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Hyundai Air Bag Recalls Cover Deployment and Passenger Detection Problems
Santa Fe and Palisade appear repeatedly in Hyundai's air bag notices. Curtain air bag problems include a detachable component in certain 2018 Santa Fe Sports, bolt-related deployment damage in certain 2019 Santa Fes and 2020 Palisades, and improper third-row deployment in certain 2020-2025 Palisades. Passenger detection defects affect certain 2021 Santa Fes and 2024 Palisades with dark premium suede seats, but involve different deactivation failures. Certain 2024 Santa Fe and Santa Fe HEV vehicles have wiring that can cause unintended deployment or prevent deployment. Other notices address curtain installation, impact sensors, detachable Elantra air bag emblems, and control-unit software in certain 2019-2022 Veloster Ns and 2019-2023 Kona Electrics.
Warning signs to watch for
- July 2024 Santa Fe and Santa Fe HEV wiring recall — air bags may deploy unintentionally.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
None of these air bag notices instructs owners to stop driving or park outside. The notices describe crash-protection risks from damaged, deactivated, improperly deploying or delayed air bags. The July 2024 Santa Fe wiring notice also identifies unintended air bag deployment as an injury risk. The November 2026 Veloster N and Kona Electric notice includes possible deactivation of seat belt pretensioners as well as air bags. Despite these stated risks, the listed notices do not tell owners to stop driving.
What the free repair involves
The listed dealer remedies are free. Recall 171 replaces curtain air bags. Recalls 177 and 186 add bolt covers. Recall 202 replaces the ODS module, while 249 updates ODS software. Recall 265 repairs or replaces wiring as necessary. Other remedies include curtain reinstallation, Palisade window film and padding removal as necessary, sensor inspection and replacement as necessary, ACU software updates, and air bag replacement.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 10 |
| medium | 1 |
Models affected most
Where owners report air bags problems most
NHTSA owner complaints filed under air bags for the Hyundai models and years in this guide. Complaints are unverified reports and are not limited to the recalled defects.
| Vehicle | Air bags complaints |
|---|---|
| 2025 Hyundai Palisade | 31 |
| 2024 Hyundai Palisade | 22 |
| 2026 Hyundai Elantra | 1 |
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Nov 3, 2026 | Hyundai Kona Electric Software May Disable Airbag System | high |
| Apr 21, 2026 | Hyundai Elantra N Airbag Deployment May Be Delayed | high |
| Jan 23, 2026 | Hyundai Palisade Third-Row Airbag May Deploy Wrong | high |
| Nov 21, 2025 | Hyundai Santa Fe, Tucson Air Bags May Not Deploy | high |
| Jul 26, 2024 | Hyundai Santa Fe Wiring Damage May Affect Airbags | high |
| Aug 25, 2023 | Hyundai Palisade Passenger Air Bag May Deactivate | high |
| Aug 18, 2022 | Hyundai Elantra airbag cover emblem may come loose | medium |
| Mar 17, 2021 | Hyundai Santa Fe Airbag May Not Deactivate | high |
| Nov 7, 2019 | Hyundai Palisade Side Airbags May Not Inflate | high |
| Oct 11, 2018 | Hyundai Santa Fe Side Airbag Bolt Issue | high |
| Dec 13, 2017 | Hyundai Santa Fe Sport Side Airbag Defect | high |
Common questions
How do the Santa Fe and Palisade passenger detection recalls differ?
Recall 202 concerns certain 2021 Santa Fes whose ODS may fail to deactivate the air bag for a child restraint. Recall 249 concerns certain 2024 Palisades with dark premium suede seats whose ODS may miss an occupant and deactivate passenger air bags.
What is the repair for the Palisade third-row curtain air bag recall?
The January 2026 notice covers certain 2020-2025 Palisades whose third-row side curtain air bags may deploy improperly in a crash. Dealers install protective film over the rear window and remove padding as necessary, free of charge.
Which Hyundai air bag recall also affects seat belt pretensioners?
The November 2026 notice covers certain 2019-2022 Veloster N and 2019-2023 Kona Electric vehicles. An air bag control unit software error may deactivate both the air bag system and seat belt pretensioners. Dealers update the ACU software free of charge.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.