Kia America, Inc.: Trailer Hitches
Kia America, Inc. reported this defect to federal regulators on Mar 17, 2023 and put the number of vehicles at risk at 3,555. The repair is free for as long as the recall stands.
Park away from buildings
NHTSA attached a park-outside advisory to this campaign. It applies to specific production runs, so check your own VIN with the manufacturer or at nhtsa.gov/recalls before driving the vehicle.
The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Carnival vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Water accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
The risk
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park their vehicles outside and away from structures until the remedy is completed. Dealers will inspect and verify whether the vehicle is equipped with a Genuine Kia accessory trailer tow hitch assembly. If equipped, dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 16, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC265.
2 model years covered
Newest first| Vehicle | Complaints | Recalls | Fires | Crashes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Kia Carnival | 52 | 4 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 Kia Carnival | 136 | 6 | 0 | 4 |
What this page is, and what to do next
A recall is not an opinion. It is a Part 573 report a manufacturer is required by federal law to file once it decides a defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety, and it commits them to repairing the vehicle at no cost to the owner. The three passages above are the manufacturer’s own wording as published by NHTSA.
This page describes the campaign. It cannot tell you whether one particular car has already been through the shop — that is tracked by VIN, and only the manufacturer knows it. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a franchised dealer, quoting campaign number 23V179000.
Full record for the 2023 Kia Carnival → · Recalls carrying a do-not-drive advisory → · Where this data comes from →