NHTSA Investigation PE24021
Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch
NHTSA Investigation PE24021 is a Federal defect investigation into the seat belts on 2023 HYUNDAI PALISADE vehicles, opened Aug 7, 2024. Investigations are triggered when the agency's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) sees a pattern in consumer complaints, manufacturer warranty data, early-warning reports, or formal petitions filed by safety advocacy groups. The investigation is closed; closure can mean NHTSA found no defect trend, the issue was resolved through a manufacturer service campaign, or the case was converted into a formal recall. Below: the timeline, NHTSA-published documents, related recalls, peer investigations, and a list of motor carriers operating affected vehicles in the past 24 months.
- Investigation ID:
- PE24021
- Status:
- CLOSED
- Opened:
- Aug 7, 2024
- Closed:
- Dec 12, 2025
- Component:
- SEAT BELTS
- Make:
- HYUNDAI
- Model:
- PALISADE
- Model Year:
- 2023
- Manufacturer:
- GALLIMORE'S TRAILER SALES, INC.
Closed — investigation concluded
NHTSA has concluded its examination of this matter. Closure can mean several things: the agency found no defect trend that warranted further action, the manufacturer issued a voluntary service campaign that addressed the concern, or the investigation was upgraded to or converted into a formal recall. The action history below shows which path this docket took.
NHTSA scope statement
On August 7, 2024, the Oï¬ce of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE24021 to investigate complaints alleging inadvertent unlatching of seat belts in model year (MY) 2020-2023 Hyundai Palisade vehicles manufactured by Hyundai Motor America. The complaints alleged that, without warning, the seat belts sometimes inadvertently unlatch, increasing the risk of injury due to full loss of seat belt protection in the event of a crash. As a result of information exchanged as part of the investigation, on April 3, 2025, Hyundai initiated a warranty extension policy for seat belt buckles on model year 2020-2025 Palisade vehicles in the U.S. and Canada. Hyundai subsequently initiated a request for warranty parts returns to support further analysis by the buckle supplier, ZF Lifetec. The warranty extension (reference âZ06â) noted that certain 2020 â 2025 model year Palisade vehicles may experience abnormal seat belt buckle(s) operation.   Hyundai extended the warranty coverage for the seat belt buckle under this condition to 15 years/150,000 miles (whichever occurs first) from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use. This action is valid for original and subsequent owners. On September 11, 2025, Hyundai ï¬led recall 25V-607 for certain 2020-2025 Hyundai Palisade vehicles. Hyundai explained in its recall filing that the subject vehicles are equipped with seat belt buckle assemblies in the front row and second row outer seating positions that may contain out-of-specification components manufactured by the supplier. These components can cause interference within the latch channel, potentially increasing friction, particularly under cold ambient temperatures. Improperly produced seat belt buckles, combined with slow insertion of the seat belt tongue plate, may prevent the seat belt buckle from fully latching. The recall remedy is currently under development. In view of Hyundaiâs recall action, ODI is closing this Preliminary Evaluation, but will continue to monitor the issue as a remedy is developed and implemented. ODI will take additional action if warranted by future circumstances. To review the reports cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identiï¬cation Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
Investigation timeline
Key milestones recorded by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.
-
Aug 7, 2024Investigation opened
-
Dec 12, 2025Investigation closed
Linked recalls
Recall campaigns from the same manufacturer that share a component classification with this investigation, ordered by report date.
| Campaign | Component | Report Date | Affected | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23V650000 | SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:RETRACTOR | Sep 22, 2023 | 2,354 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2024 Kona vehicles. The seat belt assemblies in the right and left rear seats may not function properly. … |
| 23V557000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR | Aug 4, 2023 | 168 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis GV60 vehicles. The automatic locking retractor for the front passenger-side seat belt may pro… |
| 23V210000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Mar 28, 2023 | 575 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis G90 vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side, passenger-side, and rear seat b… |
| 23V094000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Feb 16, 2023 | 65,517 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2023 Genesis GV80, 2021-2023 Genesis G80, 2022-2023 Genesis GV70, and 2023 Genesis GV60 vehicles. In … |
| 22V816000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Oct 31, 2022 | 14,933 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2023 Genesis G80 Electric, 2021-2022 Santa Fe Hybrid, and 2022-2023 Santa Fe Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. In t… |
| 22V458000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Jun 27, 2022 | 72,142 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Venue vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt p… |
| 22V354000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | May 19, 2022 | 230,233 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2022 Accent, 2021-2022 Elantra, and 2021-2022 Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the fro… |
| 22V218000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Apr 1, 2022 | 6,240 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Elantra and 2020 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver and passenger-side s… |
| 22V123000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Mar 3, 2022 | 140 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2022 Elantra and Elantra HEV vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front passenger-side seat belt pretens… |
| 22V069000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Feb 9, 2022 | 354 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Accent vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt … |
| 21V796000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT | Oct 13, 2021 | 978 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Elantra, Elantra HEV, Venue, Genesis GV80 and 2022 Genesis GV70 vehicles. In the event of a crash, th… |
| 17V617000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | Oct 4, 2017 | 443,545 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles previously repaired under recall campaign 17V-152. T… |
| 17V365000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | Jun 5, 2017 | 17,160 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe Sport vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the bolt for the driver's seat belt anchor might … |
| 17V152000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:ANCHORAGE | Mar 8, 2017 | 977,778 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Sonata and 2011-2015 Sonata Hybrid vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the seat belt linkages fo… |
| 16V145000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:WARNING LIGHT/DEVICES | Mar 10, 2016 | 34,200 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Santa Fe vehicles manufactured September 1, 2015 to February 12, 2016. In the affecte… |
| 15V414000 | SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY | Jun 30, 2015 | 128,804 | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain model year 2015 Sonata vehicles manufactured April 25, 2014, to December 4, 2014. The affected vehicles hav… |
| 93V196000 | SEAT BELTS | Nov 29, 1993 | 100,000 | THE MOTORIZED SHOULDER BELT CAN TRAVEL SLOWLY OR CHATTER IN THE TRACK AND MAY EVENTUALLY STOP TRACKING AND BECOME INOPERATIVE. |
Complaint volume during this investigation
Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA on the same make/model/year combination during the investigation window. Spikes often correlate with public news coverage or specific incident clusters.
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Aug 2024 | 8 |
| Sep 2024 | 24 |
| Oct 2024 | 20 |
| Nov 2024 | 3 |
| Jan 2025 | 22 |
| Feb 2025 | 8 |
| Mar 2025 | 5 |
| Apr 2025 | 4 |
| May 2025 | 2 |
| Jun 2025 | 4 |
| Jul 2025 | 9 |
| Aug 2025 | 16 |
| Sep 2025 | 14 |
| Oct 2025 | 8 |
| Nov 2025 | 10 |
| Dec 2025 | 6 |
Peer investigations
Other open NHTSA investigations on the same manufacturer or the same component classification. A cluster of open investigations often signals a wider quality-control issue.
| ID | Subject | Component | Make | Manufacturer | Opened |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AQ23002 | Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | KIA | GALLIMORE'S TRAILER SALES, INC. | Nov 17, 2023 |
| SQ00003 | FUEL CAP REPLACEMENT CAMPAIGN 36 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY | HYUNDAI | GALLIMORE'S TRAILER SALES, INC. | Feb 2, 2000 |
| SQ96017 | REAR SUSPENSION FAILURE | STRUCTURE | HYUNDAI | GALLIMORE'S TRAILER SALES, INC. | Nov 22, 1996 |
How to act on an open NHTSA investigation
- Identify your VIN and confirm match. Find your 17-character VIN on the door jamb sticker, the dash near the windshield, or the title. Confirm the make, model, and model year on the investigation page above match your vehicle. NHTSA investigations sometimes span more model years than initial complaints suggest, so re-verify each visit.
- Document any symptoms you observe. Capture timestamped video of the symptom, photograph the dashboard warning lights, and write a short text log of when, where, and how the symptom occurred. Save the data — even if your vehicle works fine today, if a recall is later issued you'll need this evidence to support a warranty extension or class-action claim.
- File a defect report with NHTSA. Go to https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-problem and submit a vehicle complaint. Reference the investigation ID in the narrative — ODI tracks complaints by open investigation docket, and additional complaints help the agency decide whether to escalate from PE to EA, or from an open investigation to a formal recall.
- Notify your dealer in writing. Visit the franchised dealer for the make and request a written work order describing the symptom in your vehicle's exact words. A written record is critical — manufacturers later use dealer service records to determine recall remedy eligibility, and a verbal complaint that wasn't documented may be ignored.
- Watch for the conversion-to-recall announcement. If the investigation converts to a recall, NHTSA publishes the campaign on its recall feed and the manufacturer must mail every registered owner within 60 days. Subscribe to NHTSA's email alerts at https://www.nhtsa.gov/email-alerts, or check this page periodically — the linked recalls section above updates automatically when a related campaign drops.
Frequently asked questions about NHTSA Investigation PE24021
What does this NHTSA investigation cover? ▾
Why was this investigation opened? ▾
What's the difference between PE, EA, and a recall? ▾
Did this investigation lead to a recall? ▾
Are these vehicles still being sold? ▾
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About NHTSA defect investigations
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) is the federal agency responsible for examining potential safety-related defects in motor vehicles and motor-vehicle equipment. ODI's authority comes from the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act and 49 U.S.C. § 30118, which give NHTSA the power to compel manufacturers to recall defective products.
Investigations follow a two-phase escalation: a Preliminary Evaluation (PE) gathers consumer complaints, the manufacturer's first written response, and warranty data; if PE evidence supports continued review, the case escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA) with crash testing, component teardowns, and a formal information request. About a third of PEs escalate to EA, and roughly half of EAs convert into a formal recall.
TruckCodex mirrors NHTSA's investigation database directly from the agency's public ODI feed on a daily refresh cycle. Records on this page reflect what NHTSA has on file. For real-time confirmation immediately before a transaction, click through to NHTSA's recalls and investigations portal at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Related entities
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Data sources & freshness
TruckCodex aggregates official public-sector datasets. See the Source registry for dataset-level coverage and the Freshness log for last-import timestamps.
Census, SAFER, SMS, Licensing & Insurance (L&I), roadside inspections, crashes, and authority history.
Vehicle recall campaigns, defect investigations, and consumer safety complaints (SCRS).
Cross-border carrier registry and Canadian recall campaigns where applicable.
TruckCodex is an independent aggregator; it is not affiliated with FMCSA, NHTSA, EIA, or Transport Canada. Always verify compliance-critical information directly with the originating agency.