2020 Hyundai Palisade engine problems
140 of the 537 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2020 Hyundai Palisade name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 23 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 140 reports a crash · 5 a fire · 0 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2020: 2 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 4 · 2023: 13 · 2024: 18 · 2025: 49 · 2026: 51
Half of the 15 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 14,000 and 89,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
537 complaints in all about the 2020 Hyundai Palisade, 51 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Hyundai Palisade engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
I am having 2 issues with my 2020 Palisade. First off, for the last 7 months I can feel some sort of slip in my transmission when I am between 40-60 mph. I took in in back in November to the dealership and they claim they didn’t find any issues that I could reschedule and drive it with one of the techs at another appointment.
The engine seems to be consuming oil and diminishing the oil levels before the required oil change period. This causes the vehicle to make loud noises, cause erratic error codes/issues, including stall while driving.
Excessive oil consumption. Consuming 2 qts of oil every 1000 miles. Has been to the dealership 8 times in the last 15 months. 2 spark plugs from the same cylinder have failed leaving me stranded.
I bought this car as a certified pre-owned, picked it up on January 18, 2023. This is our family car and we took it on a 350 mile each way road trip on Jan 27. Upon arrival to our destination, driving around the city I noticed a lot of white smoke coming from the exhaust.
My wife and myself were on a little road trip and the vehicle lost power while on the freeway. It wouldn't go over 60 mph which was concerning as we were in the middle of freeway traffic. I managed to get to an exit and shut off the vehicle. I restarted it and it seemed to be fine.
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications23 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- Z15 OL Warranty extensionAug 3, 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 outstanding quality and value. In an effort to meet this commitment, the warranty coverage for the Engine Oil Filter Housing Seal under these conditions has been extended to 15 years
- 26-01-010H DCS Service campaignFeb 3, 2026
- Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles equipped with 3.8L GDI Lambda II engines may not meet engine-out NOx (Nitrogen Oxides) and Particulate Matter (PM) emission standards. Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 26-01-010H provides the service procedure to update the emission logic within the Engine Control Module (ECM) to improve engine-out NOx and PM emissions, so they are within permissible specifications.
The 2 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the 2020 Hyundai Palisade
Source: the same files- visibility and wiper problems 132 complaints
- suspension problems 61 complaints
- seat belt problems 51 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2020 Hyundai Palisade?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 140 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (26% of everything owners filed about it), and 23 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2020 Hyundai Palisade?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 5 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2020 Hyundai Palisade?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 25,000 miles; half of them between 14,000 and 89,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.