2021 Hyundai Palisade problems: recalls, complaints and whether this is a year to avoid
The 2021 Hyundai Palisade has 440 owner complaints on record with NHTSA, which ranks it 1 of 4 Hyundai Palisade model years by complaint volume. That is the highest of any year in the run — the 2022 car has 309. 6 recall entries cover this year.
Is 2021 a good year for the Hyundai Palisade?
Complaint volume is fairly even across this nameplate, so the model year is a weaker signal here than it is on many cars. Read the components below rather than the totals.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recall entries |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 387 | 5 |
| 2023 | 400 | 5 |
| 2022 | 309 | 5 |
| 2021 ← this page | 440 | 6 |
Older years have been on the road longer and collect more complaints for that reason alone, and a year that sold in higher volume collects more while being no worse.
The 2021 accounts for 29% of every complaint filed against the Hyundai Palisade in this retrieval, which works out to 88.0 complaints per year on the road across the 5 years since it was sold new — the figure to compare against other years, because it removes the advantage a newer car gets simply from having had less time to accumulate reports.
Which recalls cover the 2021?
Service Brakes, Hydraulic
The brake fluid may be contaminated, which can cause the brake master cylinder inner-cup seals to swell, and reduce braking performance.
Free 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 at 1-855-371-9460.
Visibility
The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail.
Free remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side windshield wiper arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 13, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460.
Trailer Hitches
Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board…
Free remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse and wire extension kit, as necessary, free of charge.
Take the campaign number to any franchised Hyundai dealer. Recall repairs are free with no mileage or ownership limit, and they follow the car rather than the owner, so a used 2021 with an unrepaired campaign is a free repair you can claim. How recalls work.
Recall text is abridged from the NHTSA record. Search the campaign number at nhtsa.gov/recalls for the full notice and affected VIN ranges.
What do owners report on the Hyundai Palisade?
Across every Hyundai Palisade year, not the 2021 alone — NHTSA does not split component totals by model year.
- Service Brakes — 275 reports
- Seat Belts — 256 reports
- Unknown or Other — 183 reports
- Visibility/Wiper — 126 reports
If your 2021 is doing something now, these are the guides for that system — each opens with whether it is safe to keep driving:
Which other Hyundai Palisade years should you compare?
2022 Hyundai Palisade → · All Hyundai Palisade years
If you are deciding between years, the table above is the short answer and the Hyundai Palisade page carries the full run with the component breakdown. Before money changes hands, run the VIN for open recalls and read the inspection checklist — ten minutes in the seller’s driveway finds most of what matters.
Check a 2021 before you commit
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