⌘K
Home›Hyundai›Palisade›2021
Hyundai · Midsize / large SUV

2021 Hyundai Palisade

Gas
Standard Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
2 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
F
Safety Signal
45 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical6
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA430
Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA22 mpg
20272026202520242023202220212020
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize or large SUV with 2 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Palisade FWD, is EPA-rated at 22 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of F. Owners have filed 430 complaints, most often about the seat belts. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Palisade FWDGasFWD3.8L 6-cyl192622$2,850
Palisade AWDGasAWD3.8L 6-cyl192421$2,950

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42609, 42610.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

Compare coverage →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (6)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Air Bags

292
568,576 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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."RiskImproper side curtain air bag deployment increases the risk of injury during a crash.FixDealers 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 rec
NHTSA campaign 26V034000reported Jan 22, 2026Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Seat Belts

283
568,580 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskSeat belt buckles that fail to latch may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixPassengers 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. O
NHTSA campaign 25V607000reported Sep 11, 2025Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Visibility/Wiper

243
167,085 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskWindshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 23V180000reported Mar 17, 2023Hyundai Motor America
!critical

Trailer Hitches

235
Park outside244,980 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskA fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V633000reported Aug 18, 2022Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Visibility

233
122,949 vehicles
ProblemHyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Palisade vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.RiskWindshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 22V627000reported Aug 15, 2022Hyundai Motor America
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

212
995 vehicles
ProblemHyundai 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.RiskReduced braking performance can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixDealers 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.
NHTSA campaign 21V840000reported Oct 27, 2021Hyundai Motor America

NHTSA defect investigations

Seat Belts — Inadvertent Seat Belt Unlatch closed

On August 7, 2024, the Office 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. The complaints alleged that, without warning, the seat belts sometimes inadvertently unlatch, increasing the risk of injury due to full loss of seat belt protection in the event of a crash. As a result of information exchanged as part of the investigation, on April 3, 2025, Hyundai initiated a warranty extension policy for seat belt buckles on model year 2020-2025 Palisade vehicles in the U.S. and Canada.  Hyundai subsequently initiated a request for wa

Opened Aug 7, 2024 · closed Dec 12, 2025 · action PE24021

Visibility/Wiper — Windshield Wiper Failure closed

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. Intermittent or inoperative windshield wipers could reduce driver visibility while operating the vehicle in inclement weather, increasing the risk of a crash.On December 2, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) after receiving 6 consumer complaints alleging windshield wi

Opened Dec 2, 2022 · closed May 26, 2023 · action RQ22005

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
430complaints filed

8 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 19 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2020: 16 · 2021: 57 · 2022: 39 · 2023: 52 · 2024: 63 · 2025: 118 · 2026: 85

Most-cited components

Seat Belts108
Unspecified80
Electrical System55
Engine55
Visibility/Wiper48
Suspension30

What owners describe

“The contact's friend owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the emergency automatic braking inadvertently engaged. The emergency braking system warning light was illuminated. The driver had to manually release the parking brake. Additionally, while driving a stone struck the front w…”Sep 13, 2021 · Visibility · NHTSA owner report
“Had my car in shop for over 30 days on my last visit, was there 4 other times. When you reach speeds of 62 mph to 73 mph car has vibration in seat and steering wheel along with feeling it. They rotated tires, replaced drive shaft, replaced rear differential and fluids. Was told to come get car there is nothing they can…”Sep 13, 2021 · Power Train · NHTSA owner report
“The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal noise and the contact noticed that the bottom corner on the driver’s side front windshield was cracked. The crack obstructed his view while driving. The contact called the local dealer who informe…”Sep 1, 2021 · Visibility · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆14%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Other Palisade model years

A

2027 Hyundai Palisade

0 recalls · 1 complaints

C

2026 Hyundai Palisade

3 recalls · 114 complaints

D

2025 Hyundai Palisade

3 recalls · 240 complaints

F

2024 Hyundai Palisade

5 recalls · 383 complaints

F

2023 Hyundai Palisade

5 recalls · 396 complaints

F

2022 Hyundai Palisade

5 recalls · 302 complaints

F

2020 Hyundai Palisade

5 recalls · 529 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

JSON for this page · API