Your vehicleHome›Kia›Carnival› 2026

Kia · Minivan

2026 Kia Carnival

Hybrid Gas

Minivan - 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2

Complaints3 crash · 1 fire · 5 injured reported 53

Crash ratingnot rated by NHTSA —

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 32 mpg

Starting MSRP9 trims · manufacturer $37,390

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022

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, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 53 complaints, most often about the electrical system. Manufacturer pricing runs from $37,390 to $53,490 across 9 trims.

Kia Carnival — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia Carnival · Photo: Damian B Oh · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Seats	Wheels
LX	Gas	FWD	$37,390	287.1 hp	260.4 lb-ft	21 mpg	7	17 in
LXS	Gas	FWD	$39,390	287.1 hp	260.4 lb-ft	21 mpg	8	17 in
EX	Gas	FWD	$41,590	287.1 hp	260.4 lb-ft	21 mpg	8	19 in
SX	Gas	FWD	$46,490	287.1 hp	260.4 lb-ft	21 mpg	8	19 in
SX Prestige	Gas	FWD	$51,490	287.1 hp	260.4 lb-ft	21 mpg	8	19 in
LXS Hybrid	Hybrid	FWD	$41,390	241.7 hp	270.5 lb-ft	32 mpg	8	17 in
EX Hybrid	Hybrid	FWD	$43,590	241.7 hp	270.5 lb-ft	32 mpg	8	19 in
SX Hybrid	Hybrid	FWD	$48,490	241.7 hp	270.5 lb-ft	32 mpg	8	19 in
SX Prestige Hybrid	Hybrid	FWD	$53,490	241.7 hp	270.5 lb-ft	32 mpg	7	19 in

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 Hybrid	Hybrid	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	34	31	32	$2,100
Carnival	Gas	FWD	3.5L 6-cyl	18	25	21	$3,200

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 49438, 49437.

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 (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Fuel System, Gasoline

SC368

141,032 vehicles 39% reported repaired

Problem 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V232000 reported Apr 10, 2026 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

○minor

Electrical System

SC361

42,677 vehicles 92% reported repaired built Jun 24, 2025 – Nov 14, 2025

Problem 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.

Filed with NHTSADefect report PDF Owner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF Chronology PDF

NHTSA campaign 26V046000 reported Jan 26, 2026 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

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 2026 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.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

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 2026 Kia Carnival, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

53complaints filed

3 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 5 injuries · 0 deaths reported

6.9 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 77,053 Carnival built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2025: 9 · 2026: 44

Most-cited components

Electrical System 21

Unspecified 18

Power Train 13

Vehicle Speed Control 8

Engine 6

Fuel/Propulsion System 5

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

Child's arm was crushed in the sliding door when it failed to properly stop due to the sensor failing

Electrical System Oct 13, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11770886

Driving ar 75mph my car began to decelerate. Depressing the accelerator only made the engine rev loudly but speed continued to drop. This is a significant safety risk. There was a check engine light and message to take the car to a Kia dealer. The car was towed to a dealer. The dealer was able to reproduce the condition.

Fuel/Propulsion System Oct 12, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11770497

Detailed information is in the attached pdf file, but in a nutshell, Kia is covering a safety defect in their vehicles by claiming the process is “proprietary”. On several occasions we have lost propulsion, which means we had no control over our vehicle, and Kia’s explanation is simply, “the vehicle is performing as intended “!

Power Train Aug 7, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11755434

While I was driving, the car's engine shut off, and I could no longer accelerate. The car went into neutral and the brakes felt harder to press; the steering wheel did, too. Luckily, it happened after I turned into a mall parking lot. Since the car came to a stop and I couldn't accelerate, I turned it off and back on.

Engine Oct 20, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11772300

Grill on bumper allows large objects to fly through hitting condenser. This is an issue, it happened to my vehicle and the identical loaner car we were given while our car was in the shop for repairs. I was told by the dealership to solve this problem carnival owners should follow other cars at a greater distance.

Structure Sep 16, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11764627

Ac compressor has now failed twice and this will be the third compressor they are going to install. The car was completely shutting off at lights and having other electrical errors that they said was all related to the ac system. The part is now on back order with the company

Seats Aug 25, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11759505

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: 1 death-or-injury claim on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 1 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 1.3 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

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.

Driver-assist crash reports (1)

Source: NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01

1report filed

1 moderate

Mar 2026 to Mar 2026 · 0 with an air bag deployment · 0 towed

What was engaged, and what was hit

System named: HDA (1)

Crash partner: Other 1

Filed by: Kia America, Inc.

Incident	System	Struck	Injury alleged	State	Speed	Report
Mar 2026	Level 2 · HDA	Other	moderate	CA	75 mph	753-15460

From the manufacturer’s own filing

The reporting entity’s narrative as NHTSA published it, with anything identifying removed and nothing added. A narrative is a notice, written before the entity had verified what happened.

On June [redacted], 2026, the customer called Kia's Customer Care Center to complain about a Kia dealer that had been nonresponsive to the customer's requests for warranty related information.

Kia America, Inc. report 753-15460 Mar 2026 NHTSA SGO filing

A report under the General Order is a notice the manufacturer or operator must file within days of hearing of a crash in which a Level 2 driver-assist or automated-driving system was engaged within 30 seconds of impact. It is filed before anything is verified, and entities with telematics hear of far more crashes than entities that rely on complaints, so counts say as much about the reporting as about the car and are not comparable across makes. Nothing is normalised by fleet size. Every report on file, by make and year → · NHTSA’s page and files

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 51

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-19

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 20 others, 18 service bulletins, 10 service campaigns

Most often about: Electrical System, Seats, Structure, Power Train, Engine.

PSD_REMINDER2_105 Other
2026-06-19 · Structure — Body
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
OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R2 Over-the-air update
2026-06-18 · Electrical System
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY Carnival, EV9, K5 and Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.
PI2602_TSB Service bulletin
2026-06-16 · Seats
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
TSB_ELE422 Service bulletin
2026-05-28 · Electrical System
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
OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R1 Over-the-air update
2026-04-24 · Electrical System
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 1) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY Carnival, 2025 - 2026MY K5 and 2025 - 2026MY Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.
SC363_TSB Service bulletin
2026-04-17 · Power Train
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OIL LEVEL PLUG (OLP) INSPECTION, AND OLP GASKET AND/OR ATF FILLER BOLT REPLACEMENT OR A/T REPLACEMENT (SC363) - This bulletin provides information to inspect the oil level plug and automatic transmission fluid (ATF) for signs of leakage and, if necessary, replace the oil level plug gasket and/or ATF filler bolt, or the 8-speed Automatic Trans
TSB_ELE417 Service bulletin
2026-04-14 · Electrical System
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.
TSB_ELE413 Service bulletin
2026-03-20 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DCU COMMUNICATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) system software on some 2025–2026MY vehicles listed in the table below. Kia has identified that Connected Car Services (CCS) functionality may intermittently fail due to temporary DCU communication issues. This condition can impact convenience and conne

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.

Compare the 2026 Carnival with

Any vehicle, your weights →

Head-to-head	Verdict
2026 Chrysler Pacifica · Minivan · grade C	Carnival +6.7
2026 Toyota Sienna · Minivan · grade A	Carnival +6.6
2026 Honda Odyssey · Minivan · grade B	Carnival +3.3
2026 Chrysler Voyager · Minivan · grade C	Carnival +17.7

Carnival by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A^* 0 0 33 mpg 2026 this page B 2 53 32 mpg 2025 A 1 196 33 mpg 2024 B 2 75 22 mpg 2023 D 4 52 Park outside 2022 D 6 136 Park outside

Common questions about the 2026 Carnival

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2026 Kia Carnival cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $37,390 for the LX FWD to $53,490 for the SX Prestige Hybrid FWD, across 9 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 2026 Kia Carnival have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2026 Kia Carnival. The most serious on file is 26V232000, covering Fuel System, Gasoline. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2026 Kia Carnival?

NHTSA has not published a crash-test rating for the 2026 Kia Carnival yet. On the recall record WhichTrim grades it B (89/100), which measures open and severe recalls rather than crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2026 Kia Carnival?

Across the 2 EPA-rated configurations of the 2026 Kia Carnival, the best EPA combined figure is 32 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2026 Kia Carnival?

Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2026 Kia Carnival, most often about electrical system, unspecified, power train. Of those, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 5 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

Are there service bulletins for the 2026 Kia Carnival?

The manufacturer has filed 51 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2026 Kia Carnival, most often covering electrical system, seats, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-06-19. 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.

Which 2026 Kia Carnival trim is the best value?

$16,100 separates the cheapest of the 9 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.

Is the 2026 Kia Carnival better than the 2026 Chrysler Pacifica?

The Kia Carnival wins clearly, 94.9 to 88.2, on price, tech & comfort, fuel & range. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2026 Kia Carnival against the 2026 Chrysler Pacifica — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

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	2 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	none	EPA emission certificates	The EPA published no certificate we could match to a configuration on this page.
Recalls	2	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	53	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	51	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	1	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	Crashes the manufacturer or operator reported with a Level 2 or automated-driving system engaged. Notices, filed before verification; not comparable across makes.
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	9 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.

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). 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.

JSON for this page · API