Most common 2021 Hyundai Palisade problems
Share of the 446 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Hyundai Palisade complaints by model year
2021 Hyundai Palisade recalls (6)
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain
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.
Seat belts › Rear/other › Buckle assembly
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.
Visibility/wiper
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.
Trailer hitches
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.
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.
Visibility › Windshield wiper/washer › Motor
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.
Service brakes, hydraulic › Fluid
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into 2 possible defects involving the 2021 Hyundai Palisade:
Windshield Wiper Failure
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.
Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch
On August 7, 2024, the O ce 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.
What 2021 Hyundai Palisade owners say
Seat belts all 112 →
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger's side bucket seat's seat belt became inoperable and failed to latch properly. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V607000 (Seat Belts) and 26V034000 (Air Bags); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was determined that the seat belt assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were unavailable and were currently on back order. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 172,000.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the seat belts for the vehicle became inoperable for the entire vehicle. The contact stated that the seat belts failed to detach properly. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 25V607000 (Seat Belts ) and 26V034000 (Air Bags); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that parts were not yet available and confirmed that the parts were on back order. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was opened. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The approximate failure mileage was 120,200
Windows, wipers & sunroof all 62 →
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH, he heard a noise coming from the windshield. The following day, there was a scratch on the passenger's side lower corner of the windshield, which later became a spider web crack. The windshield was replaced at an auto collision repair shop. The contact stated while driving 30-40 MPH on another occasion, a truck passed the vehicle, and a tiny rock struck the passenger's side lower corner of the windshield, causing a crack on the windshield. The contact stated that the crack later expanded, and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the windshield was replaced; however, the failure recurred while driving. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that it was a known failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. …
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware of parts falling from the sunroof tract onto the front passenger's seat. The contact held on to the remaining parts of the sunroof tract to prevent the sunroof from detaching. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. In addition, the contact was informed that there was no evidence of failure to determine what caused the sunroof tract to fracture. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 94,582.
Engine & cooling all 62 →
Another vehicle t-boned my vehicle on the front left side. We were both traveling around 15 mph. As soon as he struck my vehicle, the air bags were deployed and the car instantly caught fire. The car was on fire before I was at a complete stop. I was able to pry the door open and crawl through a small opening after moving the air bags out of the way. I had to crawl into traffic to be able to escape the fire. If the door had been jammed more severely then I wouldn't have been able to make it out in time before the fire reached me. If my kids had been in the vehicle, then I would not have been able to get them out before the fire got to them. The police determined that the fire started at the engine. My insurance totaled the vehicle and then it was removed from the towing yard and taken to Montgomery. There were no prior issues or any warnings/messages before the incident.
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle lost motive power. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to excessive oil consumption. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 107,000.
2021 Hyundai Palisade engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 22 |
| 3.8L 6-cyl | 8-speed automatic | AWD | 19 / 24 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2021 Hyundai Palisade a good car?
There isn't enough complaint history for the Palisade to compare model years reliably. So far owners have filed 446 complaints with NHTSA.
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?
The seat belts — 112 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the windows, wipers & sunroof (62) and engine & cooling (62).
How many recalls does the 2021 Hyundai Palisade have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade, the most recent from January 22, 2026 (curtain). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Hyundai Palisade?
Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2024, 2023 and 2025. See the full Hyundai Palisade years comparison.
At what mileage do 2021 Hyundai Palisade problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 4,000 miles; 72% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.