KIA had a sliding door dangerous defect in its 2022-2023 Carnival minivans.
The defect, involving automatic sliding doors that close with excessive force, has caused numerous injuries and exposed systemic failures in corporate ethics, regulatory oversight, and consumer protection.
A Hazard Hidden in Plain Sight
Kia’s Carnival minivans were marketed as family-friendly vehicles, boasting features like automatic sliding doors designed for convenience. However, these same doors became a source of danger due to a defective “pinch sensor.” This sensor, which should detect obstacles and stop the door from closing, fails to function unless significant force is applied—far beyond what a child or elderly person could exert.
As a result, the doors close with alarming force, causing injuries ranging from crushed fingers to bruised limbs.
Despite issuing a recall in April 2023 after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation, Kia’s response was inadequate.
The recall merely slowed the door’s closing speed and added warning chimes but failed to address the excessive force or improve the pinch sensor’s sensitivity. This half-measure left consumers vulnerable to the same risks, underscoring Kia’s unwillingness to invest in meaningful safety improvements.
Profits Over People
Kia’s handling of this defect is emblematic of corporate negligence under neoliberal capitalism—a system that incentivizes cost-cutting at the expense of public welfare.
Internal data from pre-release testing, warranty claims, and customer complaints should have alerted Kia to the issue long before these vehicles hit the market.
Yet, instead of addressing these concerns proactively, Kia chose to conceal them. By misrepresenting the safety and reliability of its vehicles in marketing campaigns, Kia not only defrauded consumers but also violated basic principles of corporate ethics.
This pattern of negligence extends beyond the initial defect. Even after acknowledging the problem through a recall, Kia failed to provide an effective solution. By dismissing customer concerns and denying warranty claims, the company forced vehicle owners to either bear the cost of repairs themselves or continue using unsafe vehicles.
This approach reflects a broader trend in corporate America: externalizing costs onto consumers while maximizing shareholder profits.
Economic Fallout for Consumers
The economic impact of Kia’s misconduct cannot be overstated. For families who purchased these minivans—often marketed as ideal for transporting children—the defect represents an unforeseen financial burden.
Medical bills for injuries caused by malfunctioning doors add to the cost of owning a vehicle that has lost its resale value due to safety concerns.
Moreover, Kia’s failure erodes consumer confidence not just in its brand but in the automotive industry as a whole.
When corporations prioritize short-term profits over long-term trust, they undermine market stability and discourage ethical competition. This creates a vicious cycle where consumers are left questioning whether any product can truly be trusted.
The Role of Neoliberal Capitalism
Kia’s actions must be viewed within the broader framework of neoliberal capitalism—a system that prioritizes deregulation and profit maximization at all costs.
Under this paradigm, corporations are incentivized to cut corners on safety and quality while relying on weak regulatory frameworks to avoid accountability. The sliding door defect exemplifies how neoliberal policies enable corporate greed to flourish unchecked.
This system also exacerbates wealth inequality by concentrating economic power in the hands of corporations and their shareholders. As profits soar, companies like Kia allocate resources toward dividends and executive bonuses rather than investing in product safety or consumer redress mechanisms.
The result is a widening gap between corporate elites and ordinary consumers who bear the risks and costs of unsafe products.
Corporate Negligence
Kia’s case also exposes glaring weaknesses in regulatory oversight. While agencies like NHTSA play a critical role in identifying defects and enforcing recalls, their capacity is often limited by underfunding and political constraints. Moreover, corporations frequently exploit legal loopholes or use their vast resources to delay compliance with safety standards.
For example, Kia’s recall did little more than add warning chimes and slow down door-closing speeds—changes that failed to address the root cause of the problem. Such superficial fixes highlight how corporations can manipulate regulatory processes to appear compliant while continuing to endanger public safety.
Stories Behind the Statistics
Behind every injury caused by Kia’s defective sliding doors lies a human story—a child with crushed fingers, a parent grappling with guilt for trusting an unsafe vehicle, or an elderly passenger left bruised and shaken…
These are real people whose lives have been disrupted by corporate negligence!
Consider Rachel and Andrew Langerhans from West Virginia, who purchased a 2022 Kia Carnival only to discover its dangerous flaw when their small children narrowly avoided serious injury.
Despite seeking repairs through Kia’s recall program, they found that the defect persisted. Their story underscores how inadequate corporate responses leave families feeling vulnerable and betrayed.
What Needs to Change
Addressing cases like Kia’s requires systemic reforms aimed at holding corporations accountable for their actions:
- Stronger Consumer Protection Laws: Governments must mandate comprehensive recalls that fully address safety defects and provide adequate restitution for affected consumers.
- Transparency Requirements: Corporations should be legally obligated to disclose known defects before products reach consumers.
- Enhanced Regulatory Oversight: Agencies like NHTSA need greater resources and authority to investigate defects thoroughly and enforce meaningful penalties.
- Corporate Governance Reforms: Shareholder primacy must be replaced with stakeholder capitalism that prioritizes public welfare alongside profits.
Grassroots movements can also play a pivotal role by organizing boycotts and raising public awareness about corporate malfeasance. By targeting specific companies with clear narratives about their harmful practices, activists can pressure corporations into adopting more ethical behaviors.
Will Corporations Ever Change?
History suggests that meaningful change rarely comes from within corporations themselves. While some may adopt socially responsible practices as part of their branding strategies, these efforts often amount to little more than public relations exercises designed to deflect criticism without addressing root causes.
True reform requires external pressure—from governments enforcing stricter regulations to consumers demanding greater accountability through organized activism.
Yet skepticism remains warranted: as long as shareholder profits remain the primary metric of success under neoliberal capitalism, corporations will continue prioritizing short-term gains over ethical considerations.
Can We Have a More Just Economy, Please?
The Kia sliding door controversy serves as both a cautionary tale and a call to action. It illustrates how unchecked corporate power can compromise public safety while eroding trust in institutions meant to protect consumers.
To prevent similar cases in the future, society must demand greater accountability from corporations like Kia and push for systemic reforms that prioritize human welfare over profit margins.
By advocating for stronger regulations, supporting grassroots activism, and fostering ethical business practices, we can begin building an economy that values justice as much as it does growth.
In doing so, we honor not only those harmed by corporate negligence but also our shared responsibility to create a safer, fairer world for all.