2026 Kia Carnival
Hybrid Gas Minivan
The 2026 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 32 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 44 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 | 34 | 31 | 32 | $1,950 |
| Carnival | Gas | FWD | 3.5L 6-cyl | 18 | 25 | 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 (2)
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.
Electrical System
highProblem: 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.
Owner complaints
44 complaints filed
2 involved a crash, 0 a fire, 4 injuries, 0 deaths reported by owners.
Filed by year — 2025: 9 · 2026: 35
Most-cited components
- Electrical System — 16
- Unknown Or Other — 14
- Power Train — 11
- Vehicle Speed Control — 8
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 5
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
B2025 Carnival
1 recalls · 182 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 49438, 49437). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.