A potentially deadly software issue has prompted a recall of almost 36,500 Hyundai cars.
The fault affects NX4-series Tucsons built between 2025 and 2026 following a suspected software glitch which interrupts the Forward Collision Avoidance system.
Hyundai’s recall notice says: “Due to a software issue, the Forward Collision Avoidance (FCA) system may continue to apply sudden/unexpected braking even though it is no longer necessary to avoid a collision or reduce impact.”
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“Sudden or unexpected braking may increase the risk of an accident, which can result in injury or death to vehicle occupants or other road users.”
A total of 36,496 vehicles produced in 2025 and 2026 are affected.
It’s the latest in a string of safety headaches for the Korean car giant.
Earlier this year, 3445 vehicles across six Hyundai models, including the Kona, Tucson, Santa Fe, Palisade, Ioniq 9 and Sonata, were recalled over a digital instrument cluster fault.
That issue was fixed with an over-the-air update.
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More seriously, Hyundai faced intense repercussions after a child was killed by automatic folding seats in a Palisade SUV in the US.
According to the carmaker, the seats are supposed to stop moving when they detect an obstruction, but can sometimes fail to do so.
Hyundai rolled out a digital “over-the-air” update for the car that included a warning to vehicle occupants on its main touchscreen while also issuing a recall notice for around 2300 affected Palisades.
A statement released by the manufacturer said: “Hyundai urges owners to use caution when operating the second and third-row power seat functions and to ensure that no person or object, including children, is in the seat or seat-folding area before operating the power seat”.
For the current Tucson recall, Hyundai will contact affected owners to book an appointment at an authorised dealer to have the software updated and applied free of charge.
Alternatively, if owners are registered with the company’s Bluelink, they can perform the software update over the air.
