Hyundai Palisade sales suspended following US child fatality

Hyundai has today issued an immediate international sales pause for select variants of its flagship Palisade, following a heartbreaking incident in the US.

The Korean car maker said in a statement that the company is “aware of a tragic incident involving a Palisade” and currently investigating the incident in which a young child lost her life.

A US-market recall will soon be in effect after the car maker identified a fault with the Palisade relating to its second- and third-row power seats.

“In certain situations, those seats may not adequately detect contact with an occupant or object as intended,” said Hyundai USA in a statement. 

“This condition may occur during second and third-row power‑folding operations, as well as during use of the second-row one‑touch tilt‑and‑slide function. Hyundai is also in the process of submitting a recall action to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

“[We] urge owners to… ensure that no person or object, including children, is in the seat or seat-folding area before operating the power seat.” 

Hyundai’s sales stop will affect all variants of Palisade offered in Australia, with existing owners urged to take extreme care with the electronic-adjusting second and third row seats.

While it is confirmed that the US and Canada will soon implement an urgent recall, it is likely that other international markets will closely follow suit.

Approximately 68,500 vehicles will be affected by the North American recall, while an estimated 2260 Australian vehicles are affected.

Currently, both Palisade variants offered in Australia feature electronic-adjust second- and third-row seats. A base model Elite grade is due soon to join the range, which is equipped with manual-adjusting passenger seats.

In the US, an over-the-air (OTA) update for Palisade will be made available by the end of March, while a technical recall is approved by the NHTSA. 

Hyundai USA said the update should provide “[an] enhancement [to] the system’s response to contact with occupants or objects, introduce additional operating safeguards, and enhance overall system safety”. The update is not intended to be a permanent fix.

Hyundai Australia told Chasing Cars that actions taken overseas would be reflected locally. The second-generation Palisade has only recently been launched in Australia.