2026 Hyundai Palisade

I am filing this complaint to formally report that Hyundai’s finalized remedy for the power seat safety recall (Recall 296) is entirely inadequate, introduces secondary safety hazards, and constitutes a fundamental breach of express warranty regarding the vehicle’s advertised capabilities. Rather than engineering a physical hardware fix to add the necessary anti-pinch sensors that were omitted during manufacturing, Hyundai deployed a permanent software downgrade that breaks heavily marketed core features. I purchased this vehicle approximately two months ago specifically for its seamless third-row accessibility. The first page of the 2026 Palisade sales brochure explicitly states: "And every Palisade offers a one-touch walk-in feature that lets passengers access the third row without removing a child seat. Best of all, every power seat can also be controlled from the driver’s display – so you can be the ultimate host." Hyundai’s final software fix permanently destroys both of these guaranteed features. It completely disables the driver's ability to fold or stow the seats from the central touchscreen. Furthermore, it replaces the one-touch access with a continuous press-and-hold requirement, and mandates that the rear liftgate must be open to use the fold-flat functions from the cargo area. This multi-step process introduces a new safety hazard. Forcing passengers to stand outside the vehicle for extended periods holding a button, or requiring a parent to exit the vehicle and open the rear liftgate just to adjust the seats in a busy school drop-off zone or parking lot, puts my family directly in harm's way. By pushing a software downgrade to quickly lift a stop-sale order, Hyundai has permanently degraded the exact functionality they used to sell the vehicle, rather than implementing a true mechanical repair. I urge the NHTSA to reject this software patch as a final remedy and compel Hyundai to develop a proper physical hardware retrofit.

My [XXX] old was sitting in the middle right captain chair in her carseat. My [XXX] daughter was in the third row. My [XXX] daughter accidentally hit the power seat tilt button making the seat my [XXX] old was sitting in push up against the back of the front right passenger seat, crushing my [XXX] olds feet, where she suffered a broken foot where the toes meet the rest of the foot. We had to bring my [XXX] to the emergency room and podiatrist where xrays confirmed the injury. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The issue involves a safety defect affecting the second- and third-row seating system in my 2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy. The defect has been identified through an active manufacturer recall indicating a risk of injury to passengers in these seating positions. The vehicle has been out of service and in the dealership’s possession since April 3, 2026, and is available for inspection upon request. This defect poses a direct safety risk, particularly to children. I have two young children, who would regularly occupy these seats. Due to the recall and lack of an effective repair, I am unable to safely use these seating positions, significantly limiting the safe operation and intended use of the vehicle. The issue has been confirmed by the manufacturer through a safety recall and stop sale. The dealership acknowledged the defect and accepted the vehicle for service; however, after attempted repairs, the condition remained unresolved. When I tested the vehicle at the dealership, both I and a technician observed that the seats continued to present a safety hazard. Specifically, the seat mechanism did not stop or resist as expected and continued moving in a manner that could cause injury. The seat did not stop under pressure and could potentially trap or crush an occupant, even with applied resistance. The vehicle has been inspected by an authorized Hyundai dealership following direction from a Hyundai Motor America case manager. There has been no involvement from police or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps or prior symptoms. The defect was identified through a manufacturer-issued recall on or about March 29, 2026. The defect presents a foreseeable risk of injury during normal use and has not been corrected despite manufacturer awareness and attempted repair.

I own a 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Calligraphy. A recent over-the-air software update removed the ability to control rear seats through the infotainment system, which was a key feature at the time of purchase. This change was made without meaningful notice or consent and significantly alters how the vehicle is used. In some situations, it now requires physically reaching or repositioning to operate seats, which may create new safety or usability concerns when managing passengers or cargo. I relied on this feature while managing kids in the car. I was accustomed to this feature and it was a large reason we purchased the car. It was not “convenience” but a function that allowed us to manage our kids saftey I am submitting this complaint because a major vehicle function was removed after purchase, and I believe post-sale software changes that reduce functionality should be reviewed.

While loading the rear of the vehicle at the end of a camp trip, my child was seated in the second row seat. When I was loading equipment into the trunk, some of the equipment bumped the button that activates folding the seat in the second row. The seat sensor did not identify my child was in the seat, and it began to close on my child. My child was able to open the door and escape the seat before he was crushed. There is a known recall for this hazard.

Some time around November the third row seat didn’t close, so I opened it back up, didn’t see anything stopping it, hit the button again, and then it closed but I heard a crunching noise - I reopened to discover there was a plastic storage box that ended up getting completely crushed. I didn’t think much about it, not even after the recall, until this week. The same left side of third row was closed. I went to open it to get ready to pack out for spring break and it opened half way and got stuck at a 45 degree open angle. It wouldn’t close or open again. During this same time trying to figure it out, my teenager opened the driver side rear door to get into the rear seat to see if something was getting it stuck. At the same time I opened the driver door and the driver seat automatically started moving backwards like always, but with my teenager being the driver seat and her foot got stuck under the driver seat because that sensor as well in the front seat didn’t stop when she was behind it. I think it is beyond just the serving and third rows and the front toe doesn’t have a proper sensor either. This was Friday at 4:50. I immediately called my dealer to see if they could help us get something fixed so we could leave for spring break as planned the next day and they said managers were already gone for the day and told my Hyundai corp needed to handle and gave me that phone number. Hyundai Corp. opened a ticket for me, but said that this was definitely something the dealer would have to handle in regards to getting me a rental and any matter of recourse. I called my local dealer back who said that no one would be able to talk to me until Monday so we had to delay our spring break trip and we are still in limbo, wondering what is going to happen tomorrow. My Husband is absolutely refusing to put our family of four children in the car at this moment because of the safety issues unresolved.

Subject: Urgent Safety Complaint – Child Entrapment Due to Seat Malfunction – Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy On [XXX], my wife was picking up our two [XXX] children from school in our recently purchased Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy (purchased on [XXX]). Our daughter was properly seated in a booster seat in the second-row passenger seat next to my son. Without warning, the vehicle seat began to automatically fold forward and compress inward onto the child. The seat did not respond to any controls and continued closing despite my wife’s attempts to stop it. The force of the seat crushed the booster seat. My wife had to physically intervene and pull our daughter out while the seat continued to move. The seat ultimately locked in a compressed position and could not be reversed using any available controls. This incident caused extreme distress and posed a serious risk of severe injury or death to our child. A school staff member witnessed my wife’s distress immediately following the incident. Upon contacting Hyundai customer service, we were informed that Hyundai was already aware of this issue and that a recall had recently been issued. We were also told that there has already been at least one death associated with this defect. Despite this knowledge, we were not notified prior to this incident. We only received a recall-related communication after the event occurred. We attempted to bring the vehicle to a Hyundai dealership on March 25, 2026. The dealership had no record of our scheduled appointment, could not provide an immediate inspection, and did not offer a loaner vehicle despite the vehicle being unsafe for transporting children. We are no longer able to safely use this vehicle for our family. This complaint is being filed due to: •A critical safety defect involving automatic seat movement and child entrapment •Failure to adequately warn consumers of a known dangerous condition •Exposure of a mino INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I am the owner of a 2026 Hyundai Palisade, purchased new less than 60 days ago. This vehicle is currently subject to a safety recall involving the 2nd and 3rd row power seat assemblies, which reportedly lack sufficient anti-pinch protection during certain seat adjustment functions, including automatic power-folding (stow) and the one-touch tilt-and-slide (“walk-in”) feature. We experienced this defect firsthand in our vehicle. During operation of the second-row seat adjustment feature, the seat continued moving without adequate resistance detection or automatic stop, indicating a failure of the anti-pinch protection system. This created a hazardous condition where an occupant could become trapped or injured by the moving seat mechanism. This issue is especially concerning because these seat functions are located in areas of the vehicle intended for passengers and children. We have an infant who will be occupying these seating areas, and this defect presents a direct safety risk. Since purchasing the vehicle, I have also become aware that this defect has been linked to multiple injuries and the death of a young child. Additionally, Hyundai has issued a stop-sale on affected vehicles, yet current owners are still expected to operate them without a confirmed repair available. At this time, no remedy has been completed on my vehicle, and I do not believe it is safe to operate given the nature of the defect and its location within the passenger seating area. I was told to ask the dealership for a loaner, which the dealership does not have. Additionally, Hyundai said they would cover $60/day in rental fees. A similarly-sized SUV in our area rents at $210/day - a payment discrepancy we cannot afford.

Vehicle shifted into neutral while driving Myself and others were put into danger as I was on the highway with no warning

Error message Active Air Flap System The vehicle has 1,720 miles and there is no damage or debris that is causing the alarm to go off that is visible. The air flaps get stuck and don't automatically open and close correctly. I've searched forums and there are several other owners with the same error message.

My [XXX] daughter and I were sitting in a parking lot while we waiting for my other child in an appointment. She was walking back and forth between the front of the car and the back of the car. Then all of a sudden I heard screaming and I looked back and she was completely folded in half in the 3rd row seats that were collapsed on her. I jumped back to try and get her out, which I couldn’t, and it took me several seconds to figure out which buttons to push to open the seats back up. I took her to the doctor and they said that really lucky based on how she folded in the seat. I knew there was a recall, but I did not realize that a [XXX] girl died from this on Friday. There have been several incidents where the seats started to close by themselves on our car seats (and the car seats didn’t prevent them from closing), but luckily I was there right when it happened and was able to push a buttons to stop it (again, NOT intuitive on which buttons to push). None of the buttons are intuitive on how they function. The seats have also closed in on my older children before, but they were able to stop them or jump out of the seats in time. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2026 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy, VIN [XXX] , purchased March 6, 2026 with under 2,200 miles at time of incident. SAFETY INCIDENT: While operating under adaptive cruise control at highway speed, the vehicle experienced sudden unintended acceleration followed by severely delayed braking response. At least three trailing vehicles were forced into emergency evasive action to avoid a multi-vehicle collision. Family members were present. This event represents a direct and immediate threat to the safety of vehicle occupants and the public. The root cause has not been definitively identified or resolved. The authorized dealership confirmed CAN-Bus resistance irregularities — 160 ohms versus the designed 120-ohm specification — governing acceleration, braking, and all driver assist systems. Prior symptoms included flickering interior lighting. An initial module replacement failed. Repair has escalated to full wiring harness replacement with no parts availability and no confirmed timeline. The safety event remains undiagnosed and unresolved. The vehicle carries three simultaneous active safety recalls — 293, 296, and 297 — all involving electrical and wiring systems on the Calligraphy trim exclusively. None have permanent remedies. The vehicle has been in dealer custody since March 21, 2026 and is available for inspection. Hyundai Motor America active case — No. XXX. This vehicle is not safe to operate. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

On Saturday, March 14, 2026 we received a text message from Hyundai indicating there was a recall for the car. The message contained info stating to use caution when using the power seats. There were no instructions regarding what to do and no info regarding the need to contact the dealer. “Use caution” was the message given. A second message was received on March 16 at 8:56 PM with the same information but also stated there was “No remedy”. Again it was stated to “use caution”. (What is that exactly??). Please note the following incidents: On Monday, March 16 at 4 PM my husband was securing our [XXX] grandchild into the 3rd row seat to his carseat. He was in the backseat to strap him in when the 2nd row seat began to move backward and ultimately trap him. He was unable to get out. I was in the trunk area so I pushed the switch in the cargo area to push the seat forward. There was no response and the seat kept closing in on him. He was being crushed by the seat and his legs were pinned. He recently had a hip replacement. Our grandchild was being crushed with my husband on top of him. We were eventually able to move the seat forward off of my husband. Another grandchild was in a car seat in the second row. The second row seat started to fold down on top of her and I was unable to stop it. The rear facing carseat wedged her between the seats. She was trapped as well. Her legs were pushed up to her shoulders and she was crying. She weighs about 20 pounds. We were unable to move the seat off of her. The carseat remained wedged between the 1st and 2nd rows. We were able to pull her out of the carseat but were unable to get the seat to unfold. See photos That evening we watched the news and noted the story involving the death of a toddler who experienced a malfunction of the seats. Note when we first got the car on 12/22/25 the seats crushed a garbage can(Photo) We now realize why that happened. We contacted the dealer on 3/17, returned car 3/18. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number (AWAITING1), Manufacturer Recall Number: 296 (SEATS); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the 2nd and 3rd row power seats failed to adjust as needed. The contact was concerned that small children may be injured due to the seats not operating properly. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Component that malfunctioned - "Keep you eye on the road" On a 300 mile trip the alarm went off numerous times even though my eyes were on the road and at times it would disengage the Cruise Control. At highway speed when a car is following closely the disengage of the cruise control and a rapid reduction in speed could cause an accident. The dealer indicated that this system is controlled by software and a correction would likely come from the manufacturer.

Small rock chip in windshield and the next day when turning on the defrost a long crack formed that is approximately 10-12 inches. The windshield is very flimsy and driving with a cracked windshield is a safety issue. The dealer confirmed that several others have called with windshield repairs and that they don't do the work themselves and told me to call safelite.

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while checking all the vehicle features, the second-row passenger seat independently started to fold. The contact believed it was operator’s error since the vehicle was recently purchased. The contact received notification of NTHSA Campaign Number: 26V160000 (Seats). The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the remedy was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 3,744.

Incident Description: While assisting a child seated in the third row, my wife leaned between the second-row seatback and the vehicle’s side pillar to unbuckle the child’s seatbelt. During this time, the second-row “3rd-row access” button was accidentally pressed, which triggered the automatic powered seat movement. The second-row seat began reclining and moving without warning, and my wife’s head became trapped between the seatback and the side pillar as the seat continued to move. The powered seat did not immediately stop when resistance was encountered, creating a dangerous entrapment situation involving the head and neck area. The seat had to be manually stopped to free her. Fortunately, serious injury was avoided, but the situation posed a significant risk of head, neck, or crushing injury, especially in a family vehicle frequently used to access the third row. Safety Concern: The second-row automatic seat movement can be triggered accidentally and does not appear to have adequate obstruction detection or pinch protection. When someone is leaning into the third row (which is common when assisting children), the seat movement can create a severe head or body entrapment hazard. This appears to be a serious safety defect involving powered seat movement and inadequate obstruction detection.

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while parked in the driveway, the seat adjustment feature on the second-row passenger side captain's seat failed to detect the presence of a minor occupant. As a result, the seat continued to move, causing compression of the child, who was ultimately able to slide out. The seat adjustment feature became inoperable. The contact stated that the minor occupant sustained a sore back. No medical treatment was obtained. No other injuries were sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact is relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number 26V160000 (Seats). The failure occurred at 5,897 miles.

I am reporting a safety concern involving my 2026 Hyundai Palisade Limited involving repeated engine malfunction warning lights and diagnostic trouble code P001600 (camshaft/crankshaft timing correlation fault). This issue has occurred multiple times within the first 60 days of ownership and the vehicle has been taken to a Hyundai dealership twice. The dealer has not been able to determine a permanent repair and states the code is stored as a history fault without an available fix at this time. This defect is concerning because camshaft/crankshaft timing correlation faults can potentially result in engine stall, loss of power, or unexpected shutdown while driving, which could create a serious safety risk. I routinely drive long distances and transport two small children in this vehicle and no longer feel confident in the safety and reliability of this vehicle due to the unresolved engine defect. Additionally, I understand there is a recent safety recall affecting certain 2026 Hyundai Palisade vehicles, which increases my concern about the safety of this vehicle platform. I am submitting this complaint because this appears to be a potential safety defect involving engine operation that could affect safe driving conditions.