Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2026 Carnival.
The 2026 Kia Carnival is a minivan equipped with an 8-speed automatic transmission, delivering an EPA-estimated 21 mpg combined (18 city/25 highway). With only 20 owner complaints logged—the fewest since the model’s 2022 redesign—and two recalls, this year marks the most trouble-free point in the Carnival’s current generation, suggesting that early issues have largely been ironed out.
Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.
Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.
| Transmission | Automatic (S8) |
| EPA city / highway / combined | 18 / 25 / 21 mpg |
| Drivetrain | Front-Wheel Drive |
| Recommended fuel | Regular Gasoline |
0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.
Independent road tests for the Carnival of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.
| Year | Trim / engine | 0–60 | ¼ mile | HP | Drivetrain |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | MPV SX Prestige 3.5L V6 | 7.50 sec | 15.70 sec | 287 hp | FWD |
| 2025 | MPV HEV SX Prestige 1.6L Turbo I-4 + Elec | 7.80 sec | 16.10 sec | 242 hp | FWD |
| 2025 | MPV HEV SX Prestige 1.6L Turbo I-4 + Elec | 7.90 sec | 16.00 sec | 242 hp | FWD |
| 2025 | MPV HEV SX Prestige 1.6L Turbo I-4 + Elec | 8.00 sec | 16.20 sec | 242 hp | FWD |
| 2023 | MPV SX Prestige 3.5L V6 | 7.50 sec | 15.80 sec | 290 hp | FWD |
| 2022 | MPV SX 3.5L V6 | 7.00 sec | 15.30 sec | 290 hp | FWD |
| 2022 | MPV SX Prestige 3.5L V6 | 7.20 sec | 15.60 sec | 290 hp | FWD |
| 2022 | MPV SX Prestige 3.5L V6 | 7.30 sec | 15.50 sec | 290 hp | FWD |
Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.
The 2026 Carnival enters the federal record with just 20 complaints, 2 recalls, and 27 TSBs — the lowest complaint and TSB counts of the generation to date, and a sharp drop from the 119 complaints and 48 TSBs logged for 2025. Across the 2022–2026 arc, complaints have swung violently: 131 in the launch year, a steep fall to 46 in 2023, a modest rise to 64 in 2024, a sudden spike to 119 in 2025, then a collapse to 20 in 2026, while recalls have declined steadily from six to two and TSBs have fallen each year from 91 to 27. The 2026 top complaint categories — Unknown Or Other (5), Electrical System (2), Vehicle Speed Control (2), and Power Train (2) — are sparse and the data does not specify root causes; crash complaints stand at two with zero fire reports. The 2026 figure likely reflects early model-year reporting volume rather than a definitive quality shift, but the consistent downward trend in TSBs and recalls suggests the platform is maturing. Compared with the volatile complaint spikes in 2022 and 2025, the 2026 data presents a markedly cleaner early profile. Takeaway: based on the current federal record, the 2026 Carnival appears to be a good year to buy, provided the low complaint count holds as more units enter service.
All 20 complaints on record, top 8 components.
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.
Showing 2 of 2 campaigns on record for this vehicle.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid… Remedy: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026…
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. 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…
Showing 5 of 27 bulletins on record with NHTSA.
| Bulletin | Date | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| PSD_REMINDER2_105 | 2026-06-19 | Structure | IMPORTANT REMINDER: OWNER NOTIFICATION: CARNIVAL POWER SLIDING DOOR FEATURE (KA4PSD2… |
| OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R2 | 2026-06-17 | Electrical System | RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2)… |
| PI2602_TSB | 2026-06-15 | Seats | TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: 2ND ROW SEAT (LH & RH) FOLDING… |
| PI2602_OWNR | 2026-06-11 | Seats | PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (PI2602) - This document is the owner… |
| PI2602_QA | 2026-06-09 | Seats | PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (PI2602) - This document is the… |
The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.
Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.
Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.
EPA figures are 18 city / 25 highway / 21 combined mpg.