Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2022 Kia Carnival owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that the passenger's side rear power sliding door auto-reverse failed to engage. Additionally, the contact stated that while her husband was buckling a child in the car seat located in the rear driver's side seat, her daughter who was also inside the vehicle pressed the door switch button, and the driver's side rear power sliding door engaged. The door closed in on her husband instead of stopping and engaging the auto-reverse function. The contact's husband was able to release himself and advised the children that were inside the vehicle to not move for their safety. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Action Number: PE22004 (Structure). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the rear driver's side automatic sliding door sensor malfunctioned, causing injury to the contact's daughter's shoulder when it closed while she was exiting the vehicle. No medical attention was received. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an unknown failure. The dealer informed the contact that an unknown part needed to be replaced and deactivated the rear-powered sliding doors. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 1,020.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V908000 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure); however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the rear passenger's side power sliding door failed to latch securely. The contact used force while pushing the rear passenger's side sliding door from the outside to latch the sliding door properly. The dealer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that it was unrelated to the recall repair. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the driver's side windshield exterior A-Pillar trim flew off and struck the vehicle behind, almost causing a crash. The contact pulled over to the side of the road temporarily. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and the vehicle was inspected. The dealer determined that the trim needed to be replaced; however, the repair was not covered under the bumper-to-bumper warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 22,023.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Carnival. The contact stated while driving approximately 10 MPH, the sliding door inadvertently opened without warning. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with needing the latching mechanism replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and was awaiting a response. The failure mileage was approximately 820. The VIN was not available.
The power sliding doors fail to stop closing unless excessive force is used. If an arm or hand is in the way it gets hurt and the door will try to close on it. The dealership inspected it and said it's a known issue that extra force is needed. There's nothing they can do. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? My child's was being closed in the door and when I tried to stop it to save my daughter my arm was bruised. Yes, the dealer knows of the issue but plays it off as just a door that requires more force to stop. Yes, Kia inspected it, found you need to apply more force then normal but has no solution but to make sure to keep far away when it's closing. They However said nothing can be done, it's just how the van comes.
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.
The passenger sliding door continues to fail to lock intermittently which is obviously a safety hazard since the door is not completely closed. It is available for inspection upon request. It has not been seen by a dealer or inspected by police or insurance. My father is a mechanic and has looked at it. He is unsure how to fix the broken or why it keeps happening. The door ajar warning light is on indicating the door is not locked but even if the auto door is shut off I can't get it to close enough manually shutting it so the warning light will turn off. It happened about three months ago then stopped and now has begun again. Nothing that I know of caused this. I use both sliding doors equally and only one is having the problem.
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.
The power sliding door actuator motor drive cables on my 2022 Kia Carnival snapped on both the passenger and driver sides. The doors are stuck shut, even in manual mode, creating a safety hazard for passengers since the only way to exit in an accident would be through the rear hatch or the front doors. The Kia dealer said they couldn't open the doors without removing the interior sliding door panels, which would require damaging them because the doors are stuck shut. There were no warning signs before either cable broke. I have also researched online and it seems many Kia Carnival Owners are having the same sort of issue.
Related recalls
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.
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.
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.
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.
NHTSA investigations
Power Sliding Door Auto Reverse Failure
On April 10, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving 5 consumer complaints alleging the Power Sliding Doors (PSD) auto-reverse function failed to work properly in the model year (MY) 2022 Kia Carnival minivan vehicles.At that time, ODI was aware of 3 complaints alleging injuries to consumer?s arm, hand or shoulder caused by the closing PSD.Additionally,…
Body complaints in other Carnival years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2022 Kia Carnival?
NHTSA has 34 complaints about the body & structure of the 2022 Kia Carnival, 25% of the model year's 136 complaints. The component named most often is body (21 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2022 Kia Carnival body problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 24V-025 (roof and pillars, Jan 18, 2024); NHTSA recall 23V-236 (door, Mar 31, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2022 Kia Carnival body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 1,000 miles, and 80% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 12 injuries to body & structure problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.