We’ve got some good news and some bad news for Kia Carnival owners. The good news is that their vans can be updated to remedy a safety concern related to the safety of second-row occupants. The bad news is that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) still doesn’t rate the vehicle highly. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) is a nonprofit organization that conducts crash tests and evaluates the safety of vehicles. The IIHS rates vehicles on a scale of Good, Acceptable, Marginal, or Poor.
Separate from the mid-cycle refresh that we are expecting in 2025, Kia has reworked the second-row seats in the 2024 Carnival to strengthen the rails that attach the rear seats to the floor.
Explanation of the Crash Test
The IIHS side impact crash test simulates a collision with a pole or another vehicle at 31 mph. The test is designed to evaluate the performance of the vehicle’s safety features, such as the side airbags and side curtain airbags.
In the IIHS moderate overlap front crash test, the vehicle is driven into a deformable barrier at 40 mph. The test is designed to evaluate the performance of the vehicle’s safety features, such as the front airbags and crumple zones.
The automaker decided to make the change in response to an IIHS crash test. In the minivan’s initial side impact test, the left side second-row captain’s chair broke loose from the floor and tipped sideways, taking the dummy with it.
“Such a detachment would create an obvious danger to a person sitting in that seat in a real crash,” the IIHS wrote in a statement. “The unmoored seat and passenger could also be a hazard to other occupants.”
The safety organization reached out to Kia with this information, and the automaker decided to make changes to the Carnival to address the concern. In addition to equipping the 2024 model with the stronger rails, it has reached out to owners of older models, advising them to allow their local dealer to install the new parts on their vehicle (at no charge). In addition, it has directed dealerships to install the rails whenever Carnival owners come in for any reason.
That’s all good news for owners, because in subsequent IIHS testing, the second-row seat did not break loose or fall over. However, the Carnival’s results have only gone from unacceptable to barely acceptable.
The organization still gave the minivan its lowest rating, “Poor.” It claims that the safety cage did not hold up well during a crash, and its measurements showed that there was still a high risk of injury to the driver’s pelvis and the rear passenger’s chest.
It is not yet clear if Kia will make further changes for the more thoroughly updated 2025 model year vehicle. The question remains whether Kia will implement further improvements for the 2025 model year. As of now, Kia has taken steps to address the safety concerns such as upgrading the headlights and improvement of the front passenger compartment structure, but the Carnival’s safety rating still has room for improvement.
Originally posted 2023-11-04 12:51:37.