NHTSA complaint: 2025 KIA CARNIVAL — SEAT BELTS
On [XXX], while folding the second-row seatback to access the third row, as the seatback folded forward, it did so with excessive and unexpected speed, causing the seatbelt housing to swing forward and strike my wife, [XXX] , in the head with great force, [XXX] 's face. The impact caused her to momentarily lose consciousness and rendered her unable to move for nearly 30 minutes, during which she remained slumped and dazed in the seat. Fortunately, I was present to support her, preventing further harm. Although we were forced to board a scheduled flight shortly afterward, she continued to experience facial pain, disorientation, and weakness for several hours. We are deeply alarmed that such a hazard exists in a family vehicle, and that no warnings are present in the owner's manual regarding this risk. As a father of three young children, I am deeply concerned about the potential consequences of this design. This type of violent seatback movement combined with a hard, unprotected seatbelt housing could have caused even more catastrophic injuries - especially if it had happened to one of our children. My wife, [XXX] , is still emotionally shaken by the experience, and the trauma has left her fearful of operating the seats at all. This incident has had a significant impact on our family's sense of safety when using the vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation