Hyundai is recalling 5,360 Ioniq 9 electric SUVs in the United States after determining that the second-row power-folding seats can close with forces exceeding the company's own safety limits, creating a risk of serious injury to occupants — particularly children — who come into contact with the seats while they are folding away.
The recall covers vehicles manufactured between March 17, 2025, and May 4, 2026. Hyundai says 100 per cent of the recalled vehicles carry the fault, which means every affected Ioniq 9 is potentially unsafe until the software fix is applied. The company will begin alerting owners from November 9.
The defect is the same one that triggered a far larger recall of Hyundai Palisade models earlier this year, and it drew global attention in March when it emerged that a two-year-old girl had been crushed to death by the folding seats of a 2026 Palisade. Hyundai has since acknowledged five consumer complaints about the Ioniq 9 defect and has been notified of two alleged injuries.
According to Hyundai, the second-row power-seat assemblies may not respond if they come into contact with an occupant or an object while folding away. The company opened an investigation into the Ioniq 9's second-row folding seats in March and concluded that the seats can fold at forces above its established limits.
Until the remedy is carried out, Hyundai is urging owners to exercise caution when operating the power-folding seat functions. The fix itself is relatively straightforward: dealership technicians will inspect the seat controller software version and update the logic governing the power seat functions. Owners who have opted in to receive over-the-air software updates will receive the corrected software remotely, without needing to visit a dealer.
The problem is not confined to Hyundai. Earlier this year, Kia recalled hundreds of 2027 Telluride models after finding they also lacked sufficient anti-pinch protection for second-row occupants. In July, General Motors disclosed that its electric Vistiq could suffer from a similar fault, this time affecting the third-row seatbacks. Taken together, the recalls point to a broader industry-wide difficulty in making power-operated seating safe for the smallest passengers.
For Hyundai, the Ioniq 9 recall is an unwelcome repeat of a safety failure that has already proved fatal. The Palisade case prompted scrutiny of how quickly the company identified and addressed the risk, and the fact that a second model has now been recalled for the same underlying issue will intensify questions about the design and testing of the power-folding seat system across its line-up.
Owners of affected Ioniq 9 vehicles should expect formal notification from November 9 and can contact their dealer in the meantime. The recall applies to models built within the specified production window, and Hyundai has confirmed that the entire recalled population is affected rather than a subset.