2021 Hyundai Palisade Reliability & Problems

1. 1.Seat belts unlatch while drivingSeriousAbout 1 in 5 complaints18,000–63,000 mi20%

   Owners describe belts that unlatch while driving, take several attempts to latch, or set off the belt alarm, often in the second row and with booster seats. Reports of this problem typically come at about 42,900 miles, with a middle range of 18,000 to 63,000 miles. Recall 25V607 is mentioned by owners, and a few also mention recall 26V034.

   What owners describe

   • Second-row belt problems26%
   • Belt comes undone while driving8%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: recall repair (5 reports). Recall 25V607000.

   Mileage

   42,900 mi

   Middle half 18,000–63,000 mi · 15 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   20%

   87 of 440 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   1%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “The passenger rear seatbelt had released on its own when braking hard with a child buckled in a booster seat”

   “Since the technician could not replicate the problem that day, they tell me there is nothing to be done.”

   “Middle row seat behind the driver the seatbelt has come unbuckled while the car is in motion many times.”

2. 2.Windshield cracks easilySeriousAbout 1 in 10 complaints1,100–7,000 mi10%

   Owners describe spiderweb cracks and chips from tiny pebbles, often on the highway, and some report damage within days of buying the vehicle. Reports typically come at about 3,100 miles, with most by 7,000 miles. This model year has no recall for it.

   What owners describe

   • Chips found after driving21%
   • Crack from a small pebble16%
   • Replacement and camera calibration9%
   • Crack that spreads7%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: windshield replaced (3 reports).

   Mileage

   3,100 mi

   Middle half 1,100–7,000 mi · 18 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   10%

   43 of 440 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

3. 3.Engine burns oilSeriousAbout 1 in 13 complaints86,000–100,000 mi8%

   Owners describe an empty dipstick, a check engine light, loss of power and in some cases complete engine failure. Reports typically come at about 94,700 miles, with a middle range of 86,000 to 100,000 miles. This model year has no recall for it.

   What owners describe

   • Check engine light or lost power20%
   • Little or no oil on the dipstick17%
   • Frequent oil top-ups needed14%
   • Engine misfire or rattling9%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: oil consumption test (3 reports).

   Mileage

   94,700 mi

   Middle half 86,000–100,000 mi · 13 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   8%

   35 of 440 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “Hyundai has repeatedly denied my claim, citing maintenance issues and gross negligence without justification.”

   “I noticed at around 110,000 miles that my oil was getting low before each oil change.”

4. 4.Engine stalls while drivingCriticalAbout 1 in 18 complaints77,000–94,700 mi5%

   Owners describe the car shutting off at a red light, on the highway and going up a hill, sometimes with the brakes feeling unresponsive or the car not restarting for about 15 minutes. Some also mention no oil in the engine. This model year has no recall for it.

   What owners describe

   • Engine shuts off while driving38%
   • Will not restart right away13%
   • Check engine light8%
   • No oil in the engine8%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: in the shop for diagnosis (1 report).

   Mileage

   90,000 mi

   Middle half 77,000–94,700 mi · 5 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   5%

   24 of 440 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   0%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “The vehicle would shut off when idling at lights or in reverse and have delayed acceleration after stops.”

   “Every single warning light lit up at once then the car completely shut off within a matter of seconds.”

   “Since the issue is intermittent and can't be replicated at the dealership, there is no fix offered.”

5. 5.Sunroof glass shatters suddenlySeriousAbout 1 in 19 complaints19,600–49,900 mi5%

   Owners describe a loud bang followed by shattered glass, often on the interstate or at highway speed, with glass falling inside the cabin or onto cars behind. Few reports give a mileage. This model year has no recall for it.

   What owners describe

   • Sunroof glass shatters87%
   • Loud bang or explosion sound30%
   • Hole in the glass13%

   Fix

   Most common repair owners describe: dealer repair (1 report).

   Mileage

   34,700 mi

   Middle half 19,600–49,900 mi · 2 reports

   Repair cost

   —

   Fewer than 10 owners report a repair cost

   How common

   5%

   23 of 440 complaints

   Crash, fire or injury

   4%

   of these complaints

   In owners' words

   “Moving portion of panoramic sunroof glass exploded outwards while driving 60 MPH.”

Press each seat belt firmly into its buckle and tug it to confirm it is secured, as the recall advice says, until the recall repair is done. Watch for belts that come undone while driving, a belt alarm, a low oil level or a check engine light. If the engine shuts off, loses power or runs out of oil, pull over safely and have the vehicle checked before driving on. Confirm that recalls 25V607 and 26V034 have been completed, and park outside if the tow hitch recall 22V633 is still open.

89 problems found in all 440 complaints. One complaint can describe more than one problem, so counts add up to more than the total. Not counted as a defect: 30 about recall paperwork or parts delays, 4 describing no vehicle defect. Typical miles, repair cost and fix rate show only when enough owners report them.

• Complaints. NHTSA's owner complaint file, counted as unique complaint numbers for make HYUNDAI, model PALISADE, model year 2021. Data through Oct 4, 2026.
• Verdict. Judged from this model year's own complaints, not against other models, using shares rather than counts. Serious known problems: one serious problem (transmission, engine or stalling, steering, brakes, airbags, fire, fuel leaks) is in a quarter or more of complaints; or a smaller but clear cluster comes with an unusual share of crash, fire, injury or loss-of-power reports or early failures; or an urgent recall or NHTSA investigation matches a top complaint. Some known problems: one of those signals on its own. No pattern of serious problems: none of them; this doesn't mean the vehicle is trouble-free. Too few complaints to judge: under 50 complaints. Why this verdict: An NHTSA investigation into inadvertent seat belt unlatch (PE24021, closed with recall 25V607), matching a top complaint.
• No grade or class ranking. Raw complaint counts favor models that sell fewer cars, so we don't score or rank this vehicle against other models until we can adjust for sales.
• Trouble spots and history. Complaints grouped by the part owners chose when filing. The history grid counts complaints filed in each model year's first 3 years so older and newer years compare fairly; years with fewer than 3 complete years are marked too new.
• Named problems. Every one of the 440 complaints was researched and classified by its problems, severity, symptoms, repairs and any cost the owner mentions; the counts, costs and fix rates on this page are tallies of those classifications. Quotes are verbatim excerpts, checked against the original text. Engines are decoded from partial VINs with NHTSA's vPIC service.
• Repair costs and fix rates. Shown only when at least 10 owners report a repair cost, or at least 10 complaints describe whether a repair worked.
• Not adjusted for sales. Not affiliated with NHTSA. Page updated Nov 5, 2026.