2025 Hyundai Tucson Curtain Air Bag Recall (25V809)

Recall 25V809 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2025 Hyundai Tucson in recall 25V809?

The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2025 Tucson, 2025-2026 Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2026 Genesis GV70 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may not have been installed properly, which can cause the air bags not to deploy as intended.

Is it safe to drive a 2025 Tucson with recall 25V809?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: Side curtain air bags that do not deploy as intended increase the risk of injury in a crash.

There is no do-not-drive order on this campaign. If your Tucson shows warning lights or behaves differently in a way that involves the curtain, have it checked before driving further.

Which vehicles are included in recall 25V809?

Recall 25V809 covers 258 vehicles: 2026 Genesis GV70; 2025-2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz; 2025-2026 Hyundai Santa FE; 2025-2026 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid; 2025 Hyundai Tucson.

NHTSA lists 258 vehicles in this campaign. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the Tucson curtain air bag recall?

Yes. Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge.

Dealers will reinstall the side curtain air bags, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning December 29, 2025. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's numbers for this recall are 289 and 029G. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 22, 2025.

Manufacturer recall number: 289 (H); 029G (G).

When was recall 25V809 announced?

Hyundai Motor America reported recall 25V809 to NHTSA on November 20, 2025.

This recall was filed 10 months ago. If your Tucson was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my Tucson is part of recall 25V809?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 25V809 is open on your Tucson, it will be listed there.

Enter your 17-character VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup. It shows any open safety recall on your vehicle, including 25V809000. Your VIN is on the registration card, the insurance card, and the driver side of the dashboard where it meets the windshield. Recent recalls can take a few days to appear in the lookup.

What should Tucson owners do about recall 25V809?

Check your VIN, schedule the free recall repair, and keep a repair order for every dealer visit.

1. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm recall 25V809000 applies to your Tucson.
2. Book the recall appointment with any authorized Hyundai dealer. Ask up front whether parts are available and how long the vehicle will be there.
3. Get a repair order for every visit, even if the dealer only inspects the vehicle. Read it before you leave and make sure your complaint is written the way you described it.
4. Write down when symptoms involving the curtain happen: date, mileage, speed, weather and what you felt or heard. Photos and short videos help.
5. Count the days the vehicle is at the dealer. Days out of service add up toward California's 30-day presumption.
6. If the recall repair does not fix it, or the vehicle keeps going back for the same issue, talk to a lemon law attorney.

What are Tucson owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 611 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 9 of them about the air bags.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 611 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 9 of them involve the air bags. Complaints are reports from owners and have not been verified by NHTSA, but a high count for the same component is a sign the problem is widespread.

• 2025 Hyundai Tucson: 285 complaints in total, 4 about the air bags
• 2025 Hyundai Santa FE: 134 complaints in total, 2 about the air bags
• 2025 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid: 92 complaints in total, 3 about the air bags
• 2026 Hyundai Santa FE: 36 complaints in total, 0 about the air bags
• 2026 Genesis GV70: 27 complaints in total, 0 about the air bags
• 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz: 19 complaints in total, 0 about the air bags
• 2026 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid: 13 complaints in total, 0 about the air bags
• 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz: 5 complaints in total, 0 about the air bags

Here is what some owners told NHTSA, in their own words (excerpts, unverified):

The contact owned a 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, a deer jumped out in front of the contact's vehicle. The contact's vehicle crashed into the deer, where it came to a stop by the side of the roadway.

2025 Hyundai Santa FE owner, TX, NHTSA complaint 11693283, filed October 14, 2025

NHTSA Complaint Summary Vehicle: 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe Issue: Airbag non‑deployment in a 40‑mph side‑impact collision On January 20, 2026, my 2025 Hyundai Santa Fe was struck by another motorist directly along the driver side awaiting to make a left turn.

2025 Hyundai Santa FE owner, NC, NHTSA complaint 11719728, filed February 22, 2026

Any of the airbags failed to deploy during a significant crash. It is not available for inspection due to it being investigated by insurance. The driver and passengers' safety were affected in that more bodily damage could have occurred if they had hit the steering wheel or any other part of the car.

2025 Hyundai Santa FE Hybrid owner, IL, NHTSA complaint 11731387, filed April 15, 2026

Can recall 25V809 make my Tucson a lemon in California?

Not by itself. A recall repair that fails, or repeat dealer visits for the same defect, can support a California lemon law claim.

Recall 25V809000 does not automatically make your Tucson a lemon. California's Song-Beverly Act asks two questions: does a warranty defect substantially impair the vehicle's use, value or safety, and did the manufacturer fail to fix it in a reasonable number of tries (Civ. Code 1793.2(d))?

Air bag defects are hidden until the moment they matter most. A recall repair may replace an inflator or sensor, but if warning lights return or the system faults again, that is a repeat repair for a safety defect.

A remedy is available. Many vehicles are fixed on the first try. If the problem returns after the recall repair, or the 2025 Hyundai Tucson has needed other repairs for the same defect, those visits count toward a lemon law claim.

California law presumes a reasonable number of attempts has been made if, within 18 months or 18,000 miles of delivery, the same problem was repaired two or more times for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for any covered defect, or the vehicle was out of service for repairs more than 30 days in total (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Some of these require written notice to the manufacturer. A claim can still succeed outside that window.

An owner who prevails in a lemon law case can recover reasonable attorney fees and costs from the manufacturer (Civ. Code 1794(d)). You pay nothing, win or lose. We are paid only if you win, and the manufacturer pays our fees, including in settlements. If a case is lost, our firm covers the costs.

Frequently asked questions about recall 25V809