A class action lawsuit filed this week claims certain Kia Carnival models have defective sliding doors.
Alleged defect
The lawsuit targets 2022-2023 model years of the Kia Carnival, a minivan. The sliding automatic doors allegedly close with excessive force.
As alleged in the complaint, the doors do not stop or reverse if an obstacle or person blocks them from automatically closing. Instead, they only do so if they close on an obstacle or person with enough force to physically stop them
The required level of force is higher than a child, pet, or person with a disability may be able to apply, claims the lawsuit. The problem is a defective “pinch sensor” installed along the doors’ rubber seal, claims the suit. This sensor allegedly does not properly detect obstacles and requires one to physically push on it with significant force to activate it.
Recall
The complaint cites a recall Kia issued related to the alleged defect in April 2023. In issuing this recall, the lawsuit claims, Kia acknowledged the vehicles’ sliding door auto-reverse feature may not activate in all situations. Kia also reportedly acknowledged the doors can cause injuries when people are unaware the doors are closing.
But, the suit claims, the recall simply caused the door to close slower and make a beeping noise. It did not affect the force with which the door closes or the force required to activate the pinch sensor. Moreover, the complaint asserts, the recall did not stop the vehicles’ doors from closing with excessive force, which could cause serious injury.
Named plaintiffs’ allegations
Named plaintiffs Rachel and Andrew Langerhands claim their 2022 Kia Carnival SX has the alleged door defect.
They allege that within a few months after purchase, they noticed their sliding side doors were not reacting to obstacles or people, including their small children, while closing.
The Langerhands go on to claim they received the Kia recall around May 2023 but did not find it to be an adequate or lasting remedy. They worry about their children’s safety when using their vehicle.
Relief sought
The Langerhans seek to represent a national class of purchasers of the allegedly affected vehicles in the U.S., as well as a Maryland subclass.
Their lawsuit raises legal claims including breach of warranty, fraud, unjust enrichment, and violations of Maryland consumer protection law. They seek remedies including damages.
The case is Rachel Langerhans and Andrew Langerhans v. Kia Corporation & Kia America, Inc., case number 1:24-cv-02994, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.
