Hyundai is planning a global recall for certain 2026 Palisade SUVs – including in Australia – because their rear power seats "may not adequately detect contact with an occupant or object".
Sales of certain 2026 Hyundai Palisade family SUVs have been paused globally – including in Australia – and a safety recall is being planned due to a reported fault with their second and third-row power seats, following the death of a child in the United States.
According to Hyundai, the new-generation 2026 Palisade's power-operated second and third-row seats "may not adequately detect contact with an occupant or object as intended".
"This condition may occur during second and third-row power‑folding operations, as well as during use of the second-row one‑touch tilt‑and‑slide function," Hyundai added.
Reuters reports a two-year-old child died in Ohio, USA, on March 7, 2026, with Hyundai USA confirming it is aware of a "tragic incident involving a Palisade" and "the incident is still under investigation".
A Hyundai Australia spokesperson told Drive that owners of affected 'LX3' Model Year 2026 (MY26) Palisade vehicles sold locally will be contacted.
"We are now working through the process of issuing the recall and contacting customers," the spokesperson added.
Power-operated second and third-row seats are standard on the seven- and eight-seat 2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy hybrid in Australia, while the yet-to-arrive Elite hybrid has manual-folding second and third-row seating.
Hyundai has issued a global stop-sale notice for affected 2026 Palisade vehicles – including Australia, the US, Canada and Korea – while it develops an over-the-air software update, followed by a formal hardware recall fix.
It said around 60,000 vehicles are impacted in the US.
Owners have been asked to use caution when using the power-operated second and third-row seats and "to ensure that no person or object, including children, is in the seat or seat-folding area before operating the power seat".
"When using the second-row one‑touch tilt‑and‑slide feature to access the third row, customers should avoid pressing the seatback button during entry or exit."
An "interim" over-the-air software update is currently under development, and is planned for release globally by the end of March, Hyundai said.
"While this update is not the permanent recall repair, it is intended to enhance the system’s response to contact with occupants or objects, introduce additional operating safeguards, and enhance overall system safety," the brand's US division added.
Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
