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2026 Kia Carnival

HybridGas

Minivan - 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

77 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical2

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA44

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

Fuel economybest combined, EPA32 mpg

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022

The 2026 Kia Carnival is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas minivan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Carnival Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 44 complaints, most often about the electrical system.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Carnival Hybrid	Hybrid	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	34	31	32	$1,950
Carnival	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	18	25	21	$2,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49438, 49437.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Fuel System, Gasoline

SC368

141,032 vehicles

ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.RiskA fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were 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.

NHTSA campaign 26V232000reported Apr 10, 2026Kia America, Inc.

▲high

Electrical System

SC361

42,677 vehicles

ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."RiskAn instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.FixThe instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

NHTSA campaign 26V046000reported Jan 26, 2026Kia America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

44complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 4 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2025: 9 · 2026: 35

Most-cited components

Electrical System16

Unspecified14

Power Train11

Vehicle Speed Control8

Fuel/Propulsion System5

Engine4

What owners describe

“I purchased a new 2026 Kia Carnival EX and noticed an unusually intense amount of heat coming from underneath the vehicle on the passenger side, particularly around the rear passenger door/second-row seating area. I first noticed the issue while the vehicle was parked and I was standing outside the open rear passenger …”Sep 1, 2026 · Structure · NHTSA owner report

“While driving approximately 70 mph on the highway returning from Door County, 20 miles north of Manitowoc, on a clear day with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s and no other vehicles nearby, the panoramic sunroof glass spontaneously shattered with a loud noise. The middle portion of the glass was sucked outward/up a…”Aug 19, 2026 · Visibility/Wiper · NHTSA owner report

“The contact owns a 2027 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while initiating vehicle operation, the messages "Check Hybrid System" and "Stop Vehicle and Check Power Supply" was displayed. The failure was a recurring failure. The dealer was contacted and received the same messages. The dealer stated that the failu…”Aug 18, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
PV FWD	not rated	★★★★☆	not rated	★★★★☆	14%
PV FWD	not rated	★★★★☆	not rated	★★★★☆	14%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Carnival model years

2027 Kia Carnival

0 recalls · 0 complaints

2025 Kia Carnival

1 recalls · 182 complaints

2024 Kia Carnival

2 recalls · 71 complaints

2023 Kia Carnival

4 recalls · 50 complaints

2022 Kia Carnival

6 recalls · 133 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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