Hyundai sued in class action over defective Palisade airbags

Hyundai class action lawsuit overview:

• Who: Plaintiff Kevin Steeneck filed a class action lawsuit against Hyundai Motor America Inc.
• Why: Steeneck claims Hyundai sold Palisade vehicles with defective third-row side curtain airbags.
• Where: The Hyundai airbag class action lawsuit was filed in New York federal court.

A new class action lawsuit accuses Hyundai of selling more than 500,000 Palisade vehicles with defective third-row side curtain airbags.

Plaintiff Kevin Steeneck’s class action lawsuit claims the faulty airbags fail to comply with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) headform displacement requirements, leaving them dangerous and noncompliant with federal safety standards.

Steeneck wants to represent a nationwide class and New York subclass of consumers who purchased or leased a Hyundai Palisade vehicle manufactured between April 10, 2019, and June 16, 2025.

“The plaintiff and class members would not have purchased the vehicles or would have paid significantly less had they known of defects and limited recourse available,” the Hyundai class action says.

Hyundai allegedly continued selling defective vehicles after recall

Steeneck argues Hyundai failed to disclose the Palisade airbag defect at the time of sale and refused to assume responsibility for the dangers posed by the defective vehicles.

The Hyundai class action lawsuit claims the automaker continued to market and sell the defective Palisade vehicles without repairing the issue or notifying potential buyers, even after issuing a recall in January 2026.

Steeneck says Hyundai’s actions violated the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, breached express and implied warranties and constituted fraudulent concealment and unfair business practices under New York law.

The plaintiff demands a jury trial and requests damages, restitution and an order requiring Hyundai to establish a program to repair the defective vehicles.

Earlier this month, Hyundai recalled more than 83,000 vehicles, including the 2025-2026 Genesis G80 and GV80 models, due to a software malfunction that could lead to the failure of the instrument panel display.

What do you think of the claims made in this Hyundai class action lawsuit? Let us know in the comments.

The plaintiff is represented by Jason P. Sultzer of Sultzer & Lipari PLLC.

The Hyundai Palisade class action lawsuit is Steeneck v. Hyundai Motor America Inc., Case No. 2:26-cv-00636, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

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