- Vehicles
- 3,555
- Built between
- Not published
- Models
- 1
- Recall type
- Vehicle
- Initiated by
- Manufacturer
- Owners notified
- 16 May 2023
- Repaired
- 72%
- Unrepaired
- 957
Safety advisories
Park outside and away from buildings
Affected vehicles carry a fire risk that can occur while parked, even with the engine off. Park away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been completed.
Does this affect my vehicle?
The manufacturer did not publish a build-date range for this recall, so the model and year list below is the only way to tell whether your vehicle is covered.
- 2022-2023 Kia Carnival
Repair progress
957 of 3,555 vehicles in this recall had still not been repaired as of Q1 2025.
72% repaired — 2,546 of 3,555 reported
- Owners not reachable
- 35
- Scrapped or exported
- 17
Manufacturers file these figures with NHTSA each quarter. Vehicles the manufacturer could not trace, or that have been scrapped or exported, are counted separately and are not included in the unrepaired figure.
What the defect is
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.
What could happen
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
What gets fixed
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.
Parts involved
- Tow Hitch HarnessR0F67-AC400TOW HITCH HARNESS (4-pin)
Part numbers are as filed by the manufacturer and are listed for reference. Your dealer will confirm the correct part for your vehicle.
Timeline
- Recall reported to NHTSA17 March 2023
- Owners notified16 May 2023
- Latest repair reportQ1 2025 — 72% repaired
Your rights
A safety recall repair is free. Under US federal law the manufacturer must fix a safety defect at no cost to you — no charge for parts, labor or diagnosis — whether or not you are the original owner. A dealer cannot charge you for recall work, and cannot require you to have bought the vehicle from them.
That entitlement is not unlimited. It applies where the vehicle was first sold less than 15 years before the recall was announced — 5 years for tires. Past that a manufacturer may still do the repair free of charge, and many do, but they are no longer obliged to. This recall was reported on 17 March 2023.
To arrange the repair, contact any franchised dealer for the brand. If a dealer refuses the work or tries to charge for it, you can report that to NHTSA at nhtsa.gov/recalls or on 1-888-327-4236.
Manufacturer contact
Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC265.
Official source
- Manufacturer's recall number
- SC265
- Recalling manufacturer
- Kia America, Inc.
- Recall initiated by
- MFR
Everything on this page — the models listed, the build dates and the repair figures — comes from the manufacturer's filing to NHTSA and describes the vehicle line as a whole, not any individual car. Only the manufacturer can confirm whether a specific vehicle is affected, and whether its recall work has already been carried out. Check yours by VIN and read the official notice at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Additional notes
Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
Check your own vehicle
This page describes the recall, not any one car. To see which recalls cover a specific vehicle, search by make, model and year.
A VIN lookup here identifies your vehicle and shows recalls issued for that make, model and year. It cannot tell you what is still open on your individual car - only the manufacturer knows that. Search by VIN instead, or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov for whether a recall is still open on your individual car.