Skip to content
KLUNK
KLUNK

2021 Hyundai Palisade

The Verdict

30 Check Engine

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade has 445 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are body (301 complaints) and engine (64 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 30/100, it earns a "Check Engine" rating. If you're shopping for a Hyundai Palisade, consider the 2025 model year which has 43% fewer complaints.

Safe Bet

The 2025 has 43% fewer complaints

View the 2025 Hyundai Palisade dashboard →

30

Klunk Score: Check Engine

More complaints than most vehicles. Known issues exist — budget for potential repairs.

How is this calculated?

The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.

Recalls 2

Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.

23V180000 VISIBILITY/WIPER

Hyundai 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 windshi...

Risk

Windshield wiper failure can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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. Hyun...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

21V840000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FLUID

Hyundai 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 bra...

Risk

Reduced braking performance can extend the distance required to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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...

Reported Apr 10, 2026

Get notified if a recall hits this car.

We email you when NHTSA issues a new recall on the 2021 Hyundai Palisade. No spam, no marketing.

Under the Hood

Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.

YearBodyBrakesElectricalEngineTransmission
202033184814113
20213019566415
20222121129567
202321777464027
2024110219362111
20251039038175

By Category

Body
301
Engine
64
Electrical
56
Transmission
15
Brakes
9

By Severity

1
224
2
208
3
5
4
8

Worst Problems

Compare Against

See how the 2021 Hyundai Palisade stacks up against rivals.

Complaints

Engine 2

I am the original owner of a 2021 Hyundai Palisade SEL AWD (74,225 miles) reporting repeated engine shutdowns in traffic, severe rough idling, and an unresolved safety concern. The problem began XXX. I first brought the vehicle to Hyundai on XXX and have sought service approximately four times since June. Despite technicians stating they could not reproduce the issue, the engine stalled again on XXX after I picked it up from service. The dealership also instructed me to complete a 1,000-mile oil consumption test. When I returned after 750 miles, I was told I had returned too early. The engine subsequently shut off twice on XXX. Documented incidents: XXX 1:53 PM: Engine shut off on [XXX]. XXX, 5:38 PM: Engine shut off on [XXX]. XXX, 5:08 AM: Engine shut off at [XXX] exit, [XXX] XXX 11:35 AM: Engine stalled at [XXX]/[XXX]. XXX, 12:30 PM: Engine stalled at [XXX]/[XXX]; check engine light illuminated. XXX, 10:57 AM: Near-stall with severe rough idling at Los Gatos Farmers Market. After further rough idling, the check engine light remained illuminated. On XXX the dealership service advisor personally experienced severe rough idling and an apparent near-stall while moving my vehicle, with the check engine light on. I heard her acknowledge the issue. The vehicle remains at the dealership. I provided a written incident log and opened Hyundai case #XXX. Repeated engine shutdowns at intersections and freeway exits pose a serious collision risk. I request NHTSA investigate this potential safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

6d ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to complete the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was notified of the issue.

6d ago
Body 2

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the driver-side and passenger-side captain seat belts independently unlatched while occupied by the contact's minor children. The contact stated that the failure occurred during the winter. The dealer was made aware of the failure, which the dealer associated with an open recall; however, parts were unavailable. The contact later received an email notification from the dealer stating that parts could not be ordered because the manufacturer placed a hold on the parts. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (Seat Belts); however, parts remained unavailable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

13d ago
Engine 1

Due to a known oil consumption issue the manufacture replaced the engine using a short block swap, they used the old fuel injectors and during the swap one of them failed, becoming stuck open. Now they refuse to fix it without me paying for labor. The failed fuel injector occurred immediately following a mandatory manufacturer engine replacement and poses a thermal/fire hazard.

17d ago
Body 1

Larsen Automotive in Pine Bluff, AR replaced the spark plugs on this vehicle recently, and while the vehicle was at the shop, I asked the mechanic to look at my suspension as my vehicle has become very rough when driving and I noticed loud "popping/clicking" noises within my vehicle's rear end. The mechanic noted that 2021 Hyundai Palisades had a lot of issues with rear suspension failure and that this should be reported to Hyundai in an effort to get the vehicle fixed. The mechanic noted that suspension failure could lead to unsafe driving, which in turn could cause harm to the driver/passengers. Upon investigation, the mechanic confirmed that the rear suspension was failing and needed to be replaced. There were no warning lights regarding the failing suspension, but the rough drive and the audible noises coming from the car started months prior to the diagnosis by the automotive repair shop. Since that time, I have submitted a message regarding the suspension failure issue to Hyundai via their website. I have not yet received any feedback from the company.

17d ago
Electrical 2

Blind spot warning system stopped working. Then speedometer stopping working registering 0 both digital and the circle. Then all lights started going off on the dashboard. My dealer cleared codes and errors went to history but not active. When I went to drive again blind spot didn’t work and speedometer didn’t work. I didn’t drive further after that. I heard there was an issue with the 2022 dashboard cluster.

20d ago
Body 1

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V607000 (Seat Belts); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the seat belts failed to latch properly in cold weather. The seat belt audible alert was sounded. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were on backorder. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.

20d ago
Engine 1

I have multiple recalls that have not been fixed that are safety issues this is disgraceful I would like help from a higher power than myself to get this sorted this is our family car shame on hyundai

22d ago
Body 1

The sunroof opened crooked and would not close. After several attempts to close the sunroof a piece of the frame broke.

26d ago
Body 1

Dealership is stating that they don’t have a firm date to repair or recall on seatbelt buckles. Original notice was sent in September 2025. The day before we were scheduled to have service in March/April of this year they called and canceled today they put us on the schedule for December but I have not sent anything as to us for sure having those buckles available we were told when they canceled our first appointment that new vehicle vehicles were being prioritized over used vehicles that were already on the road.

26d ago
Body 2

The sunroof malfunctioned in a way that the manufacturer has already admitted is an issue in TSB 23-BD-003H - without warning, with a mechanism that is rarely used by us. According to many reports, despite this being a known defect, the manufacturer requires payment if the vehicle is out of warranty. A finding on behalf of NHTSA would greatly help owners who have this happen through no fault of their own.

28d ago
Engine 1

Whatever you do, do not purchase a Hyundai vehicle. Their engines are defective. On XXX, I brought my car in for service at Castle Hyundai, [XXX]. I informed the service representative that I was having issues with my car stopping and automatically applying the braking system intermittently. They looked at the car and said they saw nothing was wrong. They charged me $940.30 for diagnostics and replacing a couple of belts and oil filter housing leak. I started having the same issue in XXX and I brought my car in again. This time they told me that my car was burning oil internally and that I would have to have a Combustion Chamber Cleaning. I was informed by the Service Manager that this was a common problem with my vehicles model year and that if was a requirement to for the Warranty people to initiate changing the engine. I paid $1,094.26 for this service. I was told to bring the car back after driving the car an additional 1,000 miles. I was also told by that service manager that his dealership changes about 200 engines a month due to this issue. I took the car back to the dealership after driving the 1,000 miles. I sent them photos of the 3 oil changes I could find documentation for, and I had one done at this dealership. I was informed by the dealership that the warranty company and Hyundai when asked, refused my claim. I called the warranty company myself and they would not uphold my claim. I then contacted the Regional Case Manager, and they tried to tell me something different. They told me my car was over warranty and that the engine was only covered up to 60,000 miles. I have the Warranty in my hand, and it says lifetime warranty. This is not fair. I am [XXX] old and I bought the car with 31,000 miles on the car. I have consistent and periodic oil changes but could not remember all the places. This is the first Hyundai I have purchased and I am asking that my claim be upheld and executed s INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

1mo ago
Engine 1

I have been dealing with the oil consumption issues for this vehicle for about 2 years now. There are documented complaints and a class action lawsuit in California about this issue. Bottom line, the engine burns too much oil to be safely driven between oil changes without the owner checking and adding oil. My particular vehicle is burning just under 1 quart of oil per 1000 miles. Hyundai’s owner manual suggests changing the oil every 7,500 miles, but the oil capacity is under 6 quarts. At the current rate, I would run out of oil before the suggested oil change interval. This is a severe safety issue as engines require oil to run correctly, not overheat, and lubricate all the moving parts. The previous generation Hyundai models also had similar oil consumption issues. Those vehicles had a NHTSA campaign which resulted in Hyundai being responsible to fix the engines. I believe a recall is proper given the safety concerns noted above. At a minimum, Hyundai should stand by their work and fix the issues as they arise.

1mo ago
Engine 1

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 engine got a rod knock even with oil changes every 5k miles. No warning signs for either and no lights on the dash. It just started when I started it to leave for work one morning.

1mo ago
Body 2

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 there. Upon inspection, the dealership determined that the driver’s seat frame had a weld failure. The vehicle had approximately 42,500 miles at the time. There were no warning lights or dashboard messages indicating a problem with the seat before I noticed the movement. This was not simply a cosmetic or comfort issue. The structural failure allowed the driver’s seat to move during normal vehicle operation. I am concerned that a failed weld in the driver’s seat frame could compromise the stability of the seat during normal driving and potentially during hard braking, an evasive maneuver, or a collision. The defect was identified and documented by the dealership. The vehicle has not been involved in an accident or other event that would explain the seat-frame weld failure. I reported the matter to the manufacturer and a case was opened. I am submitting this complaint because a structural weld failure in a driver’s seat at approximately 42,500 miles raises a safety concern and I believe NHTSA should determine whether similar failures are occurring in other vehicles. The vehicle/failed component can be made available for inspection if requested.

1mo ago
Body 1

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.

1mo ago
Body 3

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while the liftgate was open to retrieve objects from the trunk of the vehicle, the second-row passenger’s side seat collapsed on her disabled daughter. The contact was alerted by her daughter's screams and ran over to the rear passenger’s side to unhook the seat belt and pull her daughter out of the seat, but the seat remained folded. The contact's daughter suffered injuries to her face and hand. Medical attention was received. The failure recurred while the contact and a nurse were placing the contact's daughter in the rear passenger’s seat. The contact stated that the third-row seat also collapsed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where unknown recall repairs were performed unrelated to the failure. The contact was informed that there were no recalls associated with the VIN for the seats, and the vehicle was not repaired. The insurance company was notified of the failure and had the vehicle towed for inspection. The insurance company determined that the failure was a manufacturer's defect. The manufacturer was notified of the failure by phone, email, and website, and a case was filed. The manufacturer offered a cash settlement. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

1mo ago
Body 2

My car started having the airbag light come off and on randomly the end of January 2026. I caught the first photo February. My car engine shut off the first time March 18. 2026. I was at a traffic light, auto off turned off. Car switched to park, dash lights included: oil, battery, engine, and immobilizer incon. When trying to hit drive it tells me the driving conditions aren't met. I shut the car off and back on, everything reset. Contacted hyundai and no codes were stored. My car has now done this same thing the following dates: 6.5, 7.3, 8.4(car went into the shop August 6th-September 3rd). They could not duplicate what I told them, they drove the car 100 miles being mainly freeway miles though I told them its city driving and mainly idle and stopping. I drove my car 3 days and on 9.6.26 it did it twice within 5 minutes. First time on a main road/traffic lights, next in the parking lot I pulled in. Same scenario as above.

1mo ago
Engine 1

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving my 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD. The vehicle has experienced repeated engine and drivability problems and multiple breakdowns following replacement of the engine by Hyundai. The original engine developed excessive oil consumption and was ultimately replaced by Hyundai with a new engine. Following the engine replacement, the vehicle experienced numerous additional mechanical problems and repair attempts, including engine rattling/pinging, intake-manifold replacement, oil valve-seal replacement, multiple cylinder misfires, ignition-system problems and an ignition-coil failure. Most concerning are repeated incidents involving severe shaking/lurching, loss of engine power, stalling and failure to restart. During one incident following repairs, the vehicle ran extremely rough, stalled and would not restart after approximately 20 miles of driving and had to be towed back to the dealership. During another incident, the vehicle experienced heavy shaking on startup, stalled and had severely limited power. Diagnostic history showed misfires involving multiple cylinders. On June 29, 2026, at approximately 103,671 miles, I was driving at approximately 50 mph when the vehicle began to lurch and shake, lost power, stalled and would not restart. The vehicle had to be towed back to the Hyundai dealership. The unexpected loss of propulsion and stalling while traveling at approximately 50 mph created a serious safety concern because I could no longer rely upon the vehicle to maintain power in traffic. The dealership subsequently identified an ignition-coil short/failure and replaced an ignition coil. The vehicle has nevertheless continued to experience additional mechanical problems. The vehicle is currently again at the Hyundai dealership. It has generated diagnostic code P0430 for Bank 2 catalyst efficiency below threshold, and Hyundai has recommended replacement of both catalytic converter/manifold assemblies. Th

1mo ago
Body 1

I purchased a used 2021 Hyundai Palisades Limited addition , 24 days ago, On August 7th 2026, the car had 57,033 miles at the time of purchase. It now has 57,844. I started to open the sunroof for the 3rd or 4th time since owning it and I heard a crack sound, and it stopped about 4 or 5 inches opened..I tried to open it more and then saw towards the front by the Deflector end that on each side of the track there were little flimsy plastic pieces that looked bent and broken..I now have an open sunroof in the front and the back of it was up. I slowly tapped the switch and managed to get the front closed however the back is still open. As I read more on this I see it is a KNOWN ISSUE with MANY Of these SUNROOFS from 2020-2022 !! TBS 23-BD 003H-1. I just bought this car used just under 30,000 , I have called the dealership , Huntington Beach Hyundai Dealership and my salesman said he would find out if its covered under the limited 60 day warranty. This is just WRONG this should be a RECALL .I'm reading on line hundreds if not thousands have had this happen. I paid just under 30,000 It only has 57,844 miles on it and now I"M to pay from what I read 3,000 - 8,000 to repair or replace this sunroof ??????? This is a SCAM !! I'm requesting that this please be called as a RECALL this is not right ! I will be talking with an attorney who handles lemon laws and inquire what my rights are. I now have to worry about break-Ins and rain , and of course no car washes...I'm so upset I could spit fire ! Please let me know what is going to be done about this. How can Hyundai get away with this ??? Cheaply built Car for sure !

1mo ago

445 total

1/ 23
Report a Klunk