Sliding Door Problem Forces Kia Carnival Recall

Kia has another safety problem on its hands as the Korean automaker recently recalled certain Carnival minivans.

The company is calling back more than 51,000 minivans from the 2022 and 2023 model years, Kia recently told federal regulators. Sliding doors on the minivans may close on people, the automaker acknowledged.

“The power sliding door (PSD) auto-reverse feature in the subject vehicles is a supplemental feature and may not activate in all situations,” Kia said in a defect notice filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. “Kia has become aware of a small number of injuries during closure of the PSD.”

The recall covers certain Carnival minivans produced between January 2021 and February 2023.

“Although a cause related to a manufacturing or design issue has not been identified, Kia believes the cause of injuries may be associated with customers’ unawareness that the PSD is closing,” the company continued in the defect notice. “As a result, Kia is conducting this recall in an effort to increase customers’ awareness that the PSD is closing in order to mitigate the risk of injury.”

Kia told NHTSA it planned to notify owners of recalled minivans by the end of April. The company is asking owners to bring their vehicles to a local dealer for inspection and to have control modules updated.

“Dealers will reprogram the power sliding door control module with an updated software that adds two (2) warning chimes when the power sliding door begins to open or close,” Kia said. “The updated software will also change the door speed to move more slowly as the door approaches its latching point.”

Kia Owners: Know Your Lemon Law Right

These kinds of recalls have become all too common for Kia and other major auto manufacturers.

Parent company Hyundai recently announced that it is recalling nearly 600,000 Hyundai and Kia vehicles over fears that they could catch fire. The company has also warned car owners to park outside and away from structures until the vehicles are inspected and repaired.

Hyundai and Kia also were forced in recent years to pay a combined $210 million after NHTSA found that they slow-played the recall of 1.6 million vehicles for engine problems. More recently, Hyundai announced it was recalling some 26,000 vehicles whose windshields could detach in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injuries. 

The good news for Kia owners in California is that you do not need to wait for a recall to get a defective or malfunctioning vehicle fixed.

The California lemon law requires automakers to perform a variety of repairs on vehicles while they are under warranty. It also requires the companies to buy back or replace cars that they cannot or simply refuse to fix. That includes covering the car’s purchase price, as well as financing fees, rental car costs and other related expenses.

Talk with a California Lemon Law Attorney

If you are a car owner or lessor stuck with a lemon or locked in a dispute with a manufacturer over repairs, the lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC can help. 

Call us at (888) 800-1983 or contact us online to speak with a lawyer today.