Most common 2025 Kia Carnival problems
Share of the 126 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Kia Carnival complaints by model year
2025 Kia Carnival recalls (1)
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.
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.
What 2025 Kia Carnival owners say
Electrical system all 84 →
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 contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact's daughter stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly lost motive power with no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer. The dealer informed the contact that the battery solenoid needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure recurred on multiple occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer several times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 4,200.
Engine & cooling
I live in Alabama. Temperature here is 34 degrees so far in the morning. My check engine light is on. I have taken it in and had diagnostics and they can't find a code or code history. My heat and AC do not work properly if the ambient temperature on the cluster doesn't show up or is not correct. 72 degrees when it's not working right will run you out of the car it's so hot. The cluster currently says it's -15 degrees outside and has the snowflake beside it. I am scheduled bc they are booked out at the dealership to have diagnostics run on 11/14. I don't know if it is wiring, ambient temperature sensor, max air sensor, HVAC module (dealership had previously cleared water out of the module and then replaced the module, initially when they couldn't find the problem they disconnected the battery and reconnected to reset and clear the code). …
I was on the on-ramp getting on the highway and whenever I started to increase speed and try to get over into the next lane, I noticed the car all of a sudden jumped a little bit and then it started consistently jumping in the check engine light was flashing, and I couldn't keep the car over what ended up being 50 mph anytime I tried to go over 50 mph. The car jumped in was shaking pretty pretty aggressively I was able to finally make it to a gas station at the very next highway stop and after I shut the car off and turn it back on it seems like it was OK, but I'm still very scared to drive it. …
Fuel & propulsion system
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.
While I was driving on a highway, my vehicles "check engine" and "batter" lights were illuminated and a warning came across the car screen that said something along the lines of "Battery Management System Failure" and then "Powertrain failure". The car was not able to accelerate by pressing the gas pedal, and the heating/cooling features within the car stopped working. I quickly changed lanes to get to the far left shoulder of the highway, putting other cars at risk of my car that was slowing down to 50mph as I was getting over. When I would press on the gas pedal, nothing would happen. The car did remain on. When the dealership received the car the next morning they conducted what they referred to as a recall, but KIA refers to it as a "Service Action" - SA617 MCU DTC Logic Improvement. …
2025 Kia Carnival engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.6L 4-cyl turbo hybrid | 6-speed dual-clutch | FWD | 34 / 31 / 33 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 18 / 26 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: Minivan.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2025 Kia Carnival a good car?
Based on 126 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2025 Carnival rates avoid: 2.8× as many complaints as a typical year of the Carnival at the same age. It is one of the Carnival years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2025 Kia Carnival?
The electrical system — 84 complaints, 67% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (15) and fuel & propulsion system (10).
How many recalls does the 2025 Kia Carnival have?
There is 1 recall for the 2025 Kia Carnival, the most recent from April 10, 2026 (hoses, lines/piping, and fittings). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Kia Carnival?
Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2025. See the full Kia Carnival years comparison.
At what mileage do 2025 Kia Carnival problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 20,000 miles; 100% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
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.