2025 Kia Carnival
Hybrid Gas Minivan
The 2025 Kia Carnival is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid and gas minivan with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Carnival Hybrid, is EPA-rated at 33 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 182 complaints, most often about electrical system.
Specs & fuel economy (EPA)
| Configuration | Powertrain | Drive | Engine / motor | City | Hwy | Comb | Annual fuel* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnival Hybrid | Hybrid | FWD | 1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 270V Li-Ion | 34 | 31 | 33 | $1,900 |
| Carnival | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 18 | 26 | 21 | $2,950 |
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.
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Recalls (1)
Fuel System, Gasoline
criticalProblem: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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. 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.
Owner complaints
182 complaints filed
1 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 8 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2024: 58 · 2025: 71 · 2026: 53
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 103
- Engine — 35
- Unknown Or Other — 26
- Vehicle Speed Control — 23
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 17
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.
Crash ratings
| Configuration | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover | Rollover risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PV FWD | not rated | ★★★★☆ | not rated | ★★★★☆ | 14% |
| PV FWD | not rated | ★★★★☆ | not rated | ★★★★☆ | 14% |
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Other Carnival model years
2027 Carnival
0 recalls · 0 complaints
C2026 Carnival
2 recalls · 44 complaints
C2024 Carnival
2 recalls · 71 complaints
F2023 Carnival
4 recalls · 50 complaints
F2022 Carnival
6 recalls · 133 complaints
Sources & method
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). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.
EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 48054, 47784). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.