The defect
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Kona Electric and 2024-2026 Kona vehicles. The seat belt buckle in the rear center seat may fail to properly restrain an occupant during a crash.
The risk
A seat belt buckle that fails to properly restrain an occupant in a crash increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Passengers are advised not to use the rear center seat until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 2, 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 306. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on July 15, 2026.
NHTSA's own wording · initiated by MFR
Vehicles covered
| Model | Model years |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Kona | 2024, 2025, 2026 |
| Hyundai KONA Electric | 2024, 2025 |
Components: SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY
Model years in this recall
NHTSA complaints and the number of recall campaigns for each model year this recall covers.
| Model | Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai KONA Electric | 2024 | 15 | 1 |
| Hyundai KONA Electric | 2025 | 1 | 1 |
| Hyundai Kona | 2024 | 53 | 4 |
| Hyundai Kona | 2025 | 28 | 1 |
| Hyundai Kona | 2026 | 10 | 3 |
Other seat belts recalls in 2026
26 of the 666 recall campaigns reported to NHTSA in 2026 concerned the seat belts; Hyundai Motor America filed 205 campaigns in all.
| 26V674000 14 Oct 2026 | PACCAR Incorporated |
| 26V636000 2 Oct 2026 | Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC |
| 26V615000 24 Sept 2026 | Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC |
| 26V579000 9 Sept 2026 | Ford Motor Company |
| 26V510000 6 Aug 2026 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 26V495000 30 Jul 2026 | Chrysler (FCA US, LLC) |
| 26V425000 1 Jul 2026 | Nissan North America, Inc. |
| 26V357000 2 Jun 2026 | Braun Corporation |
NHTSA recalls (public domain) · all recalls of 2026