Kia sued by Carnival owners over dangerous sliding doors that were not fixed over recall

One person reportedly suffered a broken arm after the door closed behind them.

Automatic sliding doors are one of those modern conveniences designed to make family life smoother, especially when you have your hands full or the kids are coming and going. But what happens when this feature goes from a convenience to a potential safety hazard? That’s at the heart of a new class-action lawsuit in the U.S., which claims that the sliding doors on the 2022 and 2023 models kia The carnival poses “a serious risk of bodily injury,” putting passengers in danger.

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The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that these Carnival models come equipped with a defective pinch sensor installed along the rubber seal on the edge of the doors. In theory, these sensors are supposed to detect any obstacles in the path of the door and prevent it from closing if something (or someone) gets in the way.

The lawsuit claims that the carnival The pinch sensor often does not recognize obstacles, so the only way to stop the door from half closing is to press hard on the pinch sensor itself.

Kia issued a recall for allegedly defective doors in April 2023. However, the class action lawsuit claims that this recall was “ineffective” as it was a simple software update that caused the door to close more slowly while also adding warning chimes. The plaintiffs argue that it did not affect the force needed to activate the pinch sensor.

The recall involved 51,568 Carnivals of model years 2022 and 2023 delivered in the United States. At the time, Kia said it had received reports of 9 injuries related to the faulty pinch sensor, including one in which an individual’s thumb was fractured and another in which someone’s arm was broken after the door was closed. door.

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The lawsuit contends that many customers would not have purchased the Carnival if they had known of the ruling, or would have paid substantially less for the minivan. The plaintiffs accuse Kia of violating both the express warranty and the implied warranty, along with claims of fraud, unjust enrichment, and violations of the Maryland Consumer Protection Act.

Now, they are pushing for a jury trial, seeking damages, interest and full coverage of legal fees. For Kia, what started as a minor software recall could turn into a costly court fight if this class-action lawsuit gains momentum.