10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 0 / 0
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 0 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 0 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
I own a 2025 Kia Carnival SX Prestige Hybrid, and the vehicle intermittently fails to exceed 31 mph when the outside temperature is cold, typically in the single digits or low teens. This issue occurs when I use the remote start system and get into the car to leave for work around 6:50 to 7 am. I have not attempted to replicate this without using the remote start. I have taken the vehicle to the dealership, and they are aware of the problem. They have attempted to recreate the issue but were unable to do so. I have also provided them with a video of the situation and have multiple videos documenting the occurrence.
- Westmont, IL, USA
When driving the vehicle it would not accelerate beyond 31 mph. We were in traffic so not being able to drive the speed limit posed a risk of other vehicles hitting us. Also when merging into highway speed traffic this was very unsafe. No warning limits or check engine lights came on and the dealer can not replicate the issue nor can they tell us why this happened.
- Clarksville, TN, USA
While driving in the cold the hybrid vehicle will not go over 31 miles an hour. I was turning on to a road that is 45mph and unable to reach a safe speed with traffic. This has happened twice to me now. The dealer can not make it repeat the issue at this time and no warning lights come on.
- Lincoln, NE, USA
I'm not sure which component caused the issue, but this happened a couple of times already, when I stepped on the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle didn't response at all. The first time, when I was turning into a parking lot, I had to let off the gas pedal, and try it again. The second time this happened was very scary, I was trying to get on to the main road, but I was coming up from a steep hill side road, and I saw a car was coming, but I should have enough/time distance to get on the road, but after the initial acceleration, the car moved forward, but when I applied more power, but it wouldn't move at all! Luckily the oncoming car slowered down and let me go, I was on the opposite lane (incoming traffic), and luckily no car was coming my way. This is 100% safety issue!!!
- Aloha, OR, USA
My wife and I have a 2025 Carnival SX Prestige Hybrid. We live in northern Maryland (lots of cold days lately!). This exact issue has happened three times and counting. While driving, our car will randomly lose all ability to accelerate. You can press the gas pedal all the way to the floor, and it will not gain speed. It seems to happen at lower speeds, around 30mph and it just caps off and will not accelerate and lose all power. The only thing that fixes the issue is literally pulling over and restarting the car, and then it drives fine. We took it into the dealer after the second incident and they claimed that a camera was just obstructed by ice, so the car probably thought it detected something in front of us so it stopped accelerating as a safety feature. To that, I said -??but if the car thought there was something in front of us, it would have applied emergency braking, not just simply stopping any acceleration-??-?? to which they replied -??yeah I don-??t know. Cars these days are just a giant rolling computer-??. The dealer just could not replicate the issue, so they had no way of really seeing or diagnosing it, which I understand but still frustrating. They said they drove it 3 times but it didn-??t happen. But again, it happens randomly (though cold weather seems to be a common factor). So we left and said okay, they tried, they cleared off the camera, let-??s see what happens. One week later (this morning) happened again. Taking into the dealer this evening. We have a Case open with the Kia Customer Care -??Escalations-?? team. But they-??ve been no help.
- Whiteford, MD, USA
I'm getting an alert in the car app that says low battery and will not perform any lock/unlock/start, etc features. It says the battery level is under 40%.
- Burke, VA, USA
- Beverly Hills, CA, USA