After a two-year-old child died in the back of a 2026 Hyundai Palisade, the carmaker has issued an emergency stop-sale order. Soon, 68,500 vehicles will be recalled.
Details of the incident on March 7th are still very vague, but it appears that the two-year-old little girl was killed due to a defect with the 2026 Hyundai Palisade’s power seats. The second- and third-row seats are apparently not able to consistently detect when there is a person or object in the seat, which can result in the seats suddenly folding and crushing whatever is in the seat. The contact detection issue seems to occur during power folding or when the one-touch tilt-and-slide function is activated. This second function allows the seats to slide forward and tilt in order to make it easier to access the third row.
Hyundai “expressed its deepest sympathies to the family of the child,” according to Reuters. However, the carmaker is still unsure of the full details while the incident is under investigation. Meanwhile, Hyundai has ordered dealerships to stop selling the Palisade and to tell existing owners to “use caution” when using the second- and third-row seats.
What is Hyundai doing about the Palisade’s seats?
Right now, Hyundai is developing an interim software update to improve the seats’ ability to detect occupants and ensure passenger safety. This software will be deployed as an over-the-air update when it’s ready, expected by the end of March. This is not a permanent repair, but it should improve the seats’ detection capabilities in the meantime.
Hyundai is also working to finalize a recall, which will be submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). To coincide with this, Hyundai is working on a recall repair that can be performed at dealerships at no cost to owners. There is no timeline for this at the moment, although Hyundai added it will offer a rental vehicle through its dealers until there’s a permanent fix available.
Which vehicles are being recalled?
This safety concern specifically impacts the 2026 Hyundai Palisade — it appears to be the Limited and Calligraphy trims. This means that 68,500 vehicles have been impacted, including ones already on the road and those still at dealerships.
The recall is not official just yet, but you can check the NHTSA website once it is to see if your vehicle has been affected.
Hyundai is not the only automaker experiencing seat issues right now. Toyota has recalled 550,000 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid models from 2022 to 2024 due to issues with the seats and restraints. According to Transport Canada, the seatback recliners in the second-row seats “may not have been manufactured properly” on some vehicles, potentially leaving the seatbacks unable to lock into position. This means they could move during a crash, which could lead to more severe injuries or death in the case of an accident.
At this point, it’s not advised to use the second-row seats in your Toyota Highlander.
As always, Ford vehicles are also experiencing recalls, but that’s nothing new.
