Kia Accused of Safety Defect in Minivan Automatic Sliding Doors

Kia Corp. is facing a proposed class action alleging its Carnival minivans have defective automatic sliding doors that close with excessive force and fail to stop when obstructed, posing a safety risk.

Rachel and Andrew Langerhans, who seek to represent both a nationwide class and a Maryland subclass of consumers, alleged Tuesday that the company touts its products as being safe and reliable, especially when it comes to child safety.

But the force needed to stop the automatic doors from closing is “extremely high,” potentially causing harm to a child, pet, or person with a disability who is unable to ...