Hyundai Palisade problems, complaints & recalls by model year
Across 7 model years (2020–2026), NHTSA has logged 2,471 owner complaints and 16 safety recalls for the Hyundai Palisade. That averages 105.3 complaints per year on the road — far more complaints than typical (index 2.61 against all tracked vehicles). Within the Midsize SUVs segment it ranks #14 of 14 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest); the segment average is 52.5.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Analysis
The trend is worsening. Measured on complaints filed in the first two years on the road and compared with other vehicles of the same model year, the 2023 and 2024 models run 44% above the 2020 and 2021 models (262 early complaints per model year versus 141).
The 2024 model year has the highest rate (140.5 complaints per year) and the 2022 model year the lowest (65.4).
Across all tracked model years the most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (18.0% of complaints), followed by Brakes (16.6%) and Body & structure (15.9%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 4.7 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 72 complaints (2.9%) describe a crash or fire; across all model years owners report 72 injuries and 1 death.
In the last 12 months owners filed 823 complaints versus 665 in the previous 12 months — up 24%. The 2025 model year generated the most recent reports (143). Across model years, half of all reported incidents occur within 20 months of the model year's start.
Recalls: 16 recall campaigns across the tracked model years, most of them received in 2023 (4), 3 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 3 NHTSA investigations have covered this model, 1 still open; the latest is “NU Car rental of vehicles with open recalls” (audit query, opened 2026-06-09, still open).
Every other tracked model among Midsize SUVs has fewer complaints per year, including Dodge Durango, Nissan Pathfinder, Honda Passport and Kia Sorento.
Model years at a glance
| Year | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Last 12 months | Recalls | Most common issue | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 540 | 79.5 | 1.97 | 121 | 5 ⚠ | Body & structure | View › |
| 2021 | 444 | 76.7 | 1.9 | 117 | 6 ⚠ | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2022 Fewest complaints | 313 | 65.4 | 1.62 | 95 | 5 ⚠ | Airbags & seat belts | View › |
| 2023 | 404 | 106.6 | 2.64 | 105 | 5 ⚠ | Brakes | View › |
| 2024 | 392 | 140.5 | 3.48 | 116 | 5 ⚠ | Brakes | View › |
| 2025 Too new to rank | 249 | 139.3 | 3.45 | 143 | 3 ⚠ | Brakes | View › |
| 2026 Too new to rank | 129 | 129.0 | 3.2 | 126 | 3 | Other | View › |
“Too new to rank”: under two years on the road, so the model year cannot be named the one with the fewest complaints yet. 1.00 means the same rate as the comparison group. 2.00 means twice as many complaints per year on the road. Complaints in first 2 years on the road: vs. same-year average. How we count
Trend · vs. same-year average
Complaints in first 2 years on the road ÷ All-vehicle average (1.00)
When complaints were filed
Last 12 months: 823 · Previous 12 months: 665 Within ±30% year on year
Problem areas
Airbags & seat belts ›
445 · 18.0% · 4.74 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Brakes ›
409 · 16.6% · 2.75 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Body & structure ›
393 · 15.9% · 1.75 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Engine ›
338 · 13.7% · 0.61 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Unspecified or other ›
225 · 9.1% · 1.01 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Electrical ›
180 · 7.3% · 0.46 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Wheels, tires & suspension ›
139 · 5.6% · 2.24 vs. all vehicles · Falling
Other
117 · 4.7% · 2.56 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Transmission / powertrain ›
87 · 3.5% · 0.3 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Driver-assist systems ›
69 · 2.8% · 0.49 vs. all vehicles · Within ±30% year on year
Steering ›
46 · 1.9% · 0.29 vs. all vehicles · Rising
Fuel system
12 · 0.5% · 0.11 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Lighting
11 · 0.4% · 0.29 vs. all vehicles · Too few recent reports to judge
Only problem areas with at least 40 complaints get their own page.
Vehicle age at incident
Median age at incident: 20 months
What owners report
Car smelt bad, drove down the road and check engine light came on. Pulled over and car was smoking under hood,turned off. Let it cool off, started car and thicker smoke happened under hood and it lit on fire. Car started on fire.
On September 21, 2026, at approximately 9:20 AM, while attempting to turn off the engine of the parked vehicle, the engine failed to shut down as commanded.
Subject: Formal Safety Complaint and Request for Investigation – Hyundai Recall 283, Unsecured Infant Car Seat Following Recall Repair I am requesting that NHTSA investigate a serious child passenger safety incident following Hyundai Seat Belt Recall 283…
I own a 2025 Hyundai Palisade and was informed that a mandatory recall is required. I took my car to two dealerships, and they told me that the part needed for this recall is not available in the [XXX].
"The vehicle is exhibiting a refueling safety defect due to EVAP venting failure. This is a known issue on Hyundai hybrid platforms. The dealership only tries to duplicate the issue and as it is intermittent has not been able to duplicate.
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Segment peers · Midsize SUVs
| # | Models | Complaints | Complaints per year on the road | Complaint index | Trend | Recent activity | Recalls | Most common issue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dodge Durango | 786 | 15.2 | 0.38 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 18 | Lighting |
| 2 | Nissan Pathfinder | 596 | 19.2 | 0.48 | Worsening | Rising | 12 | Engine |
| 3 | Honda Passport | 759 | 24.8 | 0.61 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Electrical |
| 4 | Kia Sorento | 1,446 | 33.7 | 0.83 | Stable | Rising | 18 | Engine |
| 5 | Chevrolet Traverse | 1,738 | 42.0 | 1.04 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 14 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 6 | Ford Edge | 2,244 | 44.4 | 1.1 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 20 | Engine |
| 7 | Toyota Highlander | 2,162 | 45.8 | 1.13 | Improving | Rising | 21 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 8 | Hyundai Santa Fe | 2,092 | 58.4 | 1.45 | Worsening | Rising | 27 | Engine |
| 9 | Honda Pilot | 2,945 | 63.4 | 1.57 | Stable | Within ±30% year on year | 27 | Engine |
| 10 | Ford Explorer | 3,270 | 64.0 | 1.59 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 77 | Transmission / powertrain |
| 11 | Subaru Outback | 3,816 | 71.8 | 1.78 | Improving | Within ±30% year on year | 15 | Body & structure |
| 12 | Kia Telluride | 2,014 | 74.3 | 1.84 | Improving | Rising | 17 | Body & structure |
| 13 | Jeep Grand Cherokee | 3,477 | 82.4 | 2.04 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 53 | Electrical |
| 14 | Hyundai Palisade | 2,471 | 105.3 | 2.61 | Worsening | Within ±30% year on year | 16 | Airbags & seat belts |
Recalls by year received
- Campaigns: 16
- Do-not-drive / park-outside: 3
- Over-the-air fix: 0
Safety recalls: 2020 (5) · 2021 (6) · 2022 (5) · 2023 (5) · 2024 (5) · 2025 (3) · 2026 (3)
Investigations
- NU Car rental of vehicles with open recalls Open
NHTSA is opening this Audit Query (AQ) to investigate NU Car Rentals (NU Car) for compliance with the requirements of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act.The Safety Act requires that a rental company shall not rent a vehicle subject to a safety recall unless the recall remedy has been performed. 49 U.S.C. § 30120(i). NHTSA is in receipt of information that indicates NU Car rented at …
- Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch Closed
On August 7, 2024, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE24021 to investigate complaints alleging inadvertent unlatching of seat belts in model year (MY) 2020-2023 Hyundai Palisade vehicles manufactured by Hyundai Motor America. The complaints alleged that, without warning, the seat belts sometimes inadvertently unlatch, increasing the risk of injury due to full loss of seat belt protec…
- Windshield Wiper Failure Closed
On August 15, 2022, Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) filed a safety recall (NHTSA Recall 22V-627) of 122,919 model year (MY) 2020-2021 Hyundai Palisade vehicles produced from April 10, 2019 to November 30, 2020. This recall addressed windshield wipers that may function intermittently or stop functioning when impeded by the accumulation of snow and/or ice at the bottom of the windshield. Intermitten…