The results of a new crash test have appeared
Kia has made changes to improve the safety of its 2024 Kia Carnival after poor crash test results, but the minivan’s IIHS safety rating remains low.
Since the car’s introduction to the market in 2021 as a 2022 model, its performance in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests has been poor. One of the problems identified by the tests concerned the second-row captain’s chairs.
During the first side impact, the left seat of the second row came off the floor and tipped to the side along with the dummy. The IIHS stated that “such a separation would create a clear danger to the person sitting in that seat in a real crash. An unsecured seat and occupant may also pose a danger to other occupants.”
Kia has taken steps to strengthen the rails that secure the rear seats to the floor. In addition to equipping the 2024 model with stronger rails, the company offered owners of older Carnivals the new rails for free on their vehicles. The Koreans even asked dealers to install updates on any Carnival brought to their service center for any reason.
The Kia Carnival 2024’s seats should no longer come off
In new IIHS testing with the new seat rails, the second-row seat remained in place. But there is also bad news. The Kia Carnival still failed to perform well in IIHS crash tests. The corrections made did not change the model’s rating, which remains “Poor” according to the organization’s rating system.
According to the IIHS, the roll cage does not withstand a crash well, and measurements show there is still a high risk of injury to the driver’s pelvis and rear passenger’s chest.
The Carnival is expected to be updated for the 2025 model year.
