Recall
Cadillac Vistiq recall: power-folding third-row seatbacks can trap a passenger
GM is recalling 14,540 Vistiq SUVs from the 2026 and 2027 model years because the power third-row seatback keeps folding instead of backing off when it meets resistance.
General Motors has recalled 14,540 Cadillac Vistiq electric SUVs from the 2026 and 2027 model years because the power-folding third-row seatbacks do not reverse when they run into something in the seat. A child or small adult sitting in the third row could be pinned under a folding seatback. The recall was filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on June 18, 2026 as campaign 26V394 (GM number N262555780), and GM has since revised the planned fix.
What goes wrong
On the Vistiq, each third-row seatback can be sent all the way down with one press and release of the "down" switch, either in the cargo area or on the pillar beside the seat. The motor keeps running until the seatback is stowed or something stops it. If it meets an obstruction it simply stops where it is. It does not back off, so whatever is in the seat stays trapped until someone raises the seatback manually.
GM's Part 573 report explains how the problem surfaced. After another automaker recalled second- and third-row power seats in March 2026 for not responding properly to contact with a person or object, GM tested the Vistiq. With a box weighing 33 to 40 pounds on the seat, the seatback kept folding and stopped in a position where the box could not be pulled out without reversing the seat by hand. A GM engineer reported the result through the company's Speak Up for Safety program on March 31. GM's filing does not name the other automaker; Electrek and TFLcar linked it to Hyundai's recall of the 2026 Palisade.
GM says it knows of six other incidents or complaints that may be related, none with an injury. The seat module comes from Yanfeng Seating in Mexico.
Who is affected
- 2026 Vistiq: 13,629 vehicles built from November 12, 2024 to April 9, 2026
- 2027 Vistiq: 911 vehicles built from January 16 to June 15, 2026
GM estimates the condition is present in all of them. Dealers were ordered on June 18 to stop delivering affected Vistiqs, and GM had already halted shipments of the 2027 model on June 8.
A remedy that keeps changing
The first plan was a new seat module. Because parts were not ready, GM's owner letter, mailed from August 6, offered an interim step: the dealer switches off the third-row power-fold feature, a job of about 20 minutes, and the owner comes back for the new part later.
On August 31, GM amended its filing again. The final remedy is now a software reprogramming of the existing folding-seat module rather than a hardware swap. After the update, the seatback is designed to move back toward upright if it meets enough resistance to stop the fold. Owners who already had the feature switched off can have it switched back on and updated through a separate customer satisfaction program.
By GM's first quarterly report on October 7, 5,018 of the 14,540 vehicles were listed as remedied.
Owner brief
What it means for owners
- Check the VIN. Look up your Vistiq at nhtsa.gov/recalls or search campaign 26V394. The 2026 population spans production from November 2024 to April 2026, so most owners should expect to see it open unless a dealer has already done the work.
- What you would notice. There is no warning light. The sign is mechanical: a seatback that stops partway down on a bag, a car seat or a person and then stays there. If that happens, raise the seatback manually right away.
- Until it is fixed. Only fold the third row when you can see the seats are empty, and keep children away from the cargo-area switches. The vehicle itself is safe to drive; NHTSA lists no parking or driving restriction for this campaign.
- At the dealer. Ask whether the reprogramming is available for your VIN yet. If it is not, you can choose the interim fix that disables power folding.
- Cost and contacts. Both the interim step and the final fix are free. Cadillac customer service is 1-800-333-4223.
If your Vistiq had the feature disabled this summer, keep an eye out for a second GM letter about restoring it. That follow-up campaign is how the power fold comes back with the new reversing behavior.
