Cadillac Vistiq's US recall won’t affect Australian launch, fix incoming

The Cadillac Vistiq electric SUV has been the subject of a recall in the US to address a fault with its power-folding third row of seating, but vehicles delivered to customers in Australia won’t be affected.

Cadillac Australia has confirmed the US recall has had no impact on launch timing for the Vistiq, which is still due for release here during the fourth quarter (October to December) of 2026.

The fix will be made at the Spring Hill, Tennessee plant in the US, where the Vistiq is produced for all markets bar China.

Per a recall notice published by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) on June 18, a total of 14,540 Vistiqs are being recalled in the US. Shipments of model year 2027 (MY27) vehicles were also halted to address the issue.

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The Vistiq features second and third rows of seats that can be raised and dropped using controls located in the boot.

However, US recall documents note the third-row seatback "stops and does not automatically reverse if it encounters an obstruction in the seat".

In the US, Cadillac dealers will disable the third-row folding feature until new components are available. Once they are, the seat module will be replaced.

While that leaves US Vistiq owners in a temporarily awkward position in which they’ll need to either keep the third row upright or folded, Cadillac Australia has confirmed the fix will be applied to examples of the electric SUV before they’re exported.

Nevertheless, a recall notice has been published on the Australian Government recall database for just two Vistiqs in the country, warning smaller occupants could be trapped under the seatback. Neither of these vehicles have been delivered to customers.

There’s been heightened scrutiny of folding third rows in the US following the tragic death of a two-year-old child in the new-generation Hyundai Palisade.

The Vistiq’s US recall originated with a report submitted by a GM engineer on March 31, 2026 via the company’s Speak Up For Safety program, following this Palisade incident.

“GM conducted this evaluation after the March 2026 announcement of a recall by a different vehicle manufacturer; this recall related to second- and third-row power seats in certain vehicles failing to appropriately respond to contact with an occupant or object during powered-seat operation,” the recall report reads.

“During the evaluation, the seatback continued its power-folding operation with a 33- to 40-pound box on the seat and stopped in a position that prevented the box from being removed without manually reversing the seat back.

“In addition to the SUFS subject vehicle, GM is aware of 6 other incidents or complaints potentially associated with this condition. None resulted in injury.”

These complaints were received by GM between May 2025 and April 2026, and on June 11, 2026 GM’s Safety Field Action Decision Authority decided to conduct a recall.

The Vistiq will become the third member of Cadillac’s Australian lineup, joining the Lyriq – of which Australian deliveries commenced early in 2025 – and the Optiq due here during the third quarter (July to September) of this year.

It’ll become Cadillac’s first three-row SUV here, with the Vistiq available locally in a single Platinum trim featuring a six-seat layout with second-row captain’s chairs.

MORE: Explore the Cadillac Vistiq showroom