Hyundai Motor Co. has suspended sales of certain configurations of its large SUV, the All‑New Palisade, after identifying a safety defect.
On March 14, Hyundai said the Palisade’s second- and third-row power-seat folding system may fail to detect occupants or objects under specific conditions. As a result, the company has temporarily halted sales of vehicles equipped with the affected option.
Reuters reported that on March 7 in Ohio, a two-year-old girl died in an incident involving a Palisade power seat.
Hyundai says it will resume sales only after improving the Palisade’s anti-pinch protection.
For vehicles already sold, the company will initiate a voluntary remedy (recall).
Next week Hyundai will notify South Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Planned fixes include increasing the sensitivity of occupant and object detection and restricting the power-seat folding function when the tailgate is open, among other measures to strengthen overall system safety.
Officials are still finalizing the recall’s scope. The remedy will cover vehicles produced through March 11 of this year and is expected to affect about 57,474 units in South Korea and 74,965 units in North America.
The All‑New Palisade exported roughly 100,000 units worldwide last year and sold 59,506 units domestically.
A Hyundai spokesperson apologized for the incident and said the company will prioritize customer safety, conduct thorough inspections, and work to restore consumer trust and satisfaction.
Reporter Jiwoong Kim jw0316@etnews.com
