# 2026 HYUNDAI IONIQ 9 — SEATS
> NHTSA complaint `2188191` · 2026-03-19 · Hyundai Motor America
## Severity
- **Deaths:** 0
- **Injured:** 2
- **Fire:** No
- **Crash:** No
- **Police report:** No
- **Medical attention:** No
- **Vehicle towed:** No
## Vehicle
- **Make:** HYUNDAI
- **Model:** IONIQ 9
- **Year:** 2026
- **Manufacturer:** Hyundai Motor America
- **Component:** SEATS
## Narrative
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.
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*Source: [NHTSA ODI](https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/downloads/) · AI Analytics · CC0 1.0*