Forward Collision AvoidanceUnknown Or OtherVehicle Speed Control
Hello there - I am a fairly new owner of a KIA carnival hybrid 2026. I leased the vehicle in March'26. I have about 2200 miles put on the vehicle. On XXX at around 11am I was driving the vehicle on the left lane of freeway at ~65 mph and there was a sudden flash of Engine Maintenance service light and the vehicle cut out power t…
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Hello there - I am a fairly new owner of a KIA carnival hybrid 2026. I leased the vehicle in March'26. I have about 2200 miles put on the vehicle. On XXX at around 11am I was driving the vehicle on the left lane of freeway at ~65 mph and there was a sudden flash of Engine Maintenance service light and the vehicle cut out power to the accelerator pedal and started to bring the vehicle to a stop. This is in the fastest lane of the freeway while there was cars behind me. Luckily there was space to stop on the left side of the lane and I parked my car with the EMS light still on. Mind you that cars were going past me at 65+ mph. This is a major safety concern. I switched off the vehicle and turned it back on and the check engine light was still on but I was able to drive the vehicle to an exit and return home. I had the vehicle switched off for a few hours and when I turned it back on, the check engine light was gone. I scheduled a service at the dealership I purchased and explained the situation, they checked the codes/logs and test drove the vehicle and returned the vehicle back to me saying they cannot duplicate the issue. Whether the issue is resolved or not, I am majorly concerned that the diagnosis is incomplete and this issue can happen anytime on a freeway which is a safety hazard. This should not be happening on a brand new vehicle. I have raised a complaint to KIA corporate as well. There are a lot of other users companing similar issues: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11751239
Mileage unknown · Jan 25, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidancePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
Driving on freeway with the heater on, Cold weather, car had multiple issue messages (transmission control unit and adaptive cruise control) as well as a check engine light come on as the car went limp and would not accelerate. Has to pull off of the freeway after nearly getting in multiple accidents due to losing speed from 65 …
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Driving on freeway with the heater on, Cold weather, car had multiple issue messages (transmission control unit and adaptive cruise control) as well as a check engine light come on as the car went limp and would not accelerate. Has to pull off of the freeway after nearly getting in multiple accidents due to losing speed from 65 mph to 30. Had the gas pedal all the way to the ground and the car would barely accelerate.
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 vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
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. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0
No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid Problems, Complaints & Recalls | Skip That Year