NHTSA Complaint #11714079 — 2024 KIA CARNIVAL

Horns (high and low) have been replaced 5 times under a warranty. This is a serious safety hazard. Vehicle: Kia Carnival (Model Years 2022–2024) Issue: Repeated horn failure / electrical malfunction Owners of 2022–2024 Kia Carnival vehicles are experiencing repeated horn failures that present a safety concern. Reported symptoms include complete loss of horn function, intermittent operation, delayed response, and in some cases random horn or alarm activation without driver input. When the failure occurs, both the high-pitch and low-pitch horns are often found to be inoperative. Many owners report that dealerships replace both horns, sometimes multiple times, with some vehicles requiring second or third replacements. Kia has acknowledged this issue through a Technical Service Bulletin (ELE-263), which instructs dealers to replace both horns when one fails; however, the bulletin does not identify a permanent root cause or corrective design change. As a result, the issue frequently recurs after replacement. A non-functional or intermittent horn significantly reduces the driver’s ability to warn other road users and avoid collisions, creating a clear safety risk. Given the recurring nature of the failure across multiple model years, this appears to be a systemic defect rather than isolated component wear.