Carnival Owners Say Sliding Doors Are Dangerous, Kia Says No One’s Hurt Yet

Kia is asking a U.S. court to toss out a class-action lawsuit over its Carnival minivan’s sliding doors, arguing that the case lacks actual harm and relies on hypothetical concerns. The complaint targets 2022–2023 Kia Carnival models, following years of consumer reports describing problems with the power-operated doors.

The lawsuit, brought by Rachael and Andrew Langerhans in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, claims the power sliding doors on their 2022 Carnival SX stopped reacting to people and objects when closing. According to the plaintiffs, this malfunction began in late 2021.

Read: Kia Carnival Minivan Sliding Doors Pose Hidden Danger With 9 Reported Injuries

The issue first gained public attention after multiple complaints and at least nine reported injuries linked to the minivan’s doors. In response, Kia launched a recall in early 2023 for the 2022 and 2023 model-year Carnival, updating the vehicle’s software to add warning chimes when the sliding doors start to open or close.

Are Concerns Enough to Justify a Lawsuit?

But the lawsuit, filed after this recall, argues that Kia did not address a more critical problem: the level of force required to trigger the doors’ pinch sensors. The plaintiffs claim that without resolving this underlying issue, the doors still pose a risk, especially to children.

The suit is seeking more than $5 million in damages, but Kia is pushing back on the grounds that the case is built on speculation. The company argues that the plaintiffs are asking the court to weigh in on “hypothetical” risks, not actual harm, since neither they nor their children have reported any injuries caused by the power sliding doors.

According to Kia, the couple simply “have concerns about the possibility of the doors closing on them or their children.”

Kia added that “unless and until the defect persists in Plaintiffs’ vehicle post-recall – or at the very least, until Plaintiffs can plausibly allege facts demonstrating why the recall is ineffective – any dispute about the recall is speculative.”

In its motion to dismiss, Kia also stated that the plaintiffs don’t allege to have experienced any issues with their vehicle, “so it is unclear what damages they currently have that must be remedied by this lawsuit.”

Finally, Kia says the lawsuit should never have reached the court at all. When the Langerhans purchased their Carnival, they signed a binding arbitration agreement, which Kia argues bars them from pursuing the matter in court. If enforced, that agreement could effectively shut down the case before it ever gets to a judge

Sources: Pacemonitor, Carcomplaints