- A two-year-old girl died earlier this month inside a 2026 Hyundai Palisade.
- Hyundai says the power-folding seats may not detect people or objects.
- A permanent fix is being prepared, with a software update coming soon.
A fatal accident in Ohio involving a two-year-old child has prompted Hyundai to halt sales of certain versions of its large three-row SUV. The company has issued a stop-sale for 2026 Palisade Limited and Palisade Calligraphy models across the United States and Canada while it investigates a problem involving the second and third-row power seats. A formal recall is now being prepared.
Read: Hyundai’s New Palisade V6 Makes The Old One Look Like A Rocket
Hyundai says the issue centers on how the Palisade’s powered seating system behaves when something is in the way. Under certain conditions, the second and third-row seats may not properly protect occupants or objects if contact occurs while the power-folding function is operating. The same concern applies when the second-row one-touch tilt-and-slide feature is used to access the third row.
Limited details are known about the incident that killed a two-year-old girl on March 7. However, reports claim the child was crushed after the power-folding function of the second-row seats was activated. In a statement, Hyundai extended “its deepest sympathies to her family.”
Hyundai is urging owners of 2026 Palisade models not to use the power seat functions if any person or object is in the second or third row. The company also says owners should avoid pressing the seatback button while entering or exiting the third row.
How Does Hyundai Plan To Fix It?
A recall for both Palisade trim levels is in the works and will include more than 68,500 vehicles, with 60,515 in the United States and 7,967 in Canada. Hyundai says the recall repair is still in development and will be performed at no cost to owners. For customers with concerns, Hyundai dealers will provide rental vehicles until a remedy becomes available.
While engineers work on the full recall repair, Hyundai plans to deploy an over-the-air software update by the end of March. The update is intended to improve how the system reacts if the seats encounter a person or object during operation. It will also add extra operating safeguards and refine the system’s overall safety behavior.
The recall is expected to extend to other markets where the latest-generation Palisade is available, including Australia.
