Air bags, seat belts and seat backs are the hardware meant to protect occupants when a crash happens. Several of the 2026 campaigns on NHTSA’s list cover vehicles with failures in exactly those parts. Here are twelve recalls that touch occupant protection, ordered by the number of vehicles involved.
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1. Ram 1500: Buckle Anchors Misinstalled
A NHTSA recall notice covers 1,271,294 Ram 1500 pickups from 2019-2026 and says the second-row center and left buckle anchors may have been installed improperly. In that case the belt may not restrain occupants, which raises injury risk.
Rear-seat passengers are the ones affected here. Owners can check the VIN at NHTSA.gov for open recalls and ask a dealer to inspect those seating positions before carrying people in the back.
2. Hyundai Palisade: Curtain Air Bags Misfire
A NHTSA campaign record covers 568,576 Hyundai Palisades from 2020-2025. Third-row side curtain air bags may deploy improperly, and the filing lists a higher injury risk in a crash.
Families who use the third row should treat this one as a priority. A VIN lookup shows whether the repair has been completed, and a dealer can say when parts are available. Until then, seating children elsewhere in the vehicle is a reasonable precaution.
3. Honda Odyssey: Software Triggers Air Bags
A federal recall filing covers 440,830 Honda Odysseys from 2018-2022. According to the filing, a software error can cause side and side curtain air bags to deploy unexpectedly, with a higher risk of injury.
An unintended deployment is a different problem from one that fails to fire, and it can happen while driving. Owners of these minivans should confirm the software update has been applied and keep any paperwork from the visit.
4. Ford Expedition: Belt Pretensioner Locks
A NHTSA recall listing covers 419,967 Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators from 2018-2022. The driver or passenger pretensioner may lock the belt so it will not retract or extend, and the belt may then fail to restrain the occupant.
A belt that will not move is easy to notice. Anyone who has felt resistance when buckling should not wait, and a free dealer repair is the normal route, with the work usually scheduled by appointment.
5. Hyundai Santa Fe: Anchors May Detach
A NHTSA recall report covers 294,448 Hyundai and Genesis vehicles, including the 2024-2026 Santa Fe and Santa Fe Hybrid, the Ioniq 6 and the G90. Driver and passenger belt anchors may detach, and a detached anchor will not adequately restrain an occupant.
This one spans several models, so the campaign list matters more than the nameplate. Owners of any of those vehicles can enter the VIN at NHTSA to see whether it applies.
6. Chrysler Pacifica: Curtain Pressure Loss
A federal recall record covers 293,264 Chrysler Pacifica and Voyager minivans from 2022-2026. Side curtain air bags may lose pressure, which NHTSA lists as a higher risk of ejection and injury.
Side curtains matter most in rollovers and side impacts, when a family is seated across all three rows. Minivan owners should check the VIN and schedule the fix rather than put it off, since the repair is handled by dealers.
7. Toyota Sienna: Seat Backs Get Free Fix
Toyota will fix second-row seat backs free on about 228,367 Sienna Hybrid 7-passenger minivans from 2022-2026, according to a NHTSA campaign page for the campaign.
The remedy costs nothing, so there is little reason to delay, and the second row is where passengers often sit. Owners can confirm eligibility by VIN, and anyone who regularly seats people in the second row may want to make that appointment sooner, and keep the service receipt afterward.
8. Dodge Hornet: Rear Belts Twist
A federal recall notice covers 48,777 Dodge Hornets from 2023-2025, along with Alfa Romeo Tonales. Rear outboard belts may twist and fail to retract, and the belt may fail to restrain an occupant.
Small compact crossovers often carry passengers in back only occasionally, so the problem can go unnoticed. Checking how the rear belts retract is a quick way to spot trouble, and a dealer can handle the actual repair.
9. Hyundai Kona: Rear Buckle May Fail
A NHTSA recall entry covers 47,787 Hyundai Kona and Kona Electric vehicles, with the gas Kona covered from 2024-2026. The rear center seat belt buckle may fail, so it may not hold an occupant in a crash.
The middle rear seat is where a child seat often ends up. Owners should look up the VIN, and a dealer can say whether the buckle has been replaced or still needs work.
10. Kia EV9: Child Detection Wiring
A NHTSA recall filing covers 21,290 Kia EV9 SUVs from 2025-2026. Wiring routing may stop the system from suppressing the front passenger air bag when a child is in the seat, which raises the risk to that child.
Until the repair is done, children are safest in the back seat, as general guidance already advises. Owners can check the VIN for the campaign and book the dealer visit as soon as parts allow.
11. Land Rover Defender: Clockspring Corrosion
A federal campaign record covers 250,857 Land Rover vehicles, including the Defender from 2020-2026, the Discovery and the Range Rover. The driver’s air bag clockspring connector may corrode, so the air bag may not deploy as intended.
A fault like this gives little warning to a driver. The warning light for the air bag system is worth heeding, and the VIN check will show whether a given vehicle is in the campaign, since the recall spans several models.
12. Lexus LX: Seat Clearance Problem
A NHTSA recall summary covers 15,264 Lexus LX SUVs from 2022-2024. A seat clearance problem may cause incorrect occupant detection, leading to improper air bag deployment.
It is the smallest campaign here, yet the logic is the same as the others. Owners can confirm by VIN with NHTSA and ask the dealer how the occupant classification system will be corrected and how long the visit should take, since a seat may need to be removed or adjusted.
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