Carlexica

2021 Hyundai Palisade: problems, recalls and reliability

6 recalls and 439 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is seat belts (28% of complaints).

Data updated weekly · 13 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Jan 2026

6
recalls
439
owner complaints
1
fire reports
35,000
typical failure mileage, mi

All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.

NHTSA crash testOverall ★★★★★Front ★★★★★Side ★★★★★Rollover ★★★★★
5-star NHTSA overall safety ratingWeak spot: seat belts (28%)1 fire reportProblems reported early (median 35,000 mi)

Common problems

Computed from 439 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.

Seat Belts28% · 103 complaints
Engine (engine mechanics)13% · 47 complaints
Visibility/Wiper (windshield, wipers, defroster, mirrors)12% · 45 complaints
Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)9% · 32 complaints
Suspension (shocks, springs, ride quality)6% · 22 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)5% · 17 complaints
“The sunroof opened crooked and would not close. After several attempts to close the sunroof a piece of the frame broke.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“The sunroof malfunctioned in a way that the manufacturer has already admitted is an issue in TSB 23-BD-003H - without warning, with a mechanism that is rarely used by us. According to many reports, despite this being a known defect, the manufacturer requires payment if the vehicle is out of warranty. A finding on behalf of NHTSA would greatly help owners who have this happen through no fault of their own.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Sep 2026
“I opened my sunroof and heard a noise, I was not able to close it. I took it to a repair shop to see if they could get it closed, they advised a break in the assembly and needs to be replaced. My car is out of warranty and it's a known issue.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Aug 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“My Palisade is burning oil at a rapid pace. I took it to the dealership and they said it was an acceptable level. I don't believe that to be correct. I have less than 100,000 miles on it.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
“Please provide status of solution to this recall, recall goes back to 2025. ***Not waiting for incident, injury or much worse a fatality to happen. *** Your website states the importance of seat belts; we all know the importance of seat belts. Why is this still an open recall?”Owner report · Seat Belts · Jul 2026
“Excessive oil consumption. Oil tank empty at 3 oil changes. Car was stalling at stops. Oil was empty 5000 miles prior to next suggested oil change. No low oil indicator light alarm”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
“The speedometer, lane departure, heat gauge, and RPM's and the whole speedometer cluster will stop working. It does this all the time you never know if it will work and then sometimes it will randomly come back but it's more in the heat it will not work.”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Jul 2026
“While driving down the freeway my first row sunroof exploded. Insurance wouldn't cover it because it is a manufacturer defect, but Hyundai wouldn't cover it because it "isn't a manufacturer defect." The temperature outside when the sunroof exploded was 74 degrees and it was cloudy. Then less than 2 months later my engine got a rod knock even with oil changes every 5k miles. No warning signs for either and no lights on the dash. It just started when I started it to leave for work one morning.”Owner report · Engine · Jul 2026
“Driving my car one morning and the brakes went out. Pedal went all the way to the floor. I had to engage the emergency brake to stop.”Owner report · Service Brakes · Jun 2026
“Driving SB on I-35 in Texas, going 70 MPH, no trucks or other cars passing, or following behind and the sunroof glass exploded. Nothing hit it. The screen was closed, so no glass fell down into the vehicle interior.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026

When filing, owners marked a crash in 8 of these complaints and injuries in 20 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.

Recalls - 6 campaigns

Buckle assembly (seat belts)25V607000 · Sep 2025

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Palisade vehicles. The seat belt buckles in the driver, passenger, and second-row window seats may fail to latch.

Remedy: Passengers are advised to insert the belt firmly into the buckle with a quick and direct motion, pulling on the belt to confirm the seat belt is fully secured, until the recall remedy is performed. Dealers will replace the seat belt buckle assemblies, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed beginning October 23, 2025. Final remedy owner letters will be mailed in phases, beginning in June 2026 and expected to continue through December 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 283. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 13, 2025.

Fluid (service brakes, hydraulic)21V840000 · Oct 2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Palisade vehicles. The brake fluid may be contaminated, which can cause the brake master cylinder inner-cup seals to swell, and reduce braking performance.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 212.

Visibility/wiper23V180000 · Mar 2023

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Palisade vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may operate intermittently or fail to operate due to snow or ice buildup on the windshield, causing the wipers to fail.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side windshield wiper arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 15, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 243. This recall is an expansion of recall number 22V-627.

Curtain (air bags)26V034000 · Jan 2026

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Palisade vehicles. The side curtain air bags for third-row occupants may deploy improperly in a crash. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 226, "Ejection Mitigation."

Remedy: Dealers will install a protective film over the rear window and remove padding, as necessary free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed beginning March 13, 2026. Final remedy owner letters will be mailed in phases, beginning in June 2026 and expected to continue through December 2026. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 292. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 24, 2026.

Motor (visibility)22V627000 · Aug 2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Palisade vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side windshield wiper arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 13, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 233.

Trailer hitches22V633000 · Aug 2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling 2020-2022 Palisade vehicles potentially equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Hyundai dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 18, 2023. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 235.

Trouble codes owners mention

OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.

Specifications

Factory options offered for the 2021 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.

Engines3.8L
FuelGasoline
Drive type4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4 · 4x2
Body stylesSport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]

How other years compare

Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Palisade years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.

Check your exact Palisade by VIN

Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.

Open VIN decoder

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2021 Hyundai Palisade reliable?

NHTSA has 439 owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns on record for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The most complained-about area is seat belts (28% of complaints).

At what mileage do 2021 Hyundai Palisade problems usually appear?

Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 35,000 miles or less.

Does the 2021 Hyundai Palisade have open recalls?

6 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning seat belts. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.