Kia Carnival Problems

BE CAREFUL with the Carnival as they have had lots of trouble with the head gaskets on the V6. Kia has generally been pretty good at rebuilding cooked engines at no cost, but there are reports some Carnivals have had repeat failures even after being rebuilt.

INTERMITTENT faults can be hard to trace, so you have to go back to the basics and check everything. I doubt it's a transmission problem. It sounds more like an electrical or even a fuel problem, perhaps something as simple as an earth connection on a coil pack or clogged injectors. Take it to a Kia dealer and have it thoroughly checked.

KIA replaced defective engines in Carnivals that were covered by warranty, but offered owners of cars out of warranty short motors at part-cost, taking into account the number of owners the vehicle had, its service history, its age and the kilometres it had done. Should they have recalled the Carnival and fixed it when they knew it was such a widespread problem? They probably should have.

UNLESS you are doing high mileage I find it difficult to believe the engine is tired. In normal circumstances I would expect your car to have done 70,000-80,000km and it shouldn't be anywhere near worn out. The Carnival is renowned for engine problems, so I would have it checked, particularly if you have noticed a loss in performance. I wouldn't consider installing an alternative engine, and I wouldn't consider switching to an auto. The costs are too high. Trade it in.

WE CONTACTED Ateco, the Kia importer, on your behalf and it assures us you will be looked after. According to an Ateco spokesperson the engine is being stripped down to find out what the problem is and ensure nothing else has been damaged. Subject to the check, Ateco will help you. However, this policy is Ateco's and it ran out on March 1 when the business returned to Kia, which now takes on all responsibilities.

THE Kia Carnival is the least reliable, having well-documented problems with head gaskets. I would be drawn towards the Honda because it's well-built, well-designed and more contemporary than the Mazda.

YOUR method of checking fuel consumption isn't very accurate, so it's hard to comment. On the basis of the distance you cover on a tankful of fuel, you're using 16-18 litres/100km, which is high if that's accurate. The Carnival is a big lump of a vehicle, but should get about 12 litres/100km, which would give you a range of at least 600km. Overheating was a fairly common problem covered by warranty, but it would be worth making sure the engine didn't sustain any more substantial damage in the incident that might be affecting it.

THOUGH the engine is a 2.5-litre V6, it's still a small unit for such a large vehicle. Being used to a V8, you may be using too much throttle. Look at your driving style, and make sure you aren't carrying unnecessary weight. Also, make sure your tyres are properly inflated. I'm sceptical about the gadgets. It's impossible for the average person to establish whether the maker's claims are true. Unless they can show valid test data from an independent source, I wouldn't believe any claim they make.

KIA doesn't recommend fitting its cars with LPG. But if it is fitted, Kia will continue to honour the warranty, provided the fault or problem cannot be attributed to the LPG system. Some companies automatically void the entire warranty when an LPG system is fitted. You should talk to the installer about the warranty he offers and make sure you fully understand it. Generally, the installer must cover the LPG system components and the installation, leaving the carmaker to pick up the cover for the rest. If an engine problem arises a dispute can arise between the installer and the carmaker.