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

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

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

Whilst driving on the highway, the passenger rear quarter glass detached from the car and flew into the bushes on the side of the road. I heard a whistling sound coming from the inside of the car. I checked to see if one of the windows had been opened, yet they were all closed. I figured I would check the car when I got home to see where the disturbance was coming from. Yet while I was in the right lane, traveling at the speed limit of 70 mph, the passenger RR Quarter Glass Panel detached from the side of the car. The panel was lost in the bushes but most likely shattered on impact. This may be the result of a bad urethane bead when securing the panel during assembly.

NHTSA ODI 11734235

While vacationing in Myrtle Beach with my family the vehicle alarmed and then progressed to critical failure of safety functions while traveling at approximately 55mph on Friday April 3, 2026. The vehicle was brought to Myrtle Beach Hyundai where it was eventually diagnosed and repaired as an Alternator issue that I have found to be common with this specific vehicle. The issues I have experienced with this vehicle go far beyond a typical mechanical concern. Over time, the vehicle has exhibited repeated electrical system malfunctions, including: - False blind spot collision warnings when no vehicles are present - Intermittent failure of the crash avoidance system - Loss of cruise control functionality tied to system faults - A broader electrical failure event that triggered multiple warning systems simultaneously Most concerning, these failures have occurred while the vehicle was in motion, creating an unpredictable and potentially hazardous driving condition. The loss and unreliability of critical driver-assist and safety systems directly impacts driver awareness and vehicle control, which raises serious safety concerns. Despite multiple attempts to have this diagnosed through the dealership network while under warranty, no definitive root cause was identified, and the issue has persisted. This suggests the possibility of a systemic electrical defect rather than an isolated component failure. Additionally, I have found that similar complaints involving electrical system irregularities and cascading warning system failures have been reported by other owners of this model, further supporting the concern that this may represent a known or emerging defect pattern. Given these factors, I do not believe this situation should be categorized as routine. Instead, it warrants review under the lens of: - Vehicle safety risk - Potential defect trend - Failure of critical driver-assistance systems during operation This vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer.

NHTSA ODI 11732182

Front passenger side and second row passenger side seatbelt are hard to latch and randomly unlatch.. I took it in for service several times during the warranty to ask them to look at it, and they could never replicate it.

NHTSA ODI 11684629

**Vehicle:** 2021 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy, ~75,000 miles. Purchased February 2025. **Problem 1 - Forward Camera Failure:** The forward-facing camera system controlling lane keeping assist, emergency braking, and lane departure warning has completely failed. Dashboard warnings appeared in recent weeks including "Check Forward Safety system" and "Forward Safety system disabled" before total failure. This eliminates critical safety features designed to prevent accidents, significantly increasing collision risk. Camera unit behind rearview mirror available for inspection. **Problem 2 - Rear Shock Failure:** Rear shock absorbers have failed, causing excessive clunking and compromised vehicle stability. Rear suspension has been clunking since purchase in February. This creates dangerous driving conditions with reduced stability, increased stopping distances, and poor emergency handling. This is a known issue covered under Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin 22-22-001H. **Safety Risk:** Both failures create serious safety hazards - eliminating collision avoidance systems and compromised vehicle control/stability. **Professional Confirmation:** Local Hyundai dealer has confirmed both the camera system failure and rear shock absorber failure through diagnostic testing and inspection. **Components Available:** Both the failed camera system and rear shock absorbers remain available for inspection upon request. **Request:** Investigation and remedial action for these safety-critical defects, particularly given the rear shock issue is a documented manufacturing problem per TSB 22-22-001H.

NHTSA ODI 11677175

The forward collision warming sign just activated when there is no danger. The car will suddenly apply sharp brakes when you are even on the high with a speed over 65 miles per hour. It is very dangerous and scary and can lead to accidents. My car false alarms get activated more than three times a day. I hope Hyundai will recall this and fix this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11668254

Self leveling struts continually are trash. They do not last more than 2 to 3 thousand miles of highway driving before they are no longer safe. The adaptive cruise control randomly reads as "radar blocked". And will work only intermittently.

NHTSA ODI 11657042

On expressway traveling through Atlanta, changing lanes with plenty of clearence using signal at approximately 55 mph when suddenly alarm sounded and breaking system engaged bringing car to almost complete STOP. COULD NOT ACCELERATE and fortunately made it to berm area without causing SERIOUS accident. Turned engine off and restarted vehicle and continued on my way. Had vehicle checked at dealership and they said “all checked out and we found no diagnostics problem”. Also weren’t able to duplicate incident. I hope to God I AM UNABLE to duplicate the incident and cause fatalities including myself.

NHTSA ODI 11635389

Update to complaint #11631235 At time of original complaint submission, I was unable to figure out how to share the video documentation of the vehicle speedomoter defect. Having since figured it out, I want to share this evidence with the NHTSA

NHTSA ODI 11632937

While driving on the interstate on a clear sunny day at approximately 70 mph within the span of five minutes my vehicle’s emergency braking system engaged (with visible warning on dash screen) causing breaking with a steering deviation forced to the right. There was no one immediately in the lanes next to me, and the car in front of me was 4-5 car lengths ahead, at least.

NHTSA ODI 11607047

The warning sign about FCA, LDW etc. came on while driving. Cleaned all sensors and still the warning keeps coming up.

NHTSA ODI 11584262

The Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA) System disabled Radar Blocked pops up on the screen often. I have 2 cracks on my windshield, and I do not have the funds to replace it.

NHTSA ODI 11577023

I was driving in the highway in fairly heavy rain. My lane departure system went offline first. Next my forward collision went offline. Shortly after that my check engine light came on and the vehicle started shaking. I stopped under a bridge and waited for the rain to slow. I turned the car off and on, but the issues remained. I was forced to drive 10 miles, at 30 mph, on the highway, with hazards on, to a hotel. This caused an unnecessary unsafe situation. The next day, I took to the dealer. The car ran fine. They reset the codes and said it was likely water getting into the cylinders causing 4 and 6 to fail. I really dont feel a car should do this from driving in the rain. This also caused me an unnecessary hotel stay.

NHTSA ODI 11530074

Hyundai claims that this is a "Start-Up" safety feature (meaning that it is designed to re-activate itself every time you start the car, even if you had deactivated the feature), and that there is nothing that they can do about overriding this since it is a manufacturing issue. While I appreciate the notion of Hyundai trying to promote safety, I continue to be very upset by this because the system is way too sensitive and has already on 2 separate occasions, caused the brakes to virtually lock-up involuntarily at freeway speeds on the freeways, even though I was otherwise completely in control of the vehicle and certainly not on the brink of any type of accident prior. I continue to contend that this feature is dangerous and that it certainly could cause an accident. Hyundai should not force their customers to use this dangerous feature in the interest of promoting safety, when it reality, it actually does just the opposite.

NHTSA ODI 11486986

Environment: Passing a single car on a two lane deserted highway. Daytime, sunny, no rain. Issue: The vehicle's emergency braking system activated (brakes were automatically activated along with the emergency braking cue in the instrument cluster) when the vehicle was returning into the right lane, almost causing a collision between the two vehicles at 85 mph. This occurred a second time 15 minutes later under the same conditions. The car was taken to the dealership for inspection and repair. The dealership test drove the vehicle and could not replicate the issue. Hyundai Engineering noted that since they were not able to replicate the issue and there were no active codes there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. If the radar is functioning properly, there must be an issue with the software of the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11468050

This vehicle AWD system failed, the assitance systems failed, namely: Adaptive cruise, regular cruise, blind spot warning, emergency brake assist, lane keep assist, and parking collision warning.

NHTSA ODI 11445502

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 windshield causing a crack. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle was working as designed. The contact was also informed that the windshield was on backorder. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacture was notified of the failure however, no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 10,000.

NHTSA ODI 11432771

WHILE DRIVING ON APRIL 18/2021, MY 7-MONTH-OLD LESS THAN 2000 MILES HYUNDAI PALISADE STARTED TO GIVE ME ALERTS THAT SOME SAFETYFEATURESWERE SHUTTING DOWN. WITH MESSAGES LIKE THIS "CHECK FORWARD COLLISION-AVOIDANCE ASSIST SYSTEM", THE SAME HAPPENED WITH THE LANE DEPARTURE SYSTEM AND OTHER SAFETY FEATURES.SINCE THEN THE CAR HAS CONTINUED GIVING SYSTEM ERRORS AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN DRIVING FOR A FEW MINUTES.I HAVE ALREADY AN APPOINTMENTWITH THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT ON 4/30.

NHTSA ODI 11413915

I WAS TRAVELLING AT 50MPH UNDER CRUISE CONTROL WITH LANE FOLLOWING AND LANE KEEPING. A CAR DROVE PAST ME IN THE LANE TO MY LEFT AT ABOUT 65MPH. THE COMPUTER QUICKLY TURNED MY WHEELS AND SENT ME INTO THE LANE AT MY RIGHT. IT WAS A TURNING LANE AND UNOCCUPIED. THE ANGLE OF THE CAR TO THE TURNING LANE WAS STEEP. I REGAINED CONTROL OF THE CAR BEFORE IT COULD GO OFF THE HIGHWAY TO THE LEFT.

NHTSA ODI 11375859