Hyundai is recalling 37,901 cars in the United States over an airbag fault that can switch off the airbags and seat belt pretensioners, according to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice published in the week of November 2–6, 2026.
The recall covers model year 2019–2022 Veloster N cars and 2019–2023 Kona Electric vehicles, according to Vehicle Service Pros, which summarised the week’s NHTSA notices. A software error in the air bag control unit may improperly deactivate the air bag system and seat belt pretensioners, increasing the risk of injury in a crash. The NHTSA campaign number is 26V728000.
Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed on January 1, 2027, and vehicle identification numbers involved in the recall were due to become searchable on NHTSA.gov on November 6, 2026. Owners can contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460 and reference recall 311. The remedy is a software update, although the published summary does not state whether dealers or owners will need to visit a dealership, so owners should wait for their letter or check their VIN on NHTSA.gov.
Related: GM Recalls 67,000 Electric SUVs Over Brake Software Fault
A busy week for recalls — and a Waymo probe
The Hyundai recall was one of several in the same NHTSA week. General Motors is recalling 67,380 electric SUVs — the 2023–2027 Cadillac Lyriq, 2025–2026 Cadillac Celestiq, 2024–2027 Chevrolet Blazer EV and 2026–2027 Cadillac Vistiq — over a brake system control module software defect that may cause a loss of braking, as ReportRig reported yesterday. GM is also recalling 12,715 model year 2025–2026 Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans because a steering gear assembly nut may not have been properly tightened, with letters due December 14, 2026.
Chrysler is recalling 13,330 model year 2026 Dodge Durango vehicles, and Subaru is recalling just eight model year 2026 Crosstrek and Forester vehicles under a do-not-drive order, according to the same weekly summary. Separately, on Monday, November 9, NHTSA opened a recall query into 2,895 Waymo self-driving vehicles over continued violations involving the vehicles’ behaviour when encountering school buses, Reuters reported — reviewing whether a software update implemented under a December 2025 recall adequately addressed a defect that could cause Waymo vehicles to pass school buses displaying flashing red lights or extended stop arms.
What owners should do now
Owners of any of the affected Hyundai models should check their VIN on NHTSA.gov/recalls, the agency’s free lookup page, rather than waiting for a letter. The same check works for any vehicle, and it is the fastest way to confirm whether a specific car is included. NHTSA’s recall notices are the official record: figures in this post are taken from the agency’s campaign notices as summarised by Vehicle Service Pros, and owners should treat the mailed letter from Hyundai as the definitive instruction for their own vehicle.
