An important safety alert has been issued for two models of the 2026 Hyundai Palisade, which is known to be a popular family car. So if you own, are renting, or are considering buying a new Hyundai Palisade, you’ll want to keep reading. Hyundai has ordered a stop-sale of two 2026 Palisade SUV models in the U.S. and Canada following an incident that resulted in the death of a child on March 7, 2026. The two models affected are the 2026 Palisade Limited and Calligraphy trims. According to the announcement, recall action is also planned with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Here’s what to know and how to check your vehicle.
Which Hyundai Palisade models are affected?
According to the report, the power second- and third-row seats found in the Palisade Limited and Calligraphy models may fail to detect occupants or objects when folding or sliding. The two 2026 Hyundai Palisade models affected by the stop sale and planned recall are:
- 2026 Palisade Limited
- 2026 Palisade Calligraphy
“The recall will include approximately 68,500 model-year 2026 Hyundai Palisade Limited or Calligraphy trim vehicles produced by Hyundai Motor Company, including 60,515 in the U.S. and 7,967 in Canada,” the report states.
Unsure of your car’s model? Check your VIN number on the Hyundai website here.
What can families do if they have an affected Hyundai Palisade?
According to the announcement, Hyundai “is proactively contacting current owners to advise caution when using second and third-row power seat functions and to ensure that no person or object, including children, is in the seat or seat-folding area before operating the power seat.”
What does that mean? Kelly Stumpe, AKA @the_car_mom on Instagram, posted a video that now has over 1.2 million views and breaks down what families should do if their Palisade is affected:
- Call your dealership ASAP and get a rental vehicle until Hyundai issues information on next steps.
- Use the utmost caution when operating the second and third row power functions, especially when entering and exiting the vehicle.
- Keep children away from any buttons that activate the second and third row power functions.
What exactly happened?
While we may never know the details of what happened (and our hearts go out to the family impacted by this tragedy), an article from Car & Driver indicated the child who tragically passed away due to this Palisade accident was 2 years old. Hyundai shared that the company is “aware of a tragic incident involving a Palisade. While Hyundai does not yet have the full details, and the incident is still under investigation, a young child lost her life. Hyundai extends its deepest sympathies to her family.”
On Stumpe’s @the_car_mom video, a mom with the Instagram handle @stephagram commented that she experienced this power seat malfunction in her own Palisade. “This happened with our Palisade maybe a month into having it with our 2 year daughter… It was the scariest moment of my life. The seat went down so fast and completely flattened her. None of the buttons would work to raise it back up. I had to finally just yank her by the armpits several times as hard as I could to get her out. It was truly like she was locked under those seats. Absolutely horrifying and I’m so sad for the family that this happened to.”
In another comment, the mom shared more details of the incident: “We were getting ready to leave, [my daughter] was in the third row and I was right in front of her getting ready to grab her to put her in her car seat. She pushed a button and [the seats] lowered down on her so fast! Like I could not act fast enough it happened so quick.”
What is Hyundai doing for affected 2026 Palisade customers?
As of the time of this publication, the announcement states that Hyundai is:
- Notifying dealerships to stop sales of the affected Hyundai Palisade models starting on Friday, March 13, 2026.
- Developing a recall repair, and, once it’s finalized, the repairs will be performed at no cost to Palisade owners.
- Developing an interim software update to improve contact detection with the power seat functionality and enhance system safety.
- Notifying customers about this situation through email, phone, etc.
- Will offer interested customers a rental vehicle through its network of dealers until a full remedy is available.
We will update this story if more information becomes available.
Kathy Sisson, Senior Editor
Kathy Sisson has been a key contributor in the editorial parenting space for eight years, not only as a full-time editor at The Everymom but previously as a freelance writer for top parenting sites, including Scary Mommy, Motherly, Parent Co., and more. As an editor at The Everymom, she has produced hundreds of articles on a range of parenting topics, reviewed dozens of family-focused products, interviewed leading experts in the children and parenting world, and created viral parenting social media content. A mom of two, she is committed to sharing the honest, helpful, and often humorous stories of motherhood.
