Recalled components: trailer hitch, air bags, seat belts, visibility/wiper, and 2 more. Most-described problem: seat belt problems (63 complaints, 14%). Most-reported area: seat belts (113 complaints, 25%; median mileage when it happened: 50,000).
Fewer complaints than a typical Palisade year
The 2021 drew 164 owner complaints in its first three years, against about 188 for a typical Palisade year.
No Palisade year stands out enough to avoid. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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. 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.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. 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.
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."
Risk: Improper side curtain air bag deployment increases the risk of injury during a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. 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 recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on January 24, 2026.
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.
Risk: Seat belt buckles that fail to latch may not properly restrain occupants in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. 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. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 283. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on September 13, 2025.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2025 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.
Risk: Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. Hyundai's number for this recall is 243. This recall is an expansion of recall number 22V-627.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Palisade vehicles.
The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
Risk: Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. Hyundai's number for this recall is 233.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Palisade vehicles.
The brake fluid may be contaminated, which can cause the brake master cylinder inner-cup seals to swell, and reduce braking performance.
Risk: Reduced braking performance can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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. Hyundai's number for this recall is 212.
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Palisade vehicles.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2021 Hyundai Palisade; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Inadvertent seat belt unlatch
Preliminary evaluation PE24021Closed Dec 12, 2025 (opened Aug 7, 2024)
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… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 25V-607, listed above.
NHTSA listing: PALISADE. Component: Seat belts.
Windshield wiper failure
Recall query RQ22005Closed May 26, 2023 (opened Dec 2, 2022)
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.
NHTSA ties this investigation to recall 23V-180, listed above.
A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 449 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Palisade. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 50,000 miles at failure, from 15 reports with mileage
Engine63 · 14%
Electrical system56 · 12%
Visibility/wiper48 · 11%
Suspension31 · 7%
Powertrain25 · 6%
Body structure20 · 4%
Most named: body (19)
Unknown or other83 · 18%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Hyundai Palisade recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Palisade drew the most (318) and the 2021 drew 164.
Owner complaints
2021: 449 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Hyundai Palisade
Model year
Complaints
2020
543
2021
449
2022
322
2023
411
2024
398
2025
257
2026
140
Safety recalls
2021: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Hyundai Palisade
Model year
Recalls
2020
5
2021
6
2022
5
2023
5
2024
5
2025
3
2026
3
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 449 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade, the problems described most are seat belt problems (63), a cracked or shattered windshield (42), and excessive oil consumption (34). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Hyundai Palisade safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Hyundai Palisade earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Dec 12, 2025.
How do I check if my Palisade has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Hyundai dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: PALISADE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.