NHTSA has received 540 owner complaints about the 2020 Hyundai Palisade, or 79.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical (complaint index 1.97, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #73 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Hyundai models its rate is 47% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 51% higher.
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
Complaints filed between 2019-08-18 and 2026-10-09. Median delay from incident to filing: 15 days.
540Complaints
79.5Complaints per year on the road
1.97Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
5Recalls · ⚠ 1
3.7%Share involving a crash or fire
121Last 12 months
Analysis
The following model year (2021) drew 76.7 per year, about the same. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 170 complaints, 202% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Body & structure (27.0% of complaints), followed by Engine (25.7%) and Airbags & seat belts (10.6%). Body & structure complaints are 3.0 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 20 reports (3.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 16 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 44 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (34% of incidents). In the last 12 months 121 new complaints were filed, versus 111 in the 12 months before — up 9%.
NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls for this model year, 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 1 NHTSA investigation covers this model year; the most recent is “Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2024-08-07, closed 2025-12-12).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles1.97
vs. other Hyundai models1.47
vs. other 2020 models2.11
vs. other Midsize SUVs1.51
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (170)3.02
I believe this is related to RECALL 235, Veh was parked on the street, thank god. The Palisade then spontaniusly caught fire, fire department had to be called and insurance company says its a total loss. Fire started in the rear driver side.
Electrical · 2026-08-21 · ODI 11758456 · Fire
Component: Engine My 2020 Hyundai Palisade (approximately 155,856 miles) experienced a serious and dangerous engine-related failure that resulted in a vehicle fire. My 16 year old daughter was driving alone at the time of the catastrophic failure and fire.
Engine · 2026-05-01 · ODI 11735010 · Fire
On three separate occasions, when turning left, the steering wheel locked briefly at the 11pm position and there was a clunking noise. It released after a second or two. Obviously having steering lock is a severe safety issue.
Steering · 2026-10-09 · ODI 11770153
My 2020 Hyundai Palisade experienced repeated instances of the engine cooling fan continuing to operate after the vehicle was completely shut off. In one instance, the fan ran for about 90 minutes after shutdown.
Electrical · 2026-10-08 · ODI 11769818
My 2020 Hyundai Palisade (3.8L V6) suffered an engine failure at approximately 108,000 miles. On September 3rd,2026 , while driving at about 65 mph, the engine began knocking loudly.
Engine · 2026-10-05 · ODI 11768975
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN Campaign 26V034000 · 2026-01-23
Summary: 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."
Risk: Improper side curtain air bag deployment increases the risk of injury during a crash.
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.
Summary: 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.
Risk: Seat belt buckles that fail to latch may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
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.
Summary: 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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Palisade vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
Risk: Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW Campaign 19V802000 · 2019-11-07
Summary: Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020 Palisade vehicles. The mounting bolts used to secure the side curtain air bags may damage the side curtain air bags during deployment.
Risk: Damaged side curtain air bags may not inflate properly in the event of a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Hyundai will notify owners, and dealers will install a protective cover on the mounting bolts, free of charge. The recall began December 20, 2019. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 186.
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…
