There’s a brand new 2022 Kia Carnival minivan recall, and your rear sliding doors might be at risk. Many Carnival models in the United States are being recalled due to an issue with the passenger side sliding door. The problem is causing the sliding door to be unable to latch, meaning it could open at any moment. Not only could the door see some damage at high speeds, but passengers sitting in the rear seats could as well.

What is the recall on the 2022 Kia Carnival?

According to Carscoops, “certain plastic holders inside the release actuator of the sliding door remote controller assembly may have been manufactured out of specification by the supplier.” The result is the latch sticking into the open position, causing the door’s failure to latch correctly. Although a regular door may stay closed without latching, sliding doors will not. The sliding door is constantly in danger of opening, which could be dangerous.

Luckily, Kia has taken precautions to prevent issues like this from happening. The Carnival will play four alert chimes if the door does not close properly while the minivan is in park. Once the driver exceeds six mph, more ringing and the door-ajar warning will turn on. This doesn’t solve the problem but should keep owners from danger due to the recall.

How many minivan models are affected?

Kia Carnival models produced between July 28, 2021, and October 14, 2021, are recalled. In total, there are 2,956 minivans in need of repairs. Dealers will notify those who own those 2,956 vehicles on December 16, 2021. At that time, owners can bring their Carnival to a dealer to have the sliding door release actuator’s drum and holder replaced.

As always is the case with recalls, the repair will be completely free. Many times dealers struggle to get enough parts for these recalls, so act fast. You’ll want to make sure to remedy the issue immediately, so your sliding door doesn’t fly away.

2022 Kia Carnival: a history of problems

There was another roughly six months before the announcement of this new 2022 Kia Carnival recall. The same minivan model had a damaged fuel rail tube, which affected 2,744 Kia Carnival models. This one was a lot more dangerous than the sliding rear door. The damaged fuel rail tube could cause gasoline leaks near the engine, which is a fire risk.

If you’re a Carnival owner and never heard about this one, fear not. Those who had a model at risk for this recall were notified around April 30, 2021. Luckily, only 1 percent of Carnival owners were impacted by the fire hazard.

If you’re the owner of a 2022 Kia Carnival, the best thing you can do is wait. Make sure to pay attention to the alerts your minivan emits because they could mean the rear sliding door is open. Most people ignore those alarms and drive away, but don’t let your sliding door fly away. When Kia notifies owners by mail in a few weeks, be the first to take your family hauler into the dealership.