Hyundai Issues Recall for Palisade After Child’s Death
The recall is a software update for powered-folding seats that may not stop if a person or object is caught in them
Hyundai has issued a recall for certain 2026 Palisade and Palisade Hybrid SUVs after a tragic incident in which a child was killed during the movement of a powered third-row seat. Consumer Reports found three complaints in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) database related to similar seat-folding defects, including two that resulted in injuries.
Hyundai Palisade Recall
Senior Autos Reporter Keith Barry shares important safety information about the Palisade recall.
Photo: Hyundai Photo: Hyundai
When the Palisade first debuted, the Calligraphy and Limited trims had multiple ways of controlling the powered second- and third-row seats, including controls in the vehicle’s cargo area, on the second-row seats themselves, and on the main vehicle touchscreen.
A Consumer Reports review of complaints to NHTSA found that there have been at least three other situations since November 2025 where powered seats have moved unexpectedly and put occupants in danger. Two of those included reports of injuries.
“A passenger got into the passenger-side middle-row seat, and the seat fold-up button was accidentally bumped while the person was trying to get situated and buckled,” a person wrote after a December 2025 incident. “The seat began moving and folding forward, pinning the passenger between the seat they were in and the back of the front seat. This incident hurt the passenger, who had the force of the seat against her, and it frightened her very badly. If the door had been locked, the passenger would not have been able to be helped out and could have sustained worse injuries.”
Another complaint, from December 2025, said an occupant had been injured after getting caught between a folding second-row seat and the doorframe while exiting a vehicle, and a dealership representative responded that there’s no sensor that stops the seats from folding or sliding. (Hyundai says that the seat has what it calls "anti-pinch logic.") “This is a safety concern for any passengers on the 2nd and 3rd rows, especially children,” the complaint said. A third complaint from November 2025 involved an incident with an unsold car still at a dealership, but it didn’t result in injuries.
Owners of vehicles in this recall may have already been notified through a pop-up alert on the vehicle’s touchscreen.
Photo: Julian Barrera/Consumer Reports Photo: Julian Barrera/Consumer Reports
Hyundai & Kia Seat Recall Details
Vehicles recalled:
• Certain 2026 Hyundai Palisade SUVs in the Calligraphy and Limited trims.
• Certain 2027 Telluride Hybrid SX Prestige and X-Line SX Prestige vehicles equipped with the Executive Package.
The problem: According to documents provided by Hyundai to NHTSA, the second- and third-row power seat assemblies “do not contain sufficient anti-pinch protection for occupants during activation of certain seat adjustment features,” including the power-folding stow function and the second-row’s one-touch tilt-and-slide feature, which Hyundai calls “Walk In.”
The fix: A software update is now available for Bluelink subscribers. Those without an active subscription have to go to a dealership for a fix.
How to contact the manufacturers: Owners may call Hyundai at 800-633-5151 and Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA campaign numbers: For Hyundai, 26V160000. For Kia, 26V173000.
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