KIA Carnival Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 138 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the KIA Carnival across 5 model years. The 2025 model year has the most (84). The words owners use most often: “battery drain” (11% of reports).
- 138electrical system complaints
- —median miles at failure
- 1mention a crash
- 4mention an injury
- 1related recalls
- 43%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Battery drain: mentioned in 15 of 138 complaints (11%)
- Sliding door: mentioned in 13 of 138 complaints (9%)
- Jump start: mentioned in 11 of 138 complaints (8%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 8 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 138 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 4 an injury.
KIA Carnival electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Carnival | 8 | 29% | 2,200 |
| 2025 Carnival | 84 | 67% | 34,967 |
| 2024 Carnival | 17 | 23% | — |
| 2023 Carnival | 6 | 12% | 31,788 |
| 2022 Carnival | 23 | 17% | 44,500 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
Model years: 2026
Problem: Kia 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."
Risk: An 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.
Fix: The 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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
Child's arm was crushed in the sliding door when it failed to properly stop due to the sensor failing.
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Complaint Vehicle: 2024 Kia Carnival Mileage at Failure: Approximately 74,000 miles Incident Date: [XXX] I am filing this complaint regarding a significant safety-related failure involving the power sliding door on my 2024 Kia Carnival. On [XXX], the driver side passenger power…
"UPDATE TO EXISTING COMPLAINT NHTSA ID 11747231 LCD CENTER DISPLAY / BACKUP CAMERA FAILURE UPDATE TO NHTSA COMPLAINT ID 11747231 I am submitting an update regarding the same unresolved safety defect reported in NHTSA Complaint ID 11747231 involving my 2025 Kia Carnival SX. Mileage when the problem…
The battery is draining due to external things but itâs not attached to anything and now all screens in the car flash on and off and go black including speedometer
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…
Frequently asked questions
Do all KIA Carnivals have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 138 owner complaints about electrical system for the KIA Carnival. Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the KIA Carnival electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the KIA Carnival?
The most frequent phrase is “battery drain”, in 15 of 138 complaints, followed by “sliding door” (13).
See all KIA Carnival problems.