Home · 2021 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Hev · Complaints

What 413 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Hev

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (413)Crash / fire / injury (12)Seat belts (104)Visibility & wipers (61)Electrical system (53)Engine (49)Suspension (30)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Driver assistance (20)Body & structure (17)Steering (13)Trailer Hitches (13)

12 of 413 complaints match · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Jul 8, 2026SeatsDriver assistanceCrash1 injury

On XXX, after leaving an appointment at an office building, I returned to my vehicle and noticed that the driver’s seat recline function was not working properly. The seat was already pushed forward to its highest position and would not recline further. I was still able to enter and operate the vehicle somewhat but remained parked. I reviewed Hyundai resources to see whether there was an update or known issue related to the seat concern. When I could not resolve the issue through available resources, I contacted the Hyundai dealership in Henderson. I provided my information and explained that the driver’s seat recline function was not working. I was transferred to Hyundai Customer Service. During that call, I explained that I was approximately 15 minutes away from the dealership and requested repair of the issue regardless of warranty status because I considered it a safety concern. This never happened before at all. While I was speaking with the Hyundai Customer Service representative, the driver’s seat moved again unexpectedly. As a result, I moved forward toward the steering wheel area. After that movement, the vehicle rolled or moved forward and contacted the rear of another vehicle. After the collision, the driver’s seat recline function still was not operating properly. I documented the condition with video evidence, and two witnesses observed the vehicle and the seat condition after the collision. When I contacted Hyundai, I was very upset to learn that the call I had with the customer service representative was not documented anywhere. Also, no one contacted me although I was in distress, crying, and in the accident and the customer service representative knew this. There was no aid or phone call follow ups to me by Hyundai customer care at all. Hyundai Motor America opened a case investigation and instructed me not to perform repairs at this time so the vehicle could be preserved for inspection. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11749211

Jul 5, 2026Electrical systemCrash

Vehicle Incident Statement – 2021 Hyundai Palisade Driver/Owner: [Your Name] Vehicle: 2021 Hyundai Palisade Date of Incident: [Insert Date] Location: Restaurant drive-thru (vehicle stopped in line) Summary of Incident On the date listed above, I was stopped in a restaurant drive-thru lane with the vehicle in drive and Auto Hold engaged. The vehicle had recently had a battery replacement performed at a Hyundai dealership on the day prior to the incident (repair order available). While stopped, I pressed the accelerator to move forward in the drive-thru line. The vehicle did not respond immediately. There was a brief delay, followed by a sudden and unexpected surge of acceleration. Vehicle Behavior The vehicle accelerated rapidly after a short delay in response to accelerator input The brake pedal felt normal when pressed Applying the brake did not appear to slow or stop the vehicle effectively The vehicle continued moving forward and struck another vehicle Additional Relevant Information The Idle Stop & Go (auto start/stop) system had not been functioning for approximately one year prior to the incident On the day of the incident (after battery replacement), the auto start/stop system began functioning again unexpectedly The vehicle had no known prior issues with unintended acceleration No floor mat or physical obstruction was present affecting the accelerator pedal (to the best of my knowledge) Vehicle Condition The vehicle has not yet been repaired or inspected and is currently being held pending evaluation. I am requesting that all diagnostic data, including vehicle event data recorder (EDR) information and control module logs, be preserved and reviewed. Request I am requesting a full diagnostic and safety review of the vehicle’s electronic throttle, braking, and Auto Hold systems, including any stored fault codes and event data. Check engine light was on for a week prior to service at dealership and dealership told me they could not service it at that time.

NHTSA ODI 11748376

May 4, 2026Body & structureBrakesFuel systemCrash5 injuries

While driving, the vehicle in front of me stopped suddenly. When I pressed on the brake pedal it felt stuck and did not respond properly. The forward collision automatic braking system did not activate. This resulted in a crash. After the incident, the vehicle had fluid leaks and severe front-end damage and is not drivable. I am concerned there was brake system failure prior to impact.

NHTSA ODI 11735447

May 4, 2026BrakesDriver assistanceCrash5 injuries

While driving the vehicle ahead brake suddenly. When I applied the brake pedal, it felt abnormally stiff/stuck and did not provide Norma breaking response. Th vehicle did not decelerate as expected despite immediate pedal input. At the same time, the Forward Collision Avoidance Assist system did not activate or provide any braking assistance. Due to the lack of effective braking, I was unable to stop in time and a collision occurred. The primary concern is a potential failure or malfunction in the braking system occurring prior to impact combined with the apparent failure of the automatic emergency braking system to engage. This created a situation where the vehicle could not be stopped under emergency conditions posing a serious safety risk

NHTSA ODI 11735473

Mar 24, 2026Seats1 injury

The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and running with the third-row passenger’s side seat in the cargo position, and the driver’s side third-row seat in the upright position, the [XXX] child pressed the third-row seat button, and the passenger’s side third-row seat opened and pinned the child’s leg between the driver and passenger’s side third-row seats. The contact stated that three different people pressed the third-row seat button, but the seat failed to respond. The contact's father and husband both pushed and pulled in opposite directions, and the contact was able to pull the child's leg out from the seats. The child sustained right leg injuries, and the leg was red and swollen. No medical attention was needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that a remedy had not yet been developed. The failure mileage was 171,403. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11726769

Dec 15, 2025AirbagsCrash1 injury

A car attempted to make a left hand turn across our lane of traffic. We didn't have any chance to break to avoid the collision and all front airbags were deployed. The front passenger airbag didn't seem to deploy properly and seems that it inflated upwards to the windshield and not toward the passenger. The windshield was shattered by the airbags sending glass into the passenger compartment.

NHTSA ODI 11705116

Jan 8, 2024Seat belts1 injury

The second row seat belt is weak and unbuckles suddenly. My child's seatbelt will unclick spontaneously after driving. It is a hassle to click when putting seatbelt on. Big safety hazard for family members sitting in second row seat as they are left unprotected during an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11564140

Aug 31, 20221 injury

While driving on I-95 near Bangor Maine there was a loud noise. The sun roof glass exploded and glass fell inside on the driver and passenger. Glass also flew into the air on the vehicles traveling behind. There where no vehicles traveling in front of it during the glass explosion.

NHTSA ODI 11482145

Jan 24, 2022AirbagsCrash3 injuries

While my vehicle was stopped on the left turn lane, another vehicle coming from opposite direction was veered into the left turn lane which resulted in striking driver side of my vehicle. The damage was severe enough that my vehicle was eventually totaled. Despite the such strong impact, no airbag was deployed including side airbags.

NHTSA ODI 11448664

Jan 6, 2022Electrical systemEngineFuel systemCrashFire

Another vehicle t-boned my vehicle on the front left side. We were both traveling around 15 mph. As soon as he struck my vehicle, the air bags were deployed and the car instantly caught fire. The car was on fire before I was at a complete stop. I was able to pry the door open and crawl through a small opening after moving the air bags out of the way. I had to crawl into traffic to be able to escape the fire. If the door had been jammed more severely then I wouldn't have been able to make it out in time before the fire reached me. If my kids had been in the vehicle, then I would not have been able to get them out before the fire got to them. The police determined that the fire started at the engine. My insurance totaled the vehicle and then it was removed from the towing yard and taken to Montgomery. There were no prior issues or any warnings/messages before the incident.

NHTSA ODI 11446473

Dec 22, 2021Lane DepartureCrash

From driver: "While traveling westbound on John Lynch St, I approached the left turn lane heading southbound on Valley St. I engaged the brakes and began navigating the left turn at approx. 30 MPH. While turning, the vehicle's "Lane Assist" engaged preventing me from completing the turn. Halfway into the turn, the vehicle continued westbound, hopped the curb, and collided with a stationary road sign that was not in use. I continued through the intersection and pulled off the roadway." Follow-on questions: 1) How fast was the customer traveling when they were actively turning? A. 30 MPH, which I am assuming was the approach speed. To the best of the vehicle operator's recollection, the approach speed was appropriately 40-45 MPH, with an active turn speed of 30 MPH. 2) What was the recent usage of the vehicle before the incident? Was it used that day? How long had the vehicle been driving before the incident? A. The vehicle was driven, by the same driver, approximately 12 miles to work the morning of the accident. Prior to the accident, the vehicle was driven around the same city as the accident for approximately two hours. 3) Did any vehicle operator notice anything wrong or unusual about the vehicle prior to the incident? A. Vehicle operator observed that the Lane Assist Dash Board Icon was blinking on and off throughout the course of a few hours prior to the accident. Vehicle operator attempted to disable the Lane Assist feature by both pressing and holding the Lane Assist Button located inside of the vehicle. 4) Any after-market equipment installed? A. Vehicle was equipped with both Law Enforcement Lights and Law Enforcement Siren. 5) Any upfits? A. The vehicle did not have up-fits. 6) Will the customer agency consent to the OEM (or NHTSA) retrieving information from the vehicle's Event Data Recorder? A. Yes.

NHTSA ODI 11444672

Jul 31, 2021Body & structure1 injury

I cut my leg, badly, getting out of the car. There is a very sharp edge on the bottom corner of the door. My leg brushed against the door and I got a 2-inch long, deep gash. A review of Hyundai Palisade owner websites show other people have experienced the same issue.

NHTSA ODI 11427308

Working with the data? Download all 413 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2021 Hyundai Palisade Hybrid Hev verdict →