Hyundai is recalling 568,580 of its first-generation Palisade crossovers because of an issue with the seat belt buckles in some of the chairs. That may seem like an awful lot of Palisades, because it is. In fact, it’s basically every single one the Korean automaker has sold in the U.S. between 2020 and 2025. Ouch.
A recall report from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration says about 1% of these vehicles may be equipped with seat belt buckles in the first and second row outboard seats built from out-of-spec components. That is less than ideal, especially when you consider the fact the parts could cause “interference in the latch channel, potentially increasing friction, particularly under cold ambient temperatures.” When you combine the screwed up buckle assembly with the “slow insertion of the seat belt tongue plate, [it] may prevent the seat belt buckle from fully latching.”
Obviously, you always want your seat to buckle, but you gotta figure, the Palisade is a car that is primarily bought by families. Kids sitting in the back aren’t always the first to alert someone when there’s an issue, making this even more of a serious safety concern. Luckily, even though Hyundai is aware of 546 reports involving the issue, none of them involve crashes, injuries or fatalities.
How Hyundai got here
The investigation first started back in August of 2024 with NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigations. The agency began by looking at numerous seatbelt complaints from 2020-2023 Palisade owners, while also getting updates from Hyundai as it conducted its own investigation.
Then, in July of this year, Hyundai learned that a supplier, ZF Lifetec, was using an injection molding process that was “outside of manufacturing guidelines.” That’s when the Hyundai verified it was building buckles out of spec and found out the supplier had “noted a spike in warranty claims during colder months.”
NHTSA says owners can still drive their Palisades, but Hyundai advises occupants to fasten their seatbelts firmly into the buckle with a “quick and direct motion.” Once you buckle up, pull on the belt to make sure it’s fully secured. A fix will be offered at no cost to owners for all impacted vehicles, regardless of whether or not they’re still covered under warranty.
Oddly, this recall doesn’t seem to impact the Kia Telluride, the Palisade’s twin. I suppose this is a unique example of two cars not sharing the same part. Funny how that happens.
