in April. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that all the third-row rear seat belts had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired by replacing the seat belts. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the seat belts were replaced and that the vehicle was ready to be picked up. The approximate failure mileage was 46,000.

The contact owns a Chico Car Seat, Model Type: Fit 360, Model Number: 08087216240070, Manufactured Date: December 2025, and used in a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that the magnetic chest clip failed to remain closed as needed. The manufacturer was contacted and provided a replacement chest clip. The manufacturer stated that the chest clip operated as designed and was designed to come apart. The contact was concerned that the replacement chest clip was defective, and in the event of crash the car seat would not perform as intended. The contact requested a nonmagnetic chest clip from the manufacturer.

**Vehicle:** 2025 Kia Carnival **Current Mileage:** Approximately 18,000 miles I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety defect involving the center LCD display in my 2025 Kia Carnival. The problem began immediately after the vehicle's first scheduled service at an authorized Kia dealership and has continued ever since. The center LCD screen intermittently flickers and then goes completely blank while I am driving. When this happens, the rearview camera image is also lost while the vehicle is in Reverse, leaving the display completely black and preventing me from seeing behind the vehicle during backing. This creates a significant safety hazard and increases the risk of striking a pedestrian, child, vehicle, or other object. The display failure while driving is also extremely distracting because critical vehicle information and functions become unavailable. I have taken the vehicle to authorized Kia dealerships multiple times for warranty repairs, but the defect remains unresolved. The LCD display has been replaced, yet the problem continues to occur. The dealerships have kept my vehicle for extended periods during several repair attempts without permanently correcting the issue. Service dates include: * September 9, 2025 * March 10, 2026 * March 18, 2026 * June 1, 2026 The issue is intermittent but repeatedly occurs without warning. I transport my family, including infants, in this vehicle, and I am extremely concerned about their safety and the safety of others. Losing the backup camera and display while reversing or driving creates an unacceptable safety risk. I believe this may be a safety-related defect affecting the vehicle's display system. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue because multiple warranty repair attempts, including replacement of the display, have failed to resolve the defect.