Hyundai Halts Palisade Sales in US Over Power-Seat Safety Issue, Plans Recall

Hyundai Motor Company has temporarily halted the sale of certain specifications of its All-New Palisade large SUV after identifying a safety issue with the vehicle’s second- and third-row power seats. The company said on the 14th that under certain conditions, the seat-folding function may fail to detect contact with a passenger or object, prompting the suspension of those variants.

The pause follows a fatal incident in Ohio reported by Reuters in which a two-year-old girl died in connection with the Palisade’s power-seat system. Hyundai said it will address the issue and resume sales after enhancing the seat’s anti-pinch functionality and overall system safety.

Hyundai also announced it will pursue a voluntary recall for already-sold vehicles and will file notices with South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration next week. The company said it will tighten sensor sensitivity and restrict the folding function to situations where the tailgate is open, among other safety enhancements.

The recall scope covers Palisades produced up to March 11 of this year. Hyundai indicated that 57,474 units in Korea and 74,965 units in North America are expected to be affected. The company did not specify a final recall count until production data could be consolidated.

Globally, the All-New Palisade exported about 100,000 units last year, with domestic sales in Korea totaling 59,506 units. The model is a key part of Hyundai’s lineup in the United States, where the Palisade has been a popular family SUV and a significant contributor to its North American market presence.

For U.S. readers, the development matters because safety recalls tied to power seating touch a broad segment of family and shared-vehicle use, and they involve cross-border regulatory coordination between Korea and the United States. The timing of recall filings with NHTSA underscores how swiftly safety issues can trigger actions that affect shipments, dealer communications, and consumer confidence in a major Hyundai product sold in North America.