NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 51 owner complaints for the 2023 Kia Carnival.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Trailer hitch, park outside (23V-179). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
4Safety recalls
51Owner complaints
1Complaints citing a crash
0Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 28, 2026
Recalled components: trailer hitch, fuel system, and body structure. Most-described problem: a fuel smell or fuel leak (5 complaints, 10%). Most-reported area: body structure (12 complaints, 24%). The Carnival replaced the Sedona for 2022.
4 safety recalls for the 2023 Kia Carnival
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles.
Risk: A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles.
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.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
NHTSA listing: CARNIVAL. Kia campaign SC266.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 Carnival. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Fuel smell or fuel leak5 · 10%
Cracked or shattered windshield4 · 8%
Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these.
Areas named in complaints
Body structure12 · 24%
Most named: body (10)
Electrical system6 · 12%
Engine5 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system3 · 6%
Chest clip, buckle, harness2 · 4%
Fuel system2 · 4%
Lane departure systems2 · 4%
Unknown or other22 · 43%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Kia Carnival recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2023 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower.
Owner complaints
2023: 51 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Carnival
Model year
Complaints
2022
135
2023
51
2024
73
2025
187
2026
47
Safety recalls
2023: 4 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Carnival
Model year
Recalls
2022
6
2023
4
2024
2
2025
1
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Carnival MV FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Questions
What are the most common 2023 Carnival problems?
In the 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Carnival, the problems described most are a fuel smell or fuel leak (5). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
How do I check if my Carnival has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 29, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 28, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: CARNIVAL.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.