2026 Hyundai Palisade Seat Belt Buckle Recall (26V169)

Recall 26V169 at a glance

What is wrong with the 2026 Hyundai Palisade in recall 26V169?

The internal wiring within the third-row driver-side seat belt buckle may become damaged and result in a permanent display of a belted third-row driver-side seat on the instrument panel.

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2026 Hyundai Palisade and 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid vehicles equipped with "Limited" and "Calligraphy" trim packages. The internal wiring within the third-row driver-side seat belt buckle may become damaged and result in a permanent display of a belted third-row driver-side seat on the instrument panel.

Is it safe to drive a 2026 Palisade with recall 26V169?

NHTSA has not told owners to stop driving, but the risk is real: A faulty seat belt status indicator may fail to alert occupants to an unfastened seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.

NHTSA describes the risk this way: A faulty seat belt status indicator may fail to alert occupants to an unfastened seat belt, increasing the risk of injury.

NHTSA has not issued a do-not-drive or park-outside warning for this recall. Still, get the repair done as soon as it is available, and stop driving if you notice symptoms related to the buckle assembly.

Which vehicles are included in recall 26V169?

Recall 26V169 covers 46,787 vehicles: 2026 Hyundai Palisade; 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid.

NHTSA lists 46,787 vehicles in this campaign, built August 11, 2025 to November 17, 2025. Not every vehicle of these models and years is included, so check your VIN.

What is the fix for the Palisade seat belt buckle recall?

Yes. Dealers will install a wiring harness extension and replace the seat belt assembly, as necessary, free of charge.

Dealers will install a wiring harness extension and replace the seat belt assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning May 8, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 297. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov March 21, 2026.

When was recall 26V169 announced?

Hyundai Motor America reported recall 26V169 to NHTSA on March 19, 2026.

This recall was filed 6 months ago, and vehicles were built over a span of 98 days. If your Palisade was built in that window, the VIN check below is the way to confirm it is included.

How do I check if my Palisade is part of recall 26V169?

Enter your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. If recall 26V169 is open on your Palisade, 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 26V169000. 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 Palisade owners do about recall 26V169?

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 26V169000 applies to your Palisade.
2. Call a Hyundai dealer and schedule the recall repair. Ask how long the repair takes and whether parts are in stock.
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 buckle assembly 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 Palisade owners reporting to NHTSA?

Owners have filed 120 complaints with NHTSA about these vehicles since 2020, 4 of them about the seat belts.

Too few NHTSA complaints about the seat belts have been filed since recall 26V169 was reported (4) to say whether the fix is holding.

NHTSA’s public complaint database lists 120 owner complaints filed since 2020 for the vehicles in this recall, and 4 of them involve the seat belts. 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.

• 2026 Hyundai Palisade: 118 complaints in total, 4 about the seat belts
• 2026 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid: 2 complaints in total, 0 about the seat belts

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

My vehicle is subject to Manufacturer Recall 297/NHTSA Recall 26V169. My dashboard is indicating that the third row driver seat is buckled when it is not. Also, when the seat belt is actually buckled, it will sometimes indicate that it is not.

2026 Hyundai Palisade owner, OH, NHTSA complaint 11735994, filed May 6, 2026

Can recall 26V169 make my Palisade 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.

Owners often ask whether this buckle assembly recall means their Palisade qualifies as a lemon. Not by itself. Song-Beverly looks at whether a defect covered by the warranty substantially impairs use, value or safety and was not fixed after a reasonable number of repair attempts (Civ. Code 1793.2(d)).

Seat belt defects are safety defects. If the belt, buckle or pretensioner still does not work right after the recall repair, the repeat visit belongs in your records.

This is not the first recall for this problem. When a manufacturer has to recall the same buckle assembly again, that suggests the earlier fix did not work. If your 2026 Hyundai Palisade has had this repair more than once, keep every repair order.

Earlier campaigns on these vehicles involving the same component: 25V607000.

For the first 18 months or 18,000 miles, California presumes the manufacturer had enough chances if the Palisade went in two or more times for a defect likely to cause death or serious injury, four or more times for the same defect, or spent more than 30 days in the shop (Civ. Code 1793.22(b)). Direct notice to the manufacturer is required for some of these. The presumption is a shortcut, not the only path to a claim.

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 26V169