In March 2026, Hyundai issued a recall covering more than 61,000 Palisade SUVs sold in the United States. The recall followed the death of a two-year-old child in Ohio, believed to have been caused by a defect in the Palisade’s power seats.
If you own a 2026 Hyundai Palisade in the Limited or Calligraphy trim, your vehicle may be affected. Here’s what you need to know.
What’s Wrong with the Hyundai Palisade?
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recall 26V160000,
The 2nd and 3rd row power seat assemblies equipped in the subject vehicles may not respond to contact with an occupant or object as intended during activation of certain powered seat functions, including the automatic power-folding (stow) function and the “one-touch” tilt-and-slide (walk-in) feature of the 2nd row power seat assembly.
That’s a quote from Hyundai’s own release, but as usual they use sanitized corporate language to soften the issue. In plainer terms: The second and third row power seats in a Hyundai Palisade may not recognize there’s a person on them. In those cases, the powered seat functions may continue even if the seat makes contact with a person.
Powered mechanisms in most vehicles are designed to sense resistance and reverse course automatically. That safety measure is meant to keep an automatic window from closing fully on a hand, or a rear hatch liftgate from closing on someone rummaging through the trunk. The Palisade’s power seats should function the same way, automatically retracting when sensing contact.
In the recalled vehicles, that safety response wasn’t reliably working. In Ohio, that malfunction led to a terrible incident.
What Happened in Akron?
On March 7, 2026, a two-year-old girl was fatally injured in the parking lot of a Restaurant Depot on Sweitzer Avenue in Akron, Ohio.
According to local police, the electronically powered third-row seat in a 2026 Hyundai Palisade collapsed and pinned the child. Bystanders were able to free her from the vehicle, but her injuries were fatal. A medical examiner ruled the death an accident caused by the power-folding seat.
Other Incidents Before Akron
The March 7 fatality was not the only indication of a problem. A Consumer Reports review of NHTSA complaints found at least three other situations since November 2025 in which powered seats moved unexpectedly and put occupants in danger, two of which resulted in injuries.
Hyundai has since disclosed four previously unreported minor injuries and says it received defect claims involving 17 separate vehicles.
How Many Palisades Are Recalled?
Hyundai’s official recall notice reportedly affects an estimated 61,093 Palisades (40,729 gas models and 20,364 hybrids) in the U.S. Factoring in international recalls, the total number comes closer to 127,000 units. The targeted Palisades rolled off the line between December 24, 2024 and March 11, 2026. Kia also issued a related recall for several hundred 2027 Telluride Hybrid models due to the same category of defect.
What Is Hyundai Doing About It?
According to Hyundai, the remedy for the power-feature malfunction is a software update. Once Hyundai applies the update, the liftgate must be open before the fold-flat feature of the second and third rows can activate. The update also includes updated detection logic for occupant and object recognition.
The fix is available to owners with an active Bluelink subscription as an over-the-air (OTA) update. Those without a subscription will need to visit a Hyundai dealer for an update by technicians. In either case, the update is free of charge.
What Should Palisade Owners Do?
Until a Palisade updates its software, Hyundai advises owners to keep children out of and away from the rear seats during any powered operation. Owners should also avoid contacting the one-touch tilt-and-slide button on the second-row seatback when entering or exiting the third row.
To confirm whether your specific Palisade is included, check your VIN at NHTSA.gov or call Hyundai customer service directly.
A Bigger Safety Question
The Palisade incident has drawn wider attention to the increasing role of software in vehicle safety systems. Late-2025 estimates projected that, for the sixth consecutive year, the number of software-related recalls in the auto industry would rise above the prior year’s total.
As more vehicle functions move from mechanical controls to software-driven systems, the consequences of a coding error or an inadequate detection threshold become more serious. A power seat that continues moving after contacting a small child is not simply a software bug; it’s a safety-critical failure. It’s my earnest hope that the auto industry, eager as it is for progress, will be more careful about protecting consumers from the potential drawbacks.
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