Hyundai Halts 2026 Palisade Sales After Tragic Accident

A tragic accident in Ohio has pushed Hyundai to halt sales of certain versions of the Hyundai Palisade while it investigates a possible safety problem. The company has issued a stop-sale covering the 2026 Palisade Limited and Palisade Calligraphy in the United States and Canada. A formal recall is now being prepared.

The issue involves the SUV’s power-operated second- and third-row seats. Hyundai says the system may not respond correctly if something is in the way while the seats are folding. That includes situations where the second-row tilt-and-slide feature is used to access the third row.

The investigation follows a fatal incident on March 7 involving a two-year-old girl. Reports say the child was crushed when the second-row seat’s power-folding function was activated. Hyundai said it extends its deepest sympathies to the family.

While engineers work on a fix, Hyundai is asking owners to avoid using the powered seat functions if anyone or anything is in the second or third row. The company also advises drivers not to press the seatback button while someone is getting in or out of the third row.

The recall will cover more than 68,500 vehicles in North America. About 60,515 are in the United States, and another 7,967 are in Canada. The final repair solution is still being developed, but it will be carried out free of charge once ready. Hyundai says dealers will provide rental vehicles for customers who are concerned about driving their SUVs in the meantime.

In the short term, the company plans to roll out an over-the-air software update by the end of March. The update is meant to improve how the seats react if they encounter a person or object during operation and add extra safeguards to the system.

The recall may eventually extend to other regions where the latest-generation Palisade is sold.