General Motors announced a recall for more than 14,000 Cadillac Vistiq electric vehicles, citing a risk that the third-row seat could trap a person, particularly a small child. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a report detailing the defect, which affects 2026-2027 model year Vistiq vehicles. The issue stems from a rear powered seatback that may fail to reverse when encountering an obstruction.
According to the recall report, the third-row seatbacks are designed to fold into a stowed position with the press of a button. However, the defective units may stop in place instead of reversing direction upon contact with an obstruction. General Motors has stated it is not aware of any injuries associated with this specific recall.
As a precautionary measure, Cadillac has instructed dealers to immediately halt deliveries of the affected Vistiq models. Owners of the recalled vehicles will be notified by mail by August 3 and will be instructed to bring their cars to a dealership. At the dealership, the third-row folding feature will be disabled until remedy parts become available. Once the parts are ready, the seatbacks will be repaired free of charge.
The automaker identified this potential defect during an evaluation prompted by a similar recall issued by Hyundai. Earlier this year, Hyundai recalled over 60,000 of its 2026 Palisade vehicles and paused sales following the tragic death of a 2-year-old girl. Lucia Ayala was fatally pinned by a third-row seatback in a 2026 Hyundai Palisade in an Ohio parking lot in March, according to police reports. Bystanders were able to extricate the child, but she had already suffocated.