Lucid Motors recalls more than 4,000 SUVs over widespread manufacturing defect

Lucid Motors has uncovered a manufacturing defect involving seat-belt welds in its newest SUV, potentially putting thousands of passengers at risk.

The California-based EV maker has issued a recall for more than 4,000 units of the Lucid Gravity. The problem involves improperly secured mounting points for second-row seat belts. If left unaddressed, the flaw could significantly increase the risk that passengers wouldn’t be properly restrained during a crash.

According to documents submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the defect was discovered by chance. Engineers identified the issue in January during unrelated testing that had nothing to do with the seats themselves.

Investigators later found that a parts supplier had quietly altered its manufacturing process. The contractor reportedly made the change without notifying Lucid engineers or receiving approval from the automaker.

Lucid says production has already returned to the approved design standard, meaning the recall only affects vehicles built before February 14, 2026. Each potentially affected Gravity will be inspected. Depending on the results, technicians will either install a reinforcement bracket or replace the entire seat assembly if the weld quality fails inspection.

Lucid Motors is an American manufacturer of premium electric vehicles headquartered in California. The brand is best known for its flagship luxury sedan, the Lucid Air, which emerged as a serious competitor to the Tesla Model S. The Air has drawn widespread attention for its advanced battery technology, delivering an EPA-rated driving range of roughly 500 miles on a single charge.