Kia Carnival by Model Year: Problems, Recalls and MPG
Every Kia Carnival model year since 2022: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash tests.
Every model year since 2022 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 33 mpg combined, arrived in 2025. Includes the Carnival Hybrid. The Carnival replaced the Sedona for 2022.
Complaints in each year's first three years
Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | First 3 years | All complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
Most described: a cracked or shattered windshield |
98 | 135 | 6 |
Most described: a fuel smell or fuel leak |
39 | 51 | 4 |
Year by year
| Model year | Best rating | Recalls | Complaints | Crash test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2026 |
32 mpg Hybrid |
2 | 47 | |
2025 |
33 mpg Hybrid |
1 | 187 | Not rated |
2024 |
22 mpg Gas |
2 | 73 | |
2023 |
22 mpg Gas |
4 | 51 | Not rated |
2022 |
22 mpg Gas |
6 | 135 | Not rated |
Owner complaints by model year
All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.
2022: 135 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 135 |
| 2023 | 51 |
| 2024 | 73 |
| 2025 | 187 |
| 2026 | 47 |
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 21 to 22 mpg (every year from 2022 to 2026); highest in 2022. Hybrid: 32 to 33 mpg (2025 to 2026); highest in 2025.
- Best gas version
- Best hybrid version
2026: gas 21 mpg · hybrid 32 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Best gas version | Best hybrid version |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 22 | – |
| 2023 | 22 | – |
| 2024 | 22 | – |
| 2025 | 21 | 33 |
| 2026 | 21 | 32 |
Comparisons
- Kia Carnival vs Toyota SiennaMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests
- Kia Carnival vs Honda OdysseyMPG, fuel cost, recalls and crash tests
Questions
Which Kia Carnival years have the most problems?
Only two Kia Carnival model years have three full years of complaints so far: the 2022 (98) and the 2023 (39). That's too few to rank the years fairly. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.
Which Kia Carnival years have the most recalls?
The 2022 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (6), then the 2023 (4). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. One recall tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside until it is repaired: NHTSA 23V-179 (2022 to 2023 models).
What are the most common Kia Carnival problems?
In the 493 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2022 to 2026 models, owners most often describe a dead battery or battery drain (54 complaints, most of them for the 2025); loss of power or limp mode (39 complaints, most of them for the 2025 and 2026); and hesitation or slow acceleration (35 complaints, most of them for the 2025). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.
Which Kia Carnival year has the best MPG?
The best EPA fuel economy is 33 mpg combined, first reached by the 2025 hybrid version.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Sep 18, 2026.
- NHTSA recall file dated Sep 29, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Sep 28, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.