Hyundai Ioniq 9 Recalled for Power-Folding Seat Issue Reportedly Tied to Fatal Incident in PalisadeRoad & TrackEmmet WhiteMon, September 21, 2026 at 3:20 PM UTCAdd us on GoogleHyundai Ioniq 9 Recalled Over Folding Seat IssueHyundaiHyundai is recalling certain Ioniq 9 models over an issue with the power-folding rear seats much like that had been previously found on Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride models, according to a recall filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.The recall, filed on September 16, 2026, includes 5360 Ioniq 9 units, all of which are Limited, Calligraphy, or Calligraphy Design trims. Recall documents filed with NHTSA explain that second- and third-row power seats may not respond to contact with an occupant or object as intended during certain powered seat functions, including the automatic power-folding (stow) function. A similar issue on a 2026 Hyundai Palisade resulted in the death of a two-year-old in Ohio earlier this year, according to Reuters.Hyundai"The second-row power seats may fail to detect a person. As a result, the seats may continue to move after contacting a person during powered seat functions, such as automatic power fold-and-stow," the NHTSA recall report reads.AdvertisementAdvertisementHyundai became aware of the issue on March 10, 2026, after the automaker's North America Safety Office received preliminary cross-model benchmarking results from its Safety Testing & Investigation Laboratory. By May 2026, Hyundai and a third-party engineering firm had biomechanical test results and agreed to develop a dedicated test device to support objective evaluation. Testing was conducted during summer 2026.NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation met with the automaker on August 14 to review test methodology and the current status of the testing activities. By September 2, NHTSA and Hyundai's North America Safety Office determined that a recall was necessary due to indicated force measurements during operation of certain second-row power folding/stow seat systems.HyundaiHyundai is aware of five consumer complaint defects related to this issue, and two of these complaints included alleged minor injuries. The fix is a two-step process, in which technicians will inspect the Seat Controller software version and then update the logic for the rear power seat functions. Certain Ioniq 9 units will be eligible for an over-the-air update as well. Until then, Hyundai is urging Ioniq 9 owners to exercise caution when operating the second-row power seat functions."Prior to receiving the recall remedy, HMA urges affected owners to exercise caution when operating the 2nd row power-folding seat functions, to ensure that occupants, especially children, are not in the seat or seat-folding area during operation," the recall notice reads.You Might Also LikeIf You Can Only Own One Car, Make It One of TheseThese Are the Most Popular Cars by State