Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
21–33 mpgcombined; city 18–34, highway 26–31; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$9,840–$15,470U.S. average; Ohio $8,790–$13,820 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2025 Carnival. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 194 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Carnival. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
108
0
1
1
Engine
36
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
31
0
0
0
Unknown or other
28
0
0
3
Power train
20
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
18
0
0
0
Structure
6
0
0
2
Exterior lighting
5
0
0
0
Forward collision avoidance
5
1
0
0
Seats
5
0
0
1
Service brakes
5
1
1
0
Air bags
4
2
0
5
10 more parts
Seat belts
4
1
0
6
Visibility/wiper
4
0
0
0
Lane departure
3
0
0
0
Back over prevention
2
1
0
0
Fuel system, gasoline
2
0
0
0
Chest clip, buckle, harness
1
0
0
0
Child seat
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
1
Tires
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2025 Carnival over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Carnival vehicles. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the fuel pipe and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 56 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2025 Carnival, the latest on Jun 19, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (26), seats (10), engine (9), fuel/propulsion system (7), power train (7).
NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.
Maintenance
Oil
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2025 Carnival.
EPA class: minivan. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–6 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Carnival Front-Wheel Drive
3.5 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 26 / 21
Carnival Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
34 / 31 / 33
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data