Total Complaints
7 filings
KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID · model year
2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID
7 NHTSA complaints, and 1 active recall for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2026KIACARNIVAL HYBRID carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2026 CARNIVAL HYBRID is power train with 3 filings, followed by electrical system (1) and engine (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 1 active recall campaign, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2026 CARNIVAL HYBRID, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
7
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
Complaints vs. fleet median (215)
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
Complaints by Component
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
Recalls (1)
26V04600027/01/2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL
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 suc
Recent Complaints
20260125FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driving on freeway with the heater on, Cold weather, car had multiple issue messages (transmission control unit and adaptive cruise control) as well as a check engine light come on as the car went limp and would not accelerate. Has to pull off of the freeway after nearly getting in multiple accidents due to losing speed from 65 mph to 30. Had the gas pedal all the way to the ground and the car would barely accelerate.
20260125POWER TRAIN
Driving on freeway with the heater on, Cold weather, car had multiple issue messages (transmission control unit and adaptive cruise control) as well as a check engine light come on as the car went limp and would not accelerate. Has to pull off of the freeway after nearly getting in multiple accidents due to losing speed from 65 mph to 30. Had the gas pedal all the way to the ground and the car would barely accelerate.
20260125VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Driving on freeway with the heater on, Cold weather, car had multiple issue messages (transmission control unit and adaptive cruise control) as well as a check engine light come on as the car went limp and would not accelerate. Has to pull off of the freeway after nearly getting in multiple accidents due to losing speed from 65 mph to 30. Had the gas pedal all the way to the ground and the car would barely accelerate.
20260122POWER TRAIN
Without presenting any errors, the vehicle appears to enter some sort of limp home mode which limits speed to 31mph until the vehicle is turned off and re-started. 31mph is well below the speed limit on most public roads and being limited to this speed with no ability to pull over to stop/start the car creates a significant safety hazard to the driver of the vehicle and other motorists.
20251102POWER TRAIN
On the highway, the vehicle would not accelerate and was losing speed even though the gas pedal was fully depressed. Initially, the vehicle was in ECO drive mode, traveling approximately 65 mph and the steering wheel paddle to toggle the regenerative breaking between levels 1-3 prior to getting onto the highway. The vehicle speed dropped from ~75mph into the low 50mph range on the highway and was able to maintain speed then slowly regain speed when then phenomenon would happen again. The engine light was not initially on but did come on eventually. The engine light flashed at first but then stayed solid. Eventually a safe space was found on the side of the highway to pull over and restart the car. After restarting, the vehicle was able to regain highway speed (using caution, slow acceleration to merge back onto the highway), however when attempting to accelerate faster to see if the problem persisted, it did and the car again would not accelerate even when fully depressing the gas
20251102ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On the highway, the vehicle would not accelerate and was losing speed even though the gas pedal was fully depressed. Initially, the vehicle was in ECO drive mode, traveling approximately 65 mph and the steering wheel paddle to toggle the regenerative breaking between levels 1-3 prior to getting onto the highway. The vehicle speed dropped from ~75mph into the low 50mph range on the highway and was able to maintain speed then slowly regain speed when then phenomenon would happen again. The engine light was not initially on but did come on eventually. The engine light flashed at first but then stayed solid. Eventually a safe space was found on the side of the highway to pull over and restart the car. After restarting, the vehicle was able to regain highway speed (using caution, slow acceleration to merge back onto the highway), however when attempting to accelerate faster to see if the problem persisted, it did and the car again would not accelerate even when fully depressing the gas
20251102ENGINE
On the highway, the vehicle would not accelerate and was losing speed even though the gas pedal was fully depressed. Initially, the vehicle was in ECO drive mode, traveling approximately 65 mph and the steering wheel paddle to toggle the regenerative breaking between levels 1-3 prior to getting onto the highway. The vehicle speed dropped from ~75mph into the low 50mph range on the highway and was able to maintain speed then slowly regain speed when then phenomenon would happen again. The engine light was not initially on but did come on eventually. The engine light flashed at first but then stayed solid. Eventually a safe space was found on the side of the highway to pull over and restart the car. After restarting, the vehicle was able to regain highway speed (using caution, slow acceleration to merge back onto the highway), however when attempting to accelerate faster to see if the problem persisted, it did and the car again would not accelerate even when fully depressing the gas
Compare 2026KIACARNIVAL HYBRID to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations 1 Open
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID have?▼
The 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
Are there any recalls for the 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID?▼
Yes, the 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID has 1 recall(s). The most common affected component is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL. Recalls are issued by NHTSA and manufacturers must provide a free remedy.
What are the most common problems with the 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID?▼
The most-complained component for the 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID is POWER TRAIN with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2026 KIA CARNIVAL HYBRID safe to buy?▼
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?▼
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
Vehicle Safety Guides
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.