Reliable Auto DB

2025 Kia Carnival reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 124 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia Carnival over 2 years — 62 per year. It is too early to rank against other Carnival years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Hoses and fittings.

2022 Kia Carnival
Photo by JamesYoung8167, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

124

Per year

62

Recalls

1

Years on the road

2

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (82 of 124), then Engine (15) and Fuel and propulsion system (8). The most filings arrived in 2024 (55 of 124). Those filings include 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2024 and 2026

The 2024 Carnival has 73 complaints, 24 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2025 Kia Carnival. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (1)

Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2026-04-10 · NHTSA campaign 26V232000
Summary 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.
Remedy Dealers 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.

Complaints by component (124 total)

Electrical system
82
Engine
15
Fuel and propulsion system
8
Exterior lighting
5
Powertrain
5
Seats
4
Structure
4
Forward collision avoidance
3
Lane departure
3
Speed control
3
Air bags
2
Fuel system, gasoline
2
Seat belts
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Back-over prevention
1
Chest clip, buckle, and harness
1
Child seat
1
Equipment
1
Service brakes
1
Tires
1
Show 12 more Show less
Crash-flagged

0

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

552024332025362026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "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…"
    Fuel system, gasoline · filed 2026-09-11
  • "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…"
    Tires · filed 2026-09-11
  • "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…"
    Equipment · filed 2026-08-25
  • "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…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-08-11
  • "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.…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-08-06

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2025 Kia Carnival HEV PV FWD Not rated 4 stars Not rated 4 stars
2025 Kia Carnival PV FWD Not rated 4 stars Not rated 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Carnival 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic (8-speed) Front-wheel drive 18 26 21 MPG $3100
Carnival hybrid 1.6L, 4-cyl Automatic (AM-S6) Front-wheel drive 34 31 33 MPG $1950

Specs and fitment

KA4 generation, 2022–present
Body styles Minivan
Oil 0W-20 , 5.5 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R17, 235/55R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 26V-232 covers certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles: fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail, increasing fire risk. Dealers inspect and tighten or replace the fuel pipe as needed.

Compare

Previous year 2024 Kia Carnival See every Kia Carnival model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Kia Carnival reliable?

Owners have filed 124 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia Carnival over 2 years — 62 per year. It is too early to rank against other Carnival years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Hoses and fittings.

What are common problems with a 2025 Kia Carnival?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (82 of 124), then Engine (15) and Fuel and propulsion system (8). The most filings arrived in 2024 (55 of 124). Those filings include 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2025 Kia Carnival more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2024 Carnival has 73 complaints, 24 per year, and the 2026 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

Has the 2025 Kia Carnival been recalled?

The 2025 Kia Carnival has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2025 Kia Carnival?

Owners have filed 124 complaints about the 2025 Kia Carnival with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Kia Carnival get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 Kia Carnival is 27 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Carnival take?

US KA4 Carnival listings use 0W-20 (about 5.5 qt with filter).

Does recall 26V-232 cover the Kia Carnival?

It covers certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles: fuel may leak at the pipe-to-rail connection, increasing fire risk; dealers inspect and tighten or replace the fuel pipe.

What generation is the Kia Carnival?

KA4 generation, model year 2022 onward in the US.