Lemberg Law is investigating widespread complaints from 2025 Kia Carnival owners about batteries that constantly drain. The 2025 minivan model hasn’t been around very long, but new owners are voicing their concerns in unison about dud batteries. Some say it happens often. Many complain that Kia is not revealing what the problem is. Those who experience the problem for days at a time have had enough — especially when their vehicles were parked when the battery died!
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What’s Happening with Battery Draining in the 2025 Carnival
At the beginning of October 2024, 100% of the complaints to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which date back to July 2024, were about parasitic battery drain. Of these, more than 90% were about faulty batteries. Owners talk about their batteries dying, draining, and drawing too much electrical power. Dealerships don’t seem to be able to help. Some insist that there is nothing wrong with batteries. Others tell owners they don’t know what the problem is.
But it isn’t only complaints to the NHTSA that draw attention to this problem. There is an ongoing conversation on Carnival Forums that highlights the issue. Additionally, there are multiple threads on Reddit that tell exactly the same story.
There is no feedback from the automaker and not even one manufacturer communication about this issue on the NHTSA website. As a reminder, according to the law, since 2012 manufacturers have had to file all their communications with the NHTSA.
What Are Owners Experiencing?
According to complaints and various conversations on Internet sites, there are major issues with the batteries in the 2025 Kia Carnival. Owners report people who are not able to start their vehicles, sometimes after leaving it overnight. Taking it a step further, some owners state that even battery replacements don’t work and have to be jump-started. It is, undoubtedly, a huge issue.
We are going to give you a cross-section of complaints and online comments that will give you a better idea of what owners are experiencing.
NHTSA Complaints
The very first complaint published on the NHTSA website about the 2025 Kia Carnival battery issue states that the dealership confirmed there was no problem with the battery. In July 2024, the dealer stated that it didn’t need to be replaced. However, the owner believes otherwise.
”The 2025 Kia Carnival appears to have some parasitic battery drain, leaving vehicles unable to start or use functions/features like remote start, AC, and others. This has affected many Carnival owners and no one knows what to do. I know other owners have towed their cars to the dealership and they’re clueless. It could be the app draining the car’s battery, a feature like the climate auto dry… no one knows. It’s frustrating to have a new vehicle with constantly dead batteries.”
It doesn’t get any better, with scores of complaints mounting up. In late August 2024, an owner from California stated in a complaint that the battery kept reading a low voltage. They couldn’t use the Kia Access app features (e.g. remote start and 360 view). There was also a problem with the airbag light, which the dealership fixed. But they couldn’t ID electrical issues. “The car is driven daily and after sitting for approximately 16 hours the car battery is completely dead. Tried to do a quick jump and would not crank over. I am convinced it has a parasitic draw. It is currently at a second service center in hopes of a resolution. So far Kia has not been very supportive.”
And the complaints continue. For example, an owner in Utah says: “Just bought my car and my battery drained 3 nights in a row. Had to jump start it.”
They go on and on!
Comments on Forums
A discussion starter on the forum on July 8, 2024, asks if anyone else is experiencing battery-draining issues. Having bought the 2025 Kia Carnival with only 200 miles on the clock, the battery went completely dead the next morning! Kia Roadside Assistance gave the owner a jump and it worked. But, the question is, Surely this is bad for a new car?
A month later, another forum member said, “I have fallen victim to the dead battery but can’t figure out how to even open my door now…” The response was super helpful. “On the 2025 Kia Carnival the key is not located in the smart key bob it’s a separate key. I wish they would have incorporated the key into the smart key bob because it’s a real pain to carry it separately.”
So how, in August 2024, could a dealer tell someone who had bought the Carnival three days before that this was an issue they had never heard of? “I’ve been keeping us up and running since I have a battery charger and I charge it every night.”
A day later, another forum member stated that after four days of ownership, “the car was completely dead. I knew before I purchased this car that there was an issue with a parasitic drain on the battery. But I was willing to take a chance that this problem wouldn’t happen to me, however it did.” After being towed home, this owner was provided with a new battery to drive to the dealership. He was told that Kia knew about the issue, and was working on a “software push that should fix out problems.”
Nine days later, on August 29, this happy owner wasn’t so happy. “Still waiting for my part. The current ETA is September 2! Kia Corporation is horrible.”
Social Media Discussions
The conversation on Reddit follows the same theme. Responses are varied. This isn’t surprising because not every vehicle is a lemon. But some owners have had the same or a very similar experience:
“We’ve had our SX for 3 weeks now. It’s been in twice for the same dead battery issue. So frustrating. The first time, the dealership charged it up and said it was fine, and couldn’t find a parasitic draw. Now it’s been back there for the last week. They did find a draw but haven’t pinpointed the source. Replaced the battery. I mentioned the USB port and they said they would look into it. So frustrating! Let us know if your dealership has a fix!”
“We’re having this issue too. We purchased and received our vehicle a little after the 4th of July. After parking it for a little under a week, the battery was completely dead when we returned to it at the airport.”
“I just got the message on my app that my battery is less than 40% and starting to think it’s going to die soon. I’m going to talk to the dealership tomorrow and see what happens!”
“I just bought my 2025 Kia Carnival (on) June 9th. The battery has died 3x. I’m dropping it off at Kia tomorrow morning so they can look at it. Turns out they’ve had the exact car there for 2 weeks now with the same problem. They can’t figure it out. First, they found a faulty fuse in the battery. Test drove it and thought it was fixed. 1 hr later it died again. They’re getting me a rental so let’s see how long they keep my car for.”
Dead Battery? What You Can Do
If you have a problem with your 2025 Kia Carnival battery draining and/or dying, Lemberg Law wants to know more about your problems. We invite you to fill out a contact form or call our Helpline. We will then assess your case and you may be eligible to join our new class action investigation. You won’t only be helping yourself, but also others who are experiencing similar problems.
It’s not going to cost you anything because the law says Kia will have to pay the legal bills for your lemon law case.
About the Author:
Sergei Lemberg is an attorney focusing on consumer law, class actions related to automotive issues, and personal injury litigation. With nearly two decades of experience, his areas of practice include Lemon Law (vehicle defects), Debt Collection Harassment, TCPA (illegal robocalls and texts), Fair Credit Reporting Act, Overtime claims, Personal Injury cases, and Class Actions. He has consistently been recognized as the nation's "most active consumer attorney." In 2020, Mr. Lemberg represented Noah Duguid before the United States Supreme Court in the landmark case Duguid v. Facebook. He is also the author of "Defanging Debt Collectors," a guide that empowers consumers to fight back against debt collectors and prevail, as well as "Lemon Law 101: The Laws That Lemon Dealers Don't Want You to Know."
