Fuel Economy
22MPG
Gas & Hybrid options available
NHTSA Complaints
50
1 crash report • 7 reporting injuries
Safety Recalls
4
4 official NHTSA recalls
NCAP Safety Rating
Not Rated / Pending

EPA Fuel Economy & Powertrain Specifications

Official EPA laboratory test ratings, electric driving range, and annual energy cost estimates by powertrain configuration

Powertrain Group Engine / Drivetrain City MPG Hwy MPG Combined MPG Est. Annual Fuel Cost
Standard 3.5L 6-Cyl Regular
Automatic (S8) • Front-Wheel Drive
19 26 22 MPG $2,800 / yr

NHTSA NCAP Crash Test & Safety Ratings

Official 5-Star Safety Ratings evaluated by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

NHTSA 5-Star NCAP laboratory crash evaluations are not currently on file for the 2023 Kia Carnival.

Active Driver Assistance Systems (NHTSA Recorded): Forward Collision Warning (FCW) is documented as Not Specified and Lane Departure Warning (LDW) is documented as Not Specified in official NHTSA records for tested 2023 Kia Carnival models.
View complete 2023 Kia Carnival crash test & safety breakdown →

Reported Problems & Owner Complaints Summary (50)

Summary of 50 verified consumer defect submissions filed with the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)

Total Complaints
50
Crash Reports
1
Fire Reports
0
Complaints w/ Injury
7
Total Injuries
7

Top Reported Problem Categories

Ranked by total consumer complaint submissions recorded by NHTSA

Structure & Body 10 complaints
CHEST CLIP, BUCKLE, HARNESS 2 complaints
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES 2 complaints
Engine 2 complaints
Fuel System 2 complaints

Data Attribution & Context: Complaints are self-reported by vehicle owners to NHTSA and represent unverified consumer submissions. Complaint volume does not equal a statistically controlled failure rate and is not adjusted for total vehicles sold or cumulative mileage driven.

View all 2023 Kia Carnival problems & component breakdown (21 categories) →

Official Safety Recalls (4)

Manufacturer safety recall campaigns monitored and recorded by NHTSA

NHTSA Campaign #23V236000 Active Recall
Affected Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR

Defect Summary: 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.

Free Manufacturer 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. Kia's number for this recall is SC266.
NHTSA Campaign #24V025000 Active Recall
Affected Component: STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

Defect Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.

Free Manufacturer 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. Kia's number for this recall is SC292.
NHTSA Campaign #23V179000 Active Recall
Affected Component: TRAILER HITCHES

Defect Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Carnival vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Free Manufacturer Remedy: Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and verify whether the vehicle is equipped with a Genuine Kia accessory trailer tow hitch assembly. If equipped, dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC265.
View all 2023 Kia Carnival recalls & campaign history (4 campaigns) →
Official US Government Data Provenance

The specifications, safety ratings, defect reports, and recall campaigns published on this page are retrieved directly from official United States Government agency databases:

  • NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI): Consumer complaints and defect reports.
  • NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP): Frontal, side, and rollover 5-Star crash safety test ratings.
  • U.S. EPA / FuelEconomy.gov: Standardized multi-cycle dynamometer fuel economy, MPGe, and electric driving range ratings.

Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.