Recall Date: 5/18/2026
NHTSA ID: 26V316
MFr. Campaign Number: 302
Manufacturer: Hyundai Motor America
Affected Components: Multi-function front-view camera (Forward Collision Avoidance system)
Potential Number of Units Affected: ~421,078
The recall covers four Hyundai nameplates spanning model years 2025 and 2026, all equipped with a multi-function front-view camera that supports the Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA) system.
The 2025-2026 Hyundai Tucson accounts for the largest share of the population at 292,805 vehicles, produced from April 8, 2024, through April 14, 2026, at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Kia Motors Mexico (KMX). The 2025-2026 Tucson Hybrid adds another 110,844 vehicles, all assembled at HMMA between August 26, 2024, and October 23, 2025. The 2025-2026 Santa Cruz contributes 13,082 units from HMMA, produced from July 22, 2024, to April 1, 2026. The smallest segment is the 2025-2026 Tucson Plug-In Hybrid, with 4,347 units produced in South Korea between August 7, 2025, and March 23, 2026.
Hyundai estimates that approximately 1% of the 421,078 vehicles in the population may exhibit the active condition. The multi-function camera is supplied by Mobis.
The Forward Collision Avoidance system uses the front-view camera to detect impending frontal crashes and engage automatic emergency braking when needed. In the affected vehicles, the camera software logic is conservatively tuned, meaning it may interpret certain driving scenarios — particular combinations of speed, operator input, and proximity to surrounding vehicles — as imminent collisions and engage FCA braking earlier than the driver expects. The result is a sudden brake application that the driver did not anticipate.
The primary safety risk is a rear-end crash from a closely following vehicle. There is no warning telltale or message before the unintended braking occurs.
The remedy is a software update to the front-view camera. At a Hyundai dealer, technicians will reflash the multi-function camera with updated software tuned to better align with driver expectation for activation timing and distance to the leading vehicle. There is no cost to the owner regardless of warranty status, and Hyundai will reimburse owners who have already paid out of pocket for this repair per the reimbursement plan submitted to NHTSA on March 2, 2026.
Dealer notification and owner notification are scheduled for the same day — July 17, 2026 — but VINs have been searchable on the NHTSA recall database since May 20, 2026. Owners can verify whether their vehicle is affected by visiting nhtsa.gov/recalls or contacting their local Hyundai dealer.
The investigation began in January 2025 from a single Vehicle Owner Questionnaire alleging unintended braking. Hyundai's North America Safety Office (NASO) conducted U.S. market field data reviews through the spring and replicated the condition during joint fleet testing in June 2025. From there, the investigation expanded to include telematics data across multiple Hyundai models, joint software evaluation with Mobis, and coordinated testing with Hyundai America Technical Center.
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation entered the picture in September 2025 with an inquiry about Tucson FCA allegations, and Hyundai briefed ODI on its findings on five separate occasions between September 2025 and May 2026. After completing prototype software testing at the California Proving Grounds in February 2026 and follow-up evaluation at test tracks in South Korea in March and April, Hyundai's North America Safety Decision Authority decided on May 11, 2026 to conduct a safety recall.
As of that date, Hyundai had received 376 reports related to FCA operation between October 28, 2024 and April 27, 2026. Four of those reports describe crashes in which Hyundai vehicles were rear-ended by closely following vehicles, allegedly resulting in four injuries. No fires or fatalities have been attributed to the condition in the U.S.
The revised software has already been adopted as a production running change — March 12, 2026 at Ulsan, April 2, 2026 at HMMA, and March 31, 2025 at KMX — which means current production is no longer affected.
For a full view of Hyundai recall activity and cross-OEM trends from earlier this year, see BizzyCar's Q1 2026 Recall Report.
Read the BizzyCar Q1 2026 Recall Report →
With 421,078 vehicles across four high-volume Hyundai nameplates, this is one of the largest single recalls of the year so far. The Tucson alone accounts for 292,805 units — among the highest-volume vehicles in Hyundai's U.S. lineup. Owner notification doesn't arrive until July 17, but VINs have been searchable on NHTSA since May 20. That gives Hyundai dealers nearly two months to identify affected customers and bring them in ahead of the mail campaign.
BizzyCar's Recall Outreach product cross-references a dealer's customer database against open recall data to flag affected vehicles and initiate automated two-way SMS outreach. Customers can verify their recall status and schedule service immediately — without waiting on a letter. For Hyundai dealers, getting ahead of the July notification is the difference between a routine recall workflow and a service-drive opportunity at scale. Book a demo.