Irvine, CA – April 22, 2023 – Kia (OTCMKTS:KIMTF) is recalling 51,568 2022 – 2023 Kia Carnival minivans because their power sliding doors could trap and injure the occupants of the car. This recall comes on the back of a U.S. government investigation and multiple injuries related to the defect.
Recall summary
The listed vehicles have sliding rear doors, which are opened and closed by an electric motor. To prevent them from potentially injuring occupants, this system also has a so-called auto-reverse function whose job is to back up the closing door if it detects any obstacles.
The feature does not work as intended, upping the risk of the car occupants getting injured.
Recall risks
Nine people have been injured as a result of this defect, according to the information provided by the manufacturer to the auto safety regulator in charge of this recall.
Other Kia recalls
In February 2023, Kia recently recalled Telluride SUVs over an airbag issue.
As for previous Kia Carnival recalls, the one from December 2021 – also caused by sliding-door issues – is the most recent.
Background of the recall
The recall comes on the back of an investigation conducted by the U.S. government’s auto safety regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in April of last year. The investigation was kicked off after the regulator received several complaints alleging that “excessive force” was required to close the doors once they got stuck.
The repair
Dealers will update the vehicle’s power sliding door control module with an upgraded software version that gives the driver “two warning chimes” when it starts to close. The repairs are free of charge.
Owners should have been notified starting April 28, 2023.
Is your vehicle a part of this recall?
More than 50,000 cars are affected by this Kia sliding door recall. To do a Kia recall check and see if yours is one of them, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
