2026 Kia Carnival Safety Rating
Minivans Β· Current IIHS listing Β· IIHS data updated 2026-09-04
The 2026 Kia Carnival is not yet ranked. IIHS has published 3 of 4 primary tests and 4 of 4 selected occupant-protection details, and no pedestrian front crash prevention result yet. Missing results are shown as missing, never assumed.
Reported so far: Small overlap front Good; Moderate overlap front (updated test) Marginal; Side (updated test) Acceptable; Seat belt reminders Acceptable; Latch ease of use Acceptable.
IIHS crash-test results
Detailed results by test (49 entries)
IIHS publishes these under the test they belong to, so the same label can appear more than once. Rear restraints and kinematics, rear head protection, structure and safety cage, and front restraints are the four that count toward the score (25%).
Small overlap front
Moderate overlap front: updated test
Side: updated test
Seat belt reminders
Child seat anchors
Opens on iihs.org in a new tab
How the score is built
Full formula, weights, and missing-data rules β
NHTSA 5-star rating
2026 KIA CARNIVAL PV N/A FWD
NHTSA stars are shown for reference and carry no weight in the score. NHTSA source. Why the two programs disagree β
Real-world context
| Measure | Result | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Class driver death rate | 27 per million registered vehicle-years | Minivans as a class, adjusted for driver age and sex (Farmer, 2023); all vehicles average 38. Class context only. |
Compared with other minivans
Closest-scoring current minivans with complete IIHS records, plus the class leader. See every minivans ranked β
| Vehicle | Class rank | IIHS award | Rear restraints | Starts at | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Toyota Sienna | #1 of 3 | β | $41,320 | 74.4 | |
| 2027 Honda Odyssey | #2 of 3 | β | $42,795 | 73.9 | |
| 2026 Chrysler Pacifica | #2 of 3 | β | $44,445 | 73.9 |
Our analysis
The 2026 Kia Carnival belongs to the Minivans class. This class has a below-average driver death rate compared with the national average of 38 deaths per million registered vehicle-years. The class figure is adjusted for driver age and sex, which removes a large part of the selection effect in raw death rates. It is still a class average, not a measurement of this model.
The Kia Carnival has no IIHS Top Safety Pick award for 2026. That can mean a result below the award threshold in one test, or tests IIHS has not completed. Absence of an award is not evidence that the vehicle is unsafe.
Across the 5 IIHS rating categories reported, the Kia Carnival earned 1 Good ratings. Results below Good deserve attention, especially the updated frontal and side tests that IIHS toughened in 2022 and 2023. Our updated crash test analysis explains what changed.
This analysis is produced independently; we have no affiliation with Kia or any manufacturer. Read the full methodology or learn more about us.
Safety recalls for the 2026 Kia Carnival
No recalls on record. NHTSA lists this model year and currently shows no recall campaigns against it.
Questions about the 2026 Kia Carnival
Continue comparing
Shopping for a family? Compare three-row vehicles and rear-seat evidence. Buying used? See real driver death rates by model.