Hyundai recalls 94,622 Genesis sedans over power-seat switch that can overheat and spark a fire

Here’s the short version: if you own one of these Genesis sedans, Hyundai is telling you the power seat switch can overheat and start a fire — and until it’s fixed, you should be parking outside and away from your house. That’s not a wait-and-see problem. That’s a park-in-the-driveway problem.

Hyundai is recalling 94,622 Genesis sedans for a power seat control switch defect. The affected vehicles are the 2015 and 2016 Hyundai Genesis, plus the 2017 through 2020 Genesis G80. If your car is on that list, read on.

What’s actually failing

The part in question is the switch you use to move your power seat — the little toggle or paddle on the side of the seat. According to the filing, that switch can get stuck.

Here’s why that matters. When the switch sticks, the seat motor keeps getting a signal to run even though the seat isn’t going anywhere. The motor keeps drawing current. That current turns into heat, and the motor overheats. Enough heat in the wrong place around wiring and seat hardware, and you get an electrical fire.

The dangerous part is that this can happen whether you’re driving or parked. A seat motor doesn’t care if the key is on. If the switch is stuck and the circuit stays live, the heat keeps building. That’s why Hyundai isn’t just saying “get it fixed.” They’re telling owners to park outside, away from structures, until the repair is done. When a manufacturer tells you to keep the car away from your garage and your house, they’re telling you they take the fire risk seriously.

What the filing says

This recall covers 94,622 vehicles across six model years of the Genesis sedan line — the 2015 and 2016 cars sold as the Hyundai Genesis, then the rebranded Genesis G80 from 2017 through 2020.

The defect is the power seat control switch sticking, the motor overheating as a result, and the fire risk that follows. As reported by NBC New York, the guidance to owners is to park outside and away from structures until the repair is complete. Yahoo Autos and AutoGuide both covered the campaign at the same affected-vehicle count.

The remedy is being offered at no cost to all affected owners, regardless of warranty status. That last part is the one to hold onto. It doesn’t matter if your car is a 2015 well out of its original warranty — the fix is free. Owner notification is still pending as of the news coverage dated October 16, 2026, which means a lot of owners will find out through their own VIN check before a letter ever lands in the mailbox.

What this means if you own one

1. Run your VIN now. Don’t wait for the letter. Owner notification is pending, so the mail may be weeks out. Go to NHTSA’s recall lookup or Genesis’s owner site, punch in your 17-digit VIN, and confirm whether your specific car is included. The model years are 2015 Hyundai Genesis, 2016 Hyundai Genesis, 2017 Genesis G80, 2018 Genesis G80, 2019 Genesis G80, and 2020 Genesis G80.

2. Take the parking advice literally. Until your car is repaired, park it outside and away from your home, your garage, and anything else that can catch. An electrical fire that starts while the car is parked overnight is the worst-case version of this defect. Parking in the open limits what burns if it does.

3. Pay attention to your seat. If the power seat switch feels like it’s sticking, if the seat keeps trying to move or won’t stop when you release the switch, or if you smell anything hot or electrical around the seat, stop using that switch and get the car looked at. A stuck switch is the exact failure this recall is about.

4. The repair is free — hold them to it. The remedy is at no cost to all affected owners regardless of warranty status. If a dealer tries to charge you because your Genesis is older or out of warranty, that’s not how a safety recall works. The fix is covered. Push back and reference the recall.

5. Document everything. Save your VIN lookup result, the recall notice when it arrives, and any dealer paperwork. If you’ve already had a seat electrical issue or any related repair, keep those records too. Paper trails matter if anything goes sideways.

The honest take

A stuck switch sounds minor until you understand what it does downstream — a motor that can’t stop running, heat with nowhere to go, and a fire that can start in your driveway while you’re asleep. Hyundai is handling this the right way by making the fix free for everyone and by being blunt about the parking guidance.

Your job is simple. Check your VIN, follow the park-outside advice until it’s repaired, and don’t ignore a seat switch that feels off. The repair costs you nothing. The only real risk here is treating a fire recall like it can wait.