Model year record
2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid recalls & problems
The 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid has no safety recalls on file with NHTSA, and 70 owner complaints. The most-reported problem area is vehicle speed control (28 complaints).
Safety recalls
No safety recalls have been filed for the 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid.
Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. A recall listed here may already have been fixed on a particular car: enter its 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see open recalls.
Fuel economy
Carnival Hybrid Hybrid
| City / highway | 34 / 31 mpg |
|---|---|
| Fuel | Regular Gasoline |
1.6 L · 4 cyl · Automatic (AM-S6) · Front-Wheel Drive · about $2,050/year to fuel
EPA estimates from fueleconomy.gov for each engine and transmission sold. Annual cost is the EPA's estimate for 15,000 miles a year at its current fuel and electricity price assumptions. Your results will vary.
What owners report
| Problem area | Complaints | Typical mileage* |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle speed control | 28 | — |
| Electrical system12v/24v/48v battery | 24 | — |
| Engine | 21 | — |
| Power train | 16 | — |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 11 | — |
| Unknown or other | 9 | — |
| Service brakes | 4 | — |
| Forward collision avoidanceAutomatic emergency braking | 2 | — |
| StructureBody | 2 | — |
| Seat belts | 2 | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | — |
| Air bags | 2 | — |
*Median odometer reading when the problem happened, where owners gave one. One complaint can name several problem areas.
Recent owner complaints
- Power train
My 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid was purchased new in January 2025. The problem began almost immediately, with the vehicle first presented to an authorized Kia dealer for this condition at only 810 miles. The vehicle repeatedly and unpredictably enters reduced-power or âlimp mode,â causing a sudden loss of normal acceleration and limiting it to approximately 35 mph. This creates a serious safety risk on highways, while merging, crossing intersections, or whenever acceleration is needed to respond to traffic. Equally concerning, the vehicle does not consistently display a warning or retain a hard diagnostic error code when the loss of power occurs. Sometimes a check-engine light or âCheck…
- Unknown or other1 injury
On XXX, at about 4:50 PM, my [XXX] sonâs hand was caught in the left (driver-side) power sliding door of our 2025 Kia Carnival Hybrid (VIN [XXX]; approximately 30,000 miles). The power sliding door was enabled and the door-close function was activated using the interior button. The door did not stop or automatically reverse. It closed completely and stayed latched on his finger. I had to open the door manually to release his hand. An X-ray confirmed a broken finger. I am concerned that the powered sliding doorâs obstruction detection and reversal features did not prevent this crushing injury. I request that NHTSA review this incident as a potential child-injury motor vehicle safety…
- Electrical system
In May 2026, after driving through a heavy rainstorm on the highway, the car suddenly cut off cruise control and showed multiple warning lights (for most, if not all assistance systems) and an error message that was some version of "check hybrid system." When searching the code it seemed to be related to an electrical short in the hybrid system. I had no electric power to the engine, but the gas functionality still sort of worked, so I could drive, but there was a 2-3 second delay between pushing the gas pedal and getting any acceleration, and said acceleration was minimal. This occurred at 70+ mph on a busy highway, so the sudden lack of acceleration and control was alarming and put us and…
- Latches/locks/linkages › Doors › Latch1 injury
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that her child screamed when the rear passengerâs side sliding door failed to detect the child's hand and closed on the childâs hand on four separate occasions. The contact pressed the rear sliding door button to release the door from the child's hand. The failure resulted in a door indentation across the child's four fingers, but no medical attention was received. Prior to the failure, the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the front driver's side door that failed to latch unless the door was slammed closed. The dealer previously inspected the doors, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of…
- Electrical system
Within 5 minutes of driving, the car stopped accelerating. Check hybrid system alert appeared one minute later. Car stalled out within approximately 1-2 minutes after warning light appeared. No other warning lights were present prior. This is a 2025 new Kia Carnival Hybrid. I was stranded on the side of a 55mph road. The first time the police helped me roll it off the road. The second time it couldnât be pushed even though it appeared to be in neutral. The car dies but the accessory functions will not turn off. We have to unplug the battery each time. This car could die ANYWHERE leaving you stranded in a very dangerous situation. There is very little warning. This is extremely hazardous.…
- Power train
This complaint is a follow up to complaint #XXX. I took the car in to Dennis Eakin Kia in [XXX] to repair what caused the car to go into Limp Mode after slamming on the brakes. The dealership did a deep scan of the hybrid control and power train control module for historical or iintermittent codes. They could find none because the car apparently does not save them after the ignition is turned off. They are trashed. They also tried 4 times to re-create the event by slamming on the brakes, but were unable to re create it. They returned the car to me without fixing it. This is another deep -imbedded safety hazard of this car that a well-documented safety hazard from many drivers cannot be…
- Power train
I had to slam on my brakes and the car went into Limp Mode, not allowing acceleration above 20 MPh. I drove for a while and then pulled into a parking lot and turned off the car and back on again. I was able to achieve normal acceleration after turning the car back on. We felt unsafe having no control over our speed and cars honking and racing around us. I am afraid to drive my family in this car for fear of having to slam on my brakes at a highway intersection or off/on ramp, which could cause a fatal crash. A Kia dealership is performing a diagnostic now and will advise. The vehicle has not been inspected by another agency. No warning lights went on that I can recall.
- Fuel/propulsion system
On random occasions, car will display "check hybrid system" and go into limp mode (limiting speed significantly) check engine, oil, and battery lights also illuminate. Had car serviced twice by dealership who cannot replicate the error, nor can they find any engine codes stored. However, this incident keeps occurring. Planning on having the car serviced again and not picking it up until it's figured out, but also wanted to report this incidence as I have seen several posts with other people complaining of the same issue. Concern is for if this happens randomly at freeway speeds and becomes a serious road hazard.
Owner complaints are submitted to NHTSA by the public and are not verified. Shown as filed (NHTSA removes personal details); long reports are shortened.