Key facts
- NHTSA campaign number: 26V452000 (news often shortens to "26V452"); Hyundai reference number 306.
- Vehicles covered: 47,749 total — 47,733 MY2026 Hyundai Kona (gasoline) + 16 MY2025 Hyundai Kona Electric. No older Kona years are covered.
- Component: Rear-center seat-belt buckle assembly (NHTSA class: "SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER: BUCKLE ASSEMBLY").
- Defect: The rear-center buckle may not properly restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing injury risk.
- Root cause (per news/trade reporting): Out-of-spec buckles from supplier Joyson Safety Systems; worn metal stamping dies stayed in service past their intended lifespan during a defined production window. Joyson notified Hyundai in February 2026.
- Interim guidance: Do not use the rear-center seat until the buckle is replaced.
- Remedy: Dealers replace the buckle assembly free of charge (a physical part, not a software fix); Hyundai reimburses prior out-of-pocket repairs.
- Timeline: Filed with NHTSA July 14, 2026; VINs searchable July 15, 2026; owner letters due September 11, 2026.
- Risk status: No confirmed crashes, injuries, or fires; Hyundai says it acted "out of an abundance of caution."
- Hyundai customer service: 1-855-371-9460 (reference recall 306).
Which Hyundai Konas are covered by recall 26V452000?
Recall 26V452000 covers exactly two configurations: the 2026 Hyundai Kona (gasoline) and the 2025 Hyundai Kona Electric. It does not cover all Kona model years, and it is not a broad "2025–2026 Kona" recall — the gasoline Kona is affected only for model year 2026, and the Kona Electric only for model year 2025. If you are looking at an older Kona, or a 2025 gasoline Kona, this specific recall does not apply.
| Model | Model year | Powertrain | Units | Approx. production window | Affected component |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Kona | 2026 | Gasoline | 47,733 | Jul 8, 2025 – Feb 13, 2026 | Rear-center seat-belt buckle assembly |
| Hyundai Kona Electric | 2025 | Electric | 16 | Jul 8, 2025 – Oct 21, 2025 | Rear-center seat-belt buckle assembly |
| Total | — | — | 47,749 | — | — |
Production-window dates come from news reporting summarizing Hyundai's Part 573 report and should be treated as approximate. Note also that not every vehicle in these ranges has a defective buckle — Hyundai recalled the full population built during the suspect window, and only a subset received out-of-spec parts. A specific VIN's inclusion must be confirmed at NHTSA.gov or by a Hyundai dealer.
What is actually wrong with the seat belt?
The problem is the rear-center seat-belt buckle — the receiver that the latch plate clicks into for the middle rear seating position. On affected cars it may not properly restrain an occupant during a crash, which raises the risk of injury. The other seating positions are not part of this recall.
According to news and trade summaries of Hyundai's chronology, the buckles were manufactured out of specification by supplier Joyson Safety Systems: inadequate inspection controls let metal stamping dies stay in service beyond their intended lifespan, so excessive die wear produced out-of-spec parts during a defined production window. Joyson flagged the issue to Hyundai in February 2026 after testing. The supplier identity and worn-die cause are high-confidence but drawn from reporting, not a primary document read directly.
Is it safe to drive a recalled Kona before the fix?
Yes, with one restriction: NHTSA's remedy guidance says passengers should not use the rear-center seat until the buckle assembly is replaced. The rest of the vehicle is not subject to this recall, and at the time of filing there were no confirmed crashes, injuries, or fires linked to the defect — Hyundai described the action as being taken "out of an abundance of caution." If you or a passenger would regularly use the middle rear seat (for a car seat, for example), factor the repair timing into your decision.
How do I check a used Kona's VIN for this recall?
Enter the car's 17-character VIN into a free recall lookup before you buy. The most authoritative option is NHTSA's tool at NHTSA.gov/recalls, which shows open recalls by VIN and, importantly, whether the repair has already been completed. Hyundai's own lookup at owners.hyundaiusa.com does the same for Hyundai vehicles. A Zilocar VIN check will also surface whether an open recall is present on the car, alongside the history data a listing hides — but for confirming that this specific buckle repair was performed, rely on NHTSA or a Hyundai dealer.
This step matters for used buyers because Hyundai's owner letters are not due until September 11, 2026. Many current listings predate that notice, so a private seller may genuinely not know the rear-center buckle is under recall. Do not take "no recalls that I know of" at face value — check the VIN yourself.
What a VIN check can and can't tell you here
A VIN check is a screening tool, not proof of repair. Here is the honest split for this recall:
| Question | VIN history report | NHTSA VIN lookup / Hyundai dealer |
|---|---|---|
| Is an open recall present on this VIN? | Yes — surfaces recall presence and count | Yes |
| Was the rear-center buckle actually replaced (remedy status)? | No | Yes — NHTSA shows completed-repair status; a dealer confirms |
| Prior accident and damage records, incl. severity and airbag deployment | Yes | No |
| Salvage / junk auction records | Yes | No |
| Odometer reading and rollback check | Yes | No |
| Theft records (NICB) | Yes | No |
| Full ownership and past/current sales-listing history | Yes | No |
| Legal title-brand classification | No (shows auction records, not the title brand itself) | Check the title / state DMV |
| Open NHTSA investigations (PE/EA) mapped to this defect | No | NHTSA.gov |
In short: use a VIN history report to catch what the listing hides — prior accidents and airbag deployment, salvage-auction history, odometer rollback, ownership count, and past listing prices and mileage — and to flag that a recall exists. Then confirm the buckle fix itself through NHTSA's VIN lookup or a Hyundai dealer, because a history report shows a recall's presence, not whether it was remedied.
What else should I check on a used Kona before buying?
Beyond this recall, the same due diligence applies to any used Kona: pull the accident and damage history (including whether airbags ever deployed), check for salvage or junk auction records, verify the odometer against service and listing records for signs of rollback, confirm the number of prior owners, and review past sales listings for price and mileage consistency. Cross-reference NHTSA and IIHS safety ratings for the specific model year, and compare the asking price against market valuation. These history signals — not the seat-belt recall, which is a free and straightforward fix — are what typically separate a good used Kona from one to walk away from.
Screen it in one step: A Zilocar VIN check flags whether a used Kona carries an open recall and surfaces the accident, airbag-deployment, salvage-auction, odometer, theft, ownership, and past-listing history you can't see in an ad, plus specs, NHTSA and IIHS ratings, and market value. For confirmation that the buckle recall was actually completed, check the VIN at NHTSA.gov or ask a Hyundai dealer.
