2020 Hyundai Palisade problems & reliability
520 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Hyundai Palisade, alongside 5 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
9 complaints report injuries (16 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2020 Hyundai Palisade vehicles were involved in 25 fatal crashes with 11 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine | 123 | 24% |
| Visibility/wiper | 114 | 22% |
| Unknown OR Other | 82 | 16% |
| Suspension | 60 | 12% |
| Seat Belts | 50 | 10% |
| Electrical System | 42 | 8% |
| Power Train | 38 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 25 | 5% |
| Structure | 25 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 17 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 5,860 miles (middle 50% between 2,050 and 15,000 miles), based on 139 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Hyundai Motor America has been notified of the safety issue through the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, which required Hyundai to provide a written response within ten business days. Hyundai has not responded to the Attorney General, has not responded to follow‑up attempts, and has not provided any guidance or…”
Engine · filed Aug 4, 2026
“On or about XXX I brought my vehicle into the dealership as my 2020 Hyundai palisade suffered a severe, sudden engine malfunction while driving at highway speeds. The vehicle began shaking violently, losing power, and making loud mechanical noises forcing me to navigate dangerous highway traffic to get it to the…”
Engine · filed Jul 31, 2026
“When attempting to use engine braking to control descent on mountain roads, the vehicle failed to slow. Engine RPMs increased and speed increased requiring significant brake usage. Last year the vehicle performed as expected as deceleration was controlled via downshifting with much less brake usage. The only change…”
Engine · filed Jul 20, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch
Preliminary Evaluation PE24021 · opened Aug 7, 2024 · closed Dec 12, 2025
Technical service bulletins
174 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2020 Hyundai Palisade. The 10 most recent:
Certain 2020 – 2024 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn rear self-leveling shock absorbers. At…
Z12 OL · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jul 15, 2026
Some Palisade (LX2), Tucson (NX4), and Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV) vehicles may experience battery drain due to continuous operation of the cooling fan after vehicle ignition has been turned off, potentially resulting in a…
26-EE-007H TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 17, 2026
Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn self-leveling rear shock absorbers. Hyundai is extending…
26-SS-001H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jun 11, 2026
Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may produce noise from AWD coupling vibrations when making turns caused by a logic error with the All Wheel Drive Electronic Control Unit (AWD ECU). This bulletin provides instructions to…
26-TC-001H · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2026
Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the engine oil filter…
26-EM-012H DCS · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 30, 2026
Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the engine oil filter…
26-EM-012H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 30, 2026
Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the engine oil filter…
26-EM-012H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 30, 2026
Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn self-leveling rear shock absorbers. Hyundai is extending…
26-SS-001H DCS · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 22, 2026
Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn self-leveling rear shock absorbers. Hyundai is extending…
26-SS-001H DN · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 22, 2026
Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn self-leveling rear shock absorbers. Hyundai is extending…
26-SS-001H TSB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 22, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2020 Hyundai Palisade has 5 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2020 Hyundai Palisade?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 5,860 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.