Windshields cracking and malfunctioning sliding door issues are the top complaints to the NHTSA from vehicle owners
Kia promises “a refined driving experience” with the 2023 Carnival. But, as a carryover model that Kia says has only minor enhancements, it’s not surprising that owners are experiencing some of the same issues owners of the 2022 model have been complaining about. Malfunctioning sliding doors and cracking windshields top the list of official complaints.
Click on other model year to view more problems: 2022
Complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) about the 2023 Kia Carnival date back to July 1, 2022. By December 2022, there were only a handful of complaints, but the worry is that they clearly follow complaint trends set in 2022. They also mirror two class action investigations Lemberg Law has already launched about the 2022 Kia Carnival.
Two complaints describe how the sliding door of the van closed on the hands or fingers of children. Another describes a typical windshield crack that so many owners of the 2022 model have experienced.
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Structure:body | |
| Electrical System | |
| Engine | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Lane Departure: Blind Spot Detection | |
| Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Steering Assist | |
| Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch:emergency Mechanical Release | |
| Seat Belts | |
| Steering:column |
We have highlighted issues about Kia Carnival sliding doors in our post about the ongoing class action investigation we launched earlier in 2022. The problem is that owners are finding the power sliding doors have a tendency to close too forcefully. This tends to result in injuries, with children being the most vulnerable.
The very first complaint made to the NHTSA about the 2023 Carnival was about this very issue. An owner from Indiana states that a daughter pressed the button on the inside of the van to close the door. But, “She didn’t move her hand soon enough out of the way for the door to close. The door closed on her hand. She had to press the button open from the door closing on her thumb.”
The complaint continues to say that the child was bawling her eyes out. Her thumb has swelled to at least three times its size. “The sensor should be way more sensitive, like a garage door opener,” the parent states.
An owner from Utah has a similar complaint. The “Sliding door shut on (a) toddler’s fingers, (because) the safety mechanism for the door to open failed.”
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Cracking windshields appear to be a scourge of many vehicles. The mystery is why so many manufacturers are not taking action to install windshields that don’t crack spontaneously, with minimum or no impact.
Lemberg Law has several class action investigations about vehicles that have windshield cracking issues. One of these involves the 2022 Kia Carnival. Now there are also complaints emerging about the 2023 model.
The owner of a 2023 model from South Dakota states that a very small rock hit the windshield and cracked the entire windshield. The “crack spread quickly and has continued to progress.”
That is a typical description of what happens even when a tiny stone or rock doesn’t appear to be part of the scenario.
When problems recur and affect the value or use of your vehicle it might mean that you’ve picked up a lemon. Certainly, problems with cracking windshields and malfunctioning sliding doors appear to be widespread for Kia Carnivals. Lemberg Law is aware of plenty of complaints relating to the 2022 model and would like to know if 2023 model owners have the same or similar complaints.
Of course, you may have completely different problems with your 2023 Kia Carnival. We are happy to discuss these with you as well.
Every year, auto manufacturers pay cash settlements, buyback, and replace vehicles for thousands of lemon owners who have legitimate complaints about problems. If you think that you have a lemon, call our Helpline or fill in a contact form. We will assess your case for free. Remember, the law says that Kia must foot the bill for legal fees when it comes to lemon law cases.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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After putting the car in gear it started shacking and when I got above 40 mph it was vibrating and shaking. No dash lights came on. After I turned it off and back on it wasn’t doing it anymore. My mechanic said He could find anything that showed him a problem. Some time of misfire is all he could guess? Very concerning! Only have 22,000 miles on the car.
I also recently purchased a 2023 Kia carnival and on the 2nd day I got a huge crack in the windshield by the smallest rock which I didn’t even see.
I have owned it 3 months and now have 2 larges cracks/ divets, in the windshield. If it’s cracked that many times, I am holding out until it’s absolutely necessary to replace. They are awful.
I own a 2023 Kia Carnival and I can say the windshields are definitely trash. The smallest rock hit my windshield and then my whole windshield cracked. Ended up replacing all for not even a week later it happened all over again.