The 2023 Kia Carnival is sold in the U.S. as a gas minivan. The most efficient version, the Carnival, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 52 complaints, most often about the structure. Manufacturer pricing runs from $33,100 to $46,200 across 4 trims.
MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.
Specs & fuel economy
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
Configuration
Powertrain
Drive
Engine / motor
City
Hwy
Comb
Annual fuel*
Carnival
Gas
FWD
3.5L 6-cyl
19
26
22
$3,050
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 45304.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates
Configuration
Smog rating
Emission standard
Where it can be sold new
SmartWay
Carnival
5 / 10
Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 / California LEV-III ULEV70
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
—
Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.
The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.
The 2023 Kia Carnival is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. What an extended plan does and does not cover is worth reading before a dealer quotes you one.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
Recalls (4)
Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high
Fuel System, Gasoline
SC368
141,032 vehicles39% reported repaired
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles.Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.RiskA fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.FixDealers 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. Kia's number for this recall is SC368. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov on April 24, 2026.
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles.The roof molding may loosen and detach.RiskA detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
ProblemKia 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.RiskA power sliding door that does not auto-reverse can close on an occupant, increasing the risk of injury.FixDealers 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.
ProblemKia 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.RiskA fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners 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.
These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.
Whether any of this applies to one specific Carnival
A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2023 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.
The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2023 Kia Carnival, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
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Parts & accessories for the 2023 Kia Carnival
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.
On August 23, 2025, I purchased a certified pre-owned Kia Carnival. Within hours, the vehicle had a severe fuel leak that produced a strong gasoline odor. Driving it made me sick, and I feared for the safety of my three children in the vehicle.
Fuel/Propulsion SystemSep 7, 2025NHTSA owner report · ODI 11685602
The power sliding door does not reverse when an object is in its path. The door closed on my sons body. He was okay we were able to pull the handle to make it open again but it did not stop on its own. Another instance the door did not stop closing when a toy went into the door. The door just crunched the toy and shut while beeping
StructureAug 28, 2025NHTSA owner report · ODI 11683764
Unknown as to what exactly happened, but my husband put my daughter in her car seat buckled her and was just fine. We arrived to our destination no more than 15 minutes later and her chest clip buckle had busted apart.
Chest ClipMar 24, 2025NHTSA owner report · ODI 11650351
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that the seat belt located in the rear middle row was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the seat belt failed to retract.
We drove an hour then sat in the car while it was on for about 30 minutes. The gas tank was 14% full. We started driving again down a bit of a hill & got to a stop light. The car started beeping & said “engine off! Switch to N then start engine” We turned the car off and back on & it started working
EngineJul 4, 2024NHTSA owner report · ODI 11598816
Purchased in Aug 2022 brand new I express concern very early on that the back door would reopen after starting the car I express concern about shifting/breaking being automatic/ice light coming on when you hit bumps coming in parking lots and the doors not unlocking.
Electrical SystemJul 28, 2023NHTSA owner report · ODI 11535166
Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.
Reported by Kia itself: 6 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 9 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 23 per 100,000 built. Every Carnival model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.
Crash ratings
Source: NHTSA NCAP
NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (WTY048) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to the horn assembly in certain 2022-2024 MY Carnival vehicles from 5 years / 60,000 miles to 10 years / 120,000 miles, whichever comes first, starting from the date the vehicle was first put
IMPORTANT REMINDER: OWNER NOTIFICATION: CARNIVAL POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE (KA4PSD2 FLIGHT#105) - This document is the owner notification advising Kia's ongoing commitment to providing vehicle owners with a superior ownership experience. We would like to remind vehicle owners about the proper use of the power sliding door and its automatic stop and reversal feature in the Kia Carnival. The power
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 2ND ROW SEAT (LH & RH) FOLDING TENSION SPRING REPLACEMENT (PI2602) - This bulletin provides information to enhance the second-row seatback recliner mechanism to dampen the motion of the manual seatback angle adjustment during the operation on certain 2022-2026MY Carnival (KA4) produced from 1/4/2021 through 4/14/2026 and certain 2025-2026MY
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for sup
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: CCU FUSE OPEN AFTER WIRING HARNESS REPLACEMENT - This Pitstop provides information regarding a condition on 2022-2026MY Carnival (KA4 and KA4 HEV) vehicles in which the CCU 10A fuse may open and multiple warning lights may illuminate after replacement of the front dash wiring harness.
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: FUEL FILLER DOOR ACTUATOR REPLACEMENT - This Pitstop provides information regarding the replacement of the fuel filler door actuator and wiring harness on 2022-2024MY Carnival (KA4) vehicles. When replacing a faulty fuel filler door actuator, ensure to order the corresponding replacement part number (shown below) for the applicable vehicle production date. Selecting
A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.
Diagnostic trouble codes on file
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints
Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.
Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.
Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMV
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Kia Carnival failed the emissions check on 0.93% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.7% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%).
New York inspections0.93%
failed emissions
647 initial inspections of 637 vehicles.
Measure
The 2023 Carnival
Every 2023 vehicle
Behind it
Failed the emissions check
0.93%
1.6%
645
Failed the safety inspection
1.7%
1.1%
647
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit
0.31%
0.16%
647
Miles driven a year
13,145
10,038
odometer at inspection
Average odometer
43,455
32,673
odometer at inspection
New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2023 vehicle” is every 2023 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).
Manufacturer pricing runs from $33,100 for the LX FWD to $46,200 for the SX Prestige FWD, across 4 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.
Does the 2023 Kia Carnival have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 4 recall campaigns for the 2023 Kia Carnival, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 23V179000, covering Trailer Hitches. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2023 Kia Carnival?
NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2023 Kia Carnival yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it D (68/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2023 Kia Carnival?
For the 2023 Kia Carnival, the best EPA combined figure is 22 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2023 Kia Carnival?
Owners have filed 52 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Carnival, most often about unspecified, structure, electrical system. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 7 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.
How clean is the 2023 Kia Carnival?
The EPA smog rating for the 2023 Kia Carnival is 5 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2023 Kia Carnival?
The manufacturer has filed 69 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Carnival, most often covering electrical system, seats, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-08-25. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.
How does the 2023 Kia Carnival do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2023 Kia Carnival failed the emissions check on 0.93% of first inspections — lower than the 1.6% for every 2023 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.7% (every 2023 vehicle: 1.1%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.
Which 2023 Kia Carnival trim is the best value?
$13,100 separates the cheapest of the 4 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.
What we hold, and what an empty row means
Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.
Data
Held
Source
What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations
1 configurations
EPA certification records
Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates
1 configurations
EPA emission certificates
Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls
4
NHTSA recall campaigns
A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints
52
NHTSA complaint database
Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings
none
NHTSA NCAP
NHTSA has not tested this model year. Cars are selected for testing, so untested is not unsafe.
Service bulletins
69
NHTSA manufacturer communications
Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations
none
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports
none
NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01
No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA
none
NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns
We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment
4 trims
Manufacturer press kit
Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.
Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.
Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.
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