What 25 owners told NHTSA about the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9 Bev

Two safety incidents occurred (October and November 2025) involving the power-folding second-row seats. A child was seated in the second-row captain’s chair when a sibling activated the seat from the third row. The seat failed to detect the occupant and continued moving forward, creating a crushing hazard. In one incident, my daughter (approx. 40 lbs, 46 inches tall) was partially trapped and screamed as the seat compressed her and/or tightened the seatbelt. I had to intervene to stop the mechanism. I later tested this myself and confirmed the issue is reproducible. While seated, the seat continued moving forward and pushed me into the front passenger seat without automatically stopping. This demonstrates a failure of occupant detection and/or lack of a safety stop mechanism. This presents a serious injury risk, especially to children. The issue was demonstrated to a dealership representative.

NHTSA ODI 11725569

The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 9. The contact stated that the second-row seat button caused the seats to fold; however, the button that should have prevented unsafe operation was missing. The contact’s head became lodged between the seat and the vehicle structure, and he sustained head injuries, including prolonged headaches and trauma. No medical attention was provided. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted, and the vehicle has not been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

NHTSA ODI 11725010