NHTSA has received 136 owner complaints about the 2022 Kia Carnival, or 28.4 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.70, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2022 vehicles we track, it ranks #53 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 19% lower; against other Minivans it is 45% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2021-05-12 and 2026-09-29. Median delay from incident to filing: 9 days.
136Complaints
28.4Complaints per year on the road
0.7Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls · ⚠ 1
2.9%Share involving a crash or fire
20Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2023) drew 13.5 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2022 model collected 86 complaints, 16% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (35.3% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (18.4%) and Electrical (14.7%). Body & structure complaints are 3.9 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 4 reports (2.9%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 34 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 13 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (49% of incidents). In the last 12 months 20 new complaints were filed, versus 18 in the 12 months before — up 11%.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year, 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Power Sliding Door Auto Reverse Failure” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2022-04-10, closed 2023-06-13).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.7
vs. other Kia models0.81
vs. other 2022 models0.72
vs. other Minivans0.55
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (86)1.16
My 2022 Kia Carnival, approximately 80,000 miles, had intermittent dashboard warning lights and grinding brake noise for a few weeks. I brought the vehicle to Tasca Kia White Plains first time on 4/14/26 then again on 5/8/26.
Electrical · 2026-05-18 · ODI 11738446 · Crash
The driver side passenger door will open by itself when the key fob is near. Today it injured me while pumping gas and almost knocked the gas tank door off and gas pump out. I locked my vehicle to go inside to pay for gas.
Unspecified or other · 2026-02-20 · ODI 11719347
On June 20, 2026, the instrument cluster in my 2022 Kia Carnival became completely inoperative. The failure prevents me from viewing vehicle speed, fuel level, gear position, warning indicators, mileage, and other information normally displayed by the cluster.
Unspecified or other · 2026-09-29 · ODI 11767623
The power sliding door actuator motor drive cables on my 2022 Kia Carnival snapped on both the passenger and driver sides.
Electrical · 2026-09-22 · ODI 11766039
The rear latch on both sliding doors rusts and the buildup prevents the door from closing eventually because the latch mechanism stays up. There is a video on this from a Kia master tech.
Body & structure · 2026-09-15 · ODI 11764494
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS Campaign 26V232000 · 2026-04-10
Summary: 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.
Remedy: 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.
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS Campaign 24V025000 · 2024-01-18
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.
Risk: A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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.
Risk: A power sliding door that does not auto-reverse can close on an occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Carnival vehicles. The remote controller assembly for the passenger-side power sliding door may malfunction, preventing the passenger-side sliding door from securely latching.
Risk: A power sliding door that fails to latch may open while moving, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the passenger-side power sliding door release actuator's drum and holder inside the remote controller assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 16, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC221.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Carnival vehicles. The plastic fuel rail tube may have been damaged.
Risk: A damaged fuel rail tube may leak fuel, increasing the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the multi-port injection fuel rail, free of charge. The recall began April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC211.
PE22004 · preliminary evaluation · STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR · Opened 2022-04-10 · Closed 2023-06-13 · Campaign 23V236000 · Model years: 2022
On April 10, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation (PE) after receiving 5 consumer complaints alleging the Power Sliding Doors (PSD) auto-reverse function failed to work properly in the model year (MY) 2022 Kia Carnival minivan vehicles.At that time, ODI was aware of 3 complaints alleging injuries to consumer?s arm, hand or shoulder caused by the closin…
