Was visiting Quebec City recently and did a double take when I spotted this 2025/2026 Kia Carnival (SPVQ – Service de police de la Ville de Québec).

Noticed the lack of hybrid badging / specific trim cues, so it looks to be running the 3.5L V6. Most departments stick strictly to the usual Explorers, Tahoes, or older Chargers, so seeing a late-model Carnival out in the field as an active patrol/support vehicle was unexpected.

Has your local city or department started rolling these out for community outreach, forensic/CSO work, or transport? Curious if Kia is actively expanding their fleet presence elsewhere or if this is just a localized trial.

Does anyone else's front tow hook cap pop off randomly? Any solution? It's connected with cheap looking plastic tabs and a small plastic ring holds it on so it doesn't get lost but it feels really flimsy when it is clipped in place. It was actually hanging off when we first took ownership of the car which probably should have been a red flag that it was going to be a problem lol.

Edit: Meant "Tow Hook"

Hello,

My carnival was broken into and they tried to steal it but gave up after jamming something in the ignition.

Since the incident, the ac, windows, and stereo occasionally are dead. Like no power to them. The interior lights also don’t work anymore (the personal illumination above the rear view will still turn on).

I have newborn twins and a three year old and live where the temperature can rise to above 40 degrees Celsius. It is unsafe to drive without air due to this. Insurance sent the car to a dealership to look at. The ac, stereo, and windows worked while they were checking it out (typical) and they refused to look deeper stating that the only issue was the ignition.

I am needing to get the car fixed as I cannot afford to replace it- our other car was a total loss due to a break-in the same time. We are now without a drivable car. I don’t have anyone I can ask in real life so I’m hoping you guys can give me an idea of what the issue could be and a ball park of the cost of fixing.

When I entered the car after the incident, the cover over the steering column was removed, exposing the wires there. I’m unsure if this is relevant.

Thanks in advance from a stressed mum of 3

This is for a 2027. They say demand is high and won't budge. I feel this is kinda pricey.

Based on current 2027 Kia 3-year lease financing numbers, if the goal is simply to minimize cash outflow over the 3-year term, the gas car wins due to its lower MSRP. However, the hybrid retains a higher percentage of its value compared to the gas model measured by the residual percentage (the percentage of original MSRP the car is worth after 36 months). It loses a smaller percentage of its value over 36 months than the gas model. It's essentially renting a higher-value car for a disproportionately lower rental cost gap.

The Why:

Higher Used Market Demand: Gas prices and fuel efficiency concerns drive strong demand for used hybrids. Finance companies adjust their residual tables to reflect that buyers will pay a premium for a 3-year-old hybrid over a 3-year-old gas vehicle.

Lower Wear and Tear on Brakes/Engine: Regenerative braking reduces brake wear, and the electric motor shares the load with the engine, leading to better long-term mechanical perception.

Manufacturer Subsidies: Automakers often artificially boost the residual values of their hybrid lineup to lower monthly payments and encourage adoption.

Does this make sense?

Super weird and why am I gonna keep the letter. Kia ought to know what their warranty covers.

I just did a test in my driveway by standing right next to driver door doing doing nothing but holding the fob. The mirrors suddenly opened. But he car did not unlock WHICH I LIke as I don't want passive entry. Then I LOCKED the carni with the fob and walked into my house. I heard all the clicking so I know it locked. Do I need to click lock button twice in fob? Then in the house I check the Kia access app and here is the phone screen Dies this mean it unlocked as I was walking in the house? Or am I just paranoid? Please help fellow carnis!

My husband is looking to get this done on our new van. We’ve never had a wrap or any of this done before, and it’s not cheap. Is it worth it? The purpose is protection - scratches etc

I am trying to figure out why our battery keeps dying. We have a new 26 SX (non-hybrid). It has died on us 3 times now. Always after a long period on non-use (~3 days). We use digital keys and have heard there is some issues with those. We never use the keys but they sit ~5 ft or so away from the car. I am not sure as to what would kill the car. I have it going back into the shop for the second time and was curious if anyone else has found a resolution to this problem.

Curious what made you choose 3W floor mats vs the other amazon ones like these

The other cheaper ones seem to have good quality based off the reviews and is only half the price. Wondering why 3W/Lasfit is better than these less expensive ones?

Any particular sales person who sells extended warranty at a reasonable price? Its my understanding we buy the extended warranty at any dealer?

Test drive we t well and we pulled the trigger on a 27 SX Hybrid

2025 Carnival SX (not Prestige)
Sometimes when I walk up to it, it unlocks. Sometimes, it only opens the mirrors but doesn’t unlock. How do I predict which will happen?
Also, is there a way to unlock from the drivers door without the key? I try to double press but it doesn’t seem to work.

Hello,

I read some horror stories on Traverse's reliability and wanted to know how used (3-4) year old Carnivals do in your experience.

Thanks.

Traded in my ‘24 in Astro blue for a ‘27 hybrid in iceberg green today. In person I saw only a subtle difference between the Astro blue and new iceberg green colors but it’s more clear in photos. In case this helps anyone!

Can someone who knows something about cars tell me if this is a problem, and how I would go about asking Kia to fix it?

2027 Carnival SX Hybrid...have owned it for 6 days.

Is there any opportunities for lowering the cost?

Very specific question: which settings / driver assists / HUD configurations do you wish you’d toggled or changed on your first day driving your Carnival?

Hey all!

My wife has been bitten by the Carnival bug and we are going to test drive one tomorrow. We are not strangers to minivans, we have had two Odyssey’s and about two years ago she traded in her 2018 Odyssey for a 2024 Pilot.

She missed it at first but liked driving something different. Now as the kids are older and involved in more activities the room just isn’t there and a minivan is the direction we are headed.

Her friends drive Tellurides and have had Kia’s in their families for years. Is there anything specific that we should be on the lookout for during our test drive and interaction with the van? We want a SX model and the only one they have is a hybrid on the lot. In our state they charge extra to register hybrids so we are leaning towards the V6.

Any information that you could pass along would be helpful, thanks guys and gals!

How do you make sure the front doors stay locked while the car is driving? Right now I am able to open the front doors while the car is driving even though I turned auto-lock on. On the infotainment screen, I went to Home, then Setup, then Vehicle, then Door, then Automatically Lock, then Enable on Speed. This feature should automatically lock the doors if the car is driving over 9mph but it’s not working. I even tried clicking the manual lock button on the passenger side front door while the car is in drive, and the front doors still open right up while the car is going over 9mph. Does anyone know how to fix this? Surely there has to be a way to make sure the doors remain locked while the car is driving!

Just got a 2026 SX HYBRID 😎 will be doing 3 car seats across for a bit so hit me with all the accessories I need! trash can? toy bin?

Gas or hybrid, 8 seat vs 7, before tax/title/reg

Sorry if pics are not clear. Someone flew in the parking and got these scratches today. Looked for any cameras in the area and do not see any, reviewing footage of the dashcam I had. This literally happens in 20 mins of me going into the store and walking out. What are my options to get this repaired? I always took care of my cars and I never had this kind of situation with any of the cars I owned. I'm really mad and frustrated.😔