2021 Hyundai Palisade problems & reliability
434 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade, alongside 6 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Sep 23, 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 components.
10 complaints report injuries (20 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2021 Hyundai Palisade vehicles were involved in 18 fatal crashes with 8 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Seat Belts → | 108 | 25% |
| Unknown / Other | 81 | 19% |
| Engine → | 56 | 13% |
| Electrical System → | 55 | 13% |
| Visibility/wiper → | 48 | 11% |
| Suspension → | 30 | 7% |
| Power Train → | 23 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 20 | 5% |
| Structure → | 20 | 5% |
| Visibility → | 15 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 27 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 46 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 10,000 miles (middle 50% between 1,850 and 64,600 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While driving down the freeway my first row sunroof exploded. Insurance wouldn’t cover it because it is a manufacturer defect, but Hyundai wouldn’t cover it because it “isn’t a manufacturer defect.” The temperature outside when the sunroof exploded was 74 degrees and it was cloudy. Then less than 2 months later my…”
Structure · filed Sep 16, 2026
“I originally brought the vehicle to the dealership for an unrelated infotainment system issue. While driving to the dealership, I noticed that the driver’s seat was rocking/moving, particularly while going downhill. I informed the dealership about the movement and asked them to inspect the seat while the vehicle was…”
Seats · filed Sep 16, 2026
“I opened my sunroof and heard a noise, I was not able to close it. I took it to a repair shop to see if they could get it closed, they advised a break in the assembly and needs to be replaced. My car is out of warranty and it’s a known issue.”
Unknown / Other · filed Sep 9, 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 · led to recall 25V607
- Windshield Wiper Failure
Recall Query RQ22005 · opened Dec 2, 2022 · closed May 26, 2023 · led to recall 23V180000
Technical service bulletins
127 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The 10 most recent:
Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. This warranty extension…
Z05 OL · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Aug 26, 2026
Certain 2020 – 2025 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. At Hyundai, we are committed to providing vehicles of…
Z15 OL · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Aug 3, 2026
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
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 2021 Hyundai Palisade has 6 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 2021 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.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 10,000 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.