2021 Hyundai Palisade: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
429 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Read the guide
Used Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade: the years to avoid, including 2021 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-16.
Owner complaints: 429 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 85.8
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Ive had recalls and they have not been fixed and Hyundai think its ok for me to use this vehicle with no compassion for the safety of my family disgraceful
Sunroof wind deflector broke and guide popped out of assembly. Sunroof is inoperable. I was able to manually close sunroof almost completely but air leak is still present. Water is not leaking in yet but gasket exhibits higher wear due to not being completely sealed. Once gasket inevitably fails, water will leak into car. One dealer inspected and agreed with failure mode assessment but wanted 9 man hours to fix (…
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 unavailable. The local dealer was contacted and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. Th…
Recalls: 6 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 25V607000 | Seat Belts: Rear/Other:Buckle Assembly | 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. |
| 22V627000 | Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Palisade vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail. |
| 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 windshield, causing the wipers to fail. |
| 22V633000 | Trailer Hitches | 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… |
| 26V034000 | Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain | Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2025 Palisade vehicles. The side curtain air bags for third-row occupants may deploy improperly in a crash. |
| 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 braking performance. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a full-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 21 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,950
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Seat Belts108 complaints · typical job: Pretensioner or retractor replacement (1.5 h labour + parts)$360–$800
- Unknown Or Other79 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System55 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine55 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Visibility/Wiper48 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Suspension30 complaints · typical job: Struts, springs and control-arm bushings, one axle (4.0 h labour + parts)$780–$1,580
Other Hyundai Palisade years
Hyundai Palisade years to avoid, and the best years to buy →
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Seat Belts (108 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2021 Hyundai Palisade a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 429 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2021 Hyundai Palisade's most common problem?
108 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2021 Hyundai Palisade sit in the Seat Belts group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is pretensioner or retractor replacement: about 1.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$800 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2021 Hyundai Palisade cost to run per year?
About $5,949 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $29,748 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2021 Hyundai Palisade have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 Hyundai Palisade, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 12/09/2025. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other fullsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2021 Hyundai Palisade really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Strong evidence — 429 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 429 NHTSA complaints on record (85.8/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (139.5/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems