Vehicle Seat Recalls: Seat Backs, Power Seats, Fire Risk

A seat that reclines on its own, slides forward in a hard stop or overheats can hurt the person in it, and NHTSA’s recall file holds hundreds of recalls for exactly these faults. This guide covers vehicle seats (not child car seats, which are handled as separate equipment recalls). It uses NHTSA’s recall and complaint files to show which vehicles have been recalled for seat backs, power seats and seat frames, what failed, and how many remain unrepaired.

Seat recalls: the big picture

We count a recall when NHTSA files it first under “seats.” Within those, 166 mention a seat back or recliner, 127 a power, sliding or easy-entry seat, 46 a head restraint, 21 a seat that can trap or pinch a person and 17 a fire or overheating risk (a recall can fall in more than one group). Here is who they belong to, for 2014 onward:

“Repaired” weights each campaign’s reported completion rate by its vehicle count; “not yet repaired” is the matching estimate. A vehicle in several campaigns is counted in each. Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026; computed by PlainVIN.

Ford has the most seat recalls and the largest estimated number still unrepaired. Toyota’s weighted repair rate (55%) trails Ford’s, Honda’s, Kia’s and GM’s, and Toyota’s newest seat recall (26V128) has no completion rate yet.

The largest seat recalls

These are the biggest seat campaigns in NHTSA’s file, old and new, with repair rates where the automaker reported one. Rows without a rate are older campaigns, or ones still being rolled out.

Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026; table compiled by PlainVIN from each campaign’s record.

Seat backs and recliners that may not hold

A seat back is the part that holds an occupant in place in a rear impact. The recall records describe two kinds of failure: a recliner that lets the seat back move when it should not, and a seat back that is too weak to hold in a crash.

• Fractured or broken bolts. Ford’s 2003 recall says the upper bolt that attaches the seat recliner mechanism to the seat back frame “could fracture” on the driver’s side, and that the seat back may then recline until it hits an object behind it. The consequence NHTSA lists is that the driver could lose contact with the steering wheel or pedals. DaimlerChrysler’s 2003 recall describes the same outcome, a seat back reclining unexpectedly.
• A missing part. Ford’s 2019 recall (19V633) says manual recliner mechanisms in several trucks and SUVs may be missing the third pawl required for seat back strength, so the seat may not adequately restrain an occupant in a crash. Dealers inspect and replace the seat structure as necessary.
• Springs that don’t lock. For the 2021–2025 Highlander (26V128), the recall says second-row seat backs may fail to lock into position during adjustment. Dealers will replace the return springs in the recliner assemblies, and Toyota’s owner letters were mailed September 9, 2026 as part of a phased recall.
• A frame that fails. Kia’s 2025 Telluride recall (26V105) says a manufacturing error may leave the driver and passenger seat back frames unable to restrain occupants. Only about 38% were reported repaired.

Vehicle descriptions are NHTSA’s own summary wording; “repaired” is the share the manufacturer reports as fixed, and new campaigns start near zero. Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Second-row seats that unlatch or tip

Minivans and three-row SUVs have second-row seats that slide or fold for access, and several recalls cover latches that do not hold. Honda’s Odyssey has two of the largest: the 2016 recall (16V933) says the release lever on the second-row outboard seats may remain unlocked so the seats move unexpectedly, and the 2017 recall (17V725) says a seat placed between its two positions will not latch to the striker and can tip forward when braking. Honda’s repair was an added bracket (and a spring in the 2016 recall) for the second-row outboard seats. Ford’s July 2026 recall (26V451) covers the 2020–2027 Aviator and 2020–2026 Explorer, where the easy-entry switch may stick and let the seats unlatch, tip or slide. Ford’s 26V470 recall adds that an unoccupied driver’s seat may recline unintentionally during remote unlock or remote start, which may trap a second-row occupant.

Power seats: fires and entrapment

Power seats add motors, switches and wiring, and the recalls follow from that.

• Fire. Kia’s 2024 recall (24V407) said the front power seat motor of 2020–2024 Telluride vehicles may overheat because of a stuck slide knob, causing a fire while parked or driving. The repair was a bracket for the switch covers and new slide knobs, and 85% were reported repaired. In July 2026 Kia filed a second recall (26V430) for the same vehicles, saying the motor may overheat because of a stuck knob or an improper 24V407 repair. The remedy is a new electronic fuse assembly, owner letters were expected from August 13, 2026, and owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until repaired. See our park-outside recall list.
• Entrapment. Hyundai’s 2026 Palisade recall (26V160) says the second- and third-row power seats may fail to detect a person and keep moving during one-touch tilt-and-slide or power fold-and-stow. GM’s Cadillac Vistiq recall (26V394) says the third-row power seatback may fail to reverse when it meets a person; the repair is a software update.

“A person, especially a child, may become trapped by a rear powered seat, increasing the risk of injury or death.”NHTSA recall record 26V160, Hyundai Palisade, nhtsa.gov

Hyundai’s record advises owners to exercise caution with the second and third row power seat functions and to keep children out of the rear seats and rear seating area during power folding until the repair is done. Hyundai’s repair was already reported 95% complete.

Loose bolts and broken frames

Not every seat recall involves a moving part. Ford’s April 2026 recall (26V268) says the front seats of 2024–2026 Ranger and Bronco vehicles may have a loose or dislodged seat frame height-adjust pivot bolt, so the seat may not restrain an occupant in a crash; dealers inspect and replace the pivot links and bolts. Older recalls include a 1989 Ford recall for a seat track pedestal that could suffer fatigue fracture (89V170, 1,375,500 vehicles) and a 1987 GM recall for a floor anchor bar around the seat adjuster stud (87V079), a reminder that the weak point is often the hardware that holds the seat to the floor.

Vehicle descriptions are NHTSA’s own summary wording; “repaired” is the share the manufacturer reports as fixed, and new campaigns start near zero. Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Seat complaints: which cars and years

NHTSA also records owner complaints under a “seats” category. It does not say which part failed, but it shows where owners report seat trouble.

Source: NHTSA owner complaints file, retrieved Oct 6, 2026; computed by PlainVIN.

Counts follow sales, so high-volume models rank high; the share column compares model years more fairly. Two patterns stand out. The 2025 Toyota Sienna Hybrid has the highest share by far, and it matches two recalls: loose third-row seatback bolts on 2021–2025 Sienna Hybrids (25V086, 167,802 vehicles, filed February 2025) and improperly welded second-row seat rails on 2025 models (25V668, 54,631 vehicles, October 2025). The 2003–2007 Nissan Murano shows the opposite: it has some of the highest complaint counts and shares, yet we found no seat recall for it in NHTSA’s file, which is a reason to check those seats in person rather than evidence of a defect. A year with many complaints and no recall is worth testing before you buy: sit in every seat, recline each seat back and let it spring forward, slide the second-row seats and check that they latch.

Seat recalls in 2026

This year’s seat recalls are the most concentrated on power features:

• 26V105 (February): 85,515 2025 Telluride, seat back frames.
• 26V128 (March): 686,588 2021–2025 Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, second-row seat backs may fail to lock.
• 26V160 (March): 61,307 2026 Palisade and Palisade Hybrid, power rear seats may trap a person.
• 26V268 (April): 179,698 2024–2026 Ranger and Bronco, loose seat frame bolt.
• 26V394 (June): 14,540 2026–2027 Cadillac Vistiq, third-row power seatback may trap an occupant.
• 26V430 (July): 462,869 2020–2024 Telluride, power seat motor fire.
• 26V451 and 26V470 (July): Ford Explorer and Aviator second-row seats and driver’s seat.

Vehicle descriptions are NHTSA’s own summary wording; “repaired” is the share the manufacturer reports as fixed, and new campaigns start near zero. Source: NHTSA recalls file and US DOT completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

What to do if your seat has a problem

1. Stop using the seat if the seat back moves on its own, will not lock, or a seat slides or tips. Do not put anyone, especially a child, in it.
2. Smell or smoke from under a seat: stop, get everyone out and keep away from the car. For a recalled Telluride follow Kia’s park-outside advice.
3. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with our VIN decoder. Repairs are free, and some phased recalls start with an interim letter.
4. Ask about earlier repairs. The Telluride shows a repair can fail, so ask the dealer to confirm what was done and whether a newer recall applies.
5. Report it, even if it is fixed: see our guide to filing a complaint.

For the belts that go with the seats see our seat belt guide, for air bags in the seat air bag problems, and for the wider picture our most common car problems guide.

Complaint and recall figures are PlainVIN’s analysis of NHTSA’s files and update when we refresh the data; complaints are owner reports, not verified defects. “Reported repaired” is the automaker’s figure. This guide is general information, not mechanical advice for a specific vehicle.