More Within ±30% year on yearNHTSA has received 444 owner complaints about the 2021 Hyundai Palisade, or 76.7 per year on the road — more complaints than typical (complaint index 1.90, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2021 vehicles we track, it ranks #73 of 85 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Hyundai models its rate is 42% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 46% 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 2020-08-05 and 2026-10-09. Median delay from incident to filing: 11 days.
444Complaints
76.7Complaints per year on the road
1.9Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
6Recalls · ⚠ 1
1.8%Share involving a crash or fire
117Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2020) drew 79.5 complaints per year, about the same. The following model year (2022) drew 65.4 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2021 model collected 112 complaints, 83% higher than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Airbags & seat belts (25.0% of complaints), followed by Body & structure (16.0%) and Engine (13.7%). Airbags & seat belts complaints are 6.6 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 8 reports (1.8%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 20 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 42 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (40% of incidents). In the last 12 months 117 new complaints were filed, versus 119 in the 12 months before — down 2%.
NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls for this model year, 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 2 NHTSA investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch” (preliminary evaluation, opened 2024-08-07, closed 2025-12-12).
Safety recalls (6)
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.
SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY Campaign 25V607000 · 2025-09-12
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.
VISIBILITY/WIPER Campaign 23V180000 · 2023-03-17
Summary: 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.
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 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.
TRAILER HITCHES Campaign 22V633000 · 2022-08-18
⚠ Park-outside / do-not-drive warning
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.
VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD WIPER/WASHER:MOTOR Campaign 22V627000 · 2022-08-15
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.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID Campaign 21V840000 · 2021-10-27
Summary: 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.
Risk: Reduced braking performance can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
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