217 of the 3,242 complaints filed about the Hyundai Palisade are about the electrical system — 7% of everything owners reported. The worst model year for it is 2021.
217
Complaints
7%
Share of all complaints
4
Crashes
6
Fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I believe this is related to RECALL 235, Veh was parked on the street, thank god. The Palisade then spontaniusly caught fire, fire department had to be called and insurance company says its a total loss. Fire started in the rear driver side.
NHTSA complaint #11758456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:12V/24V/48V BATTERY
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and shifted into park independently. The contact stated that there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The check engine, battery, oil, and another unknown warning light were illuminated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The dealer stated that an oil leak was found; however, there was no oil in the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Antwerpen Hyundai Clarksville (12440 Auto Dr Clarksville, MD 21029) to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
NHTSA complaint #11758085 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle's OEM wiring harness caught fire during standard operation. We had just started our drive connected to a trailer and break controller that functioned flawlessly for a year with a different vehicle prior to this incident. The trailer is a 2025 and the brake controller was new at the time of purchasing the trailer in February 2025. the only thing that prevented further damage was my husband calling to say something was smoking and I needed to stop the car. I was driving to pickup my husband and children from the campground bath house to drive home. Yes, it is available for inspection. The safety of myself and any passengers was put at risk due to the electrical fire and all extenuating risks associated with that. The problem has not been reproduced by the manufacturer that I am aware of. The tech at the dealership verbally confirmed that the part in question was the cause of the fire and that the new (post repair) part did not have a secure 7way plug attachment to the break controller which was also brand new since the original was damaged during the incident. The components have been inspected by the dealership. There were no lights prior to the failure and there were no lights after the failure until the new temporary harness was installed in Slade KY prior to receiving and installing the new (same) OEM part once we returned home.
NHTSA complaint #11757972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This vehicle has suffered two identical, catastrophic electrical failures causing an immediate and total loss of engine power while traveling at highway speeds. The first incident occurred after the engine was replaced under a Hyundai extended warranty. The dealership service department blamed that failure on a loose engine ground strap and released the vehicle back to me. On August 3, 2026, the exact same failure occurred for a second time while driving at high speed on the highway. The vehicle lost all propulsion, leaving me exposed to oncoming traffic with zero engine power. The vehicle was towed to a Hyundai dealership. The dealership identified a blown "Sensor 4" fuse causing an intermittent dead circuit, but they have been unable to locate the short circuit after two weeks of troubleshooting. After demanding the diagnostic data logs, the dealership abruptly halted all repairs and ordered me to pick up the vehicle. Furthermore, due to excessive, repetitive diagnostic cranking and idling in 90+ degree heat while under the dealer's care, the vehicle's starter solenoid has now suffered collateral failure. The vehicle is currently completely disabled, undrivable, and the underlying highway stalling hazard remains completely unresolved. This is a recurring, severe life-safety issue that leaves the vehicle prone to sudden stall events in high-speed traffic without warning.
NHTSA complaint #11757633 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
In my 2020 Palisade with automated third and second row seats, the third row automated seat button was accidentally pushed and started to close on my grandchild who was sitting in the third row. The seat did not detect that anyone was sitting in it and kept closing. Luckily I was able to hit the button to stop it. This same problem also happened in the automated second row seat with a grandchild in it. Another [XXX] old child pushed the button on the entry side of the captain’s seat and the seat did not detect that there was someone sitting in it and began to close on them. Once again we were lucky and was standing there and able to push the button to stop it. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11757193 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On August 4, 2026, our 2023 Hyundai Palisade was brought in for a routine oil change and rear tint recall. The driver's power seat height adjustment mechanism worked perfectly upon drop-off. When the car was picked up, the height adjustment function was no longer operable. The service department inspected the car and admitted that a factory wire bundle beneath the track was physically snapped/severed. To make matters worse, we discovered upon pickup that the vehicle's computer system had been completely factory reset. This was done without our knowledge or consent. When questioned about this, the service manager was entirely unable to provide any valid justification for why an oil change/rear window tint service would require a total system reset. This strongly indicates that service person experienced an electrical short or attempted deep electronic troubleshooting while the vehicle was in their possession, further implicating their shop in this damage. The service manager insists that their team did not cause the damage. However, they were unable to return the seat to the position it was in when dropped off. The primary driver of this vehicle is under 5 feet tall. Because Hyundai returned the car with the seat locked at its lowest setting and was unable to raise it, the primary driver cannot safely maintain visibility over the dashboard. She had to adjust the steering wheel to its lowest setting in order to operate the vehicle. The current configuration is not the ideal, nor safest setup. She uses this car to transport the children and we need the driver's seat operable again as soon as possible.
NHTSA complaint #11756790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:INSTRUMENT PANEL:SPEEDOMETER/ODOMETER
The contact owns a 2022 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming engine oil. The contact stated that 2–3 quarts of oil needed to be added in between scheduled oil changes. The instrument cluster independently blanked and turned on and off. Additionally, the front driver's side seat belt failed to latch as intended, and the second-row seats failed to adjust as intended. The contact stated that when the seat adjustment switch was pushed to move the seat forward, the seat was stuck in the middle. The failures occurred intermittently since the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the vehicle was purchased; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to several alternate dealers; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to another dealer where it was diagnosed with radiator failure. The contact was informed that the radiator needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact was informed that no other failures were found. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 26V034000 (Air Bags) and 25V607000 (Seat Belts). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and several cases were filed. The contact requested a vehicle buyback; however, the request was denied. The failure mileage was approximately 28,000.
NHTSA complaint #11754745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Component/system, available for inspection? Rear visibility system — AVN head unit's processing of the rear camera image. On shift to reverse, screen flickers, shows blinking green, or no rear image. Vehicle available for inspection. Original camera was replaced Jan 2026 and retained by the dealer, not returned. Safety risk? Daily driver used for school pickup. Failure is warm-restart dependent — engine running, repeated shifts into reverse — which is exactly the pickup-line condition. Rear visibility is lost while children move behind the vehicle. System works reliably only after 25+ minutes shut off. Reproduced/confirmed by a dealer? Yes. Crain Hyundai of Bentonville, RO H3CS1330630, 1/13/26. Camera replaced; failure persisted. Same RO then states the head unit "IS GETTING TOO HOT" and needs replacement. No further diagnosis performed. Inspected by manufacturer, police, insurance? Not directly. Hyundai Motor America reviewed (Cases 42288449 / 42326908 / 42619220) but relied solely on dealer diagnosis and confirmed in writing 6/22/26 that it does not audit dealer measurements. No police or insurance involvement. Warning lamps/symptoms, first appearance? First reported by my wife (primary driver) in June 2025; not reproducible on demand for some time, consistent with the intermittent warm-restart pattern later documented. No warning lamps, no DTCs in any accessible module. Only symptom is the display failure itself. 60+ structured tests logged 2/2–2/9/26 documenting the warm-restart pattern. Mileage 63,679 at service. Unresolved as of 8/3/26.
NHTSA complaint #11754605 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
ALTERNATOR FAILURE: My family and I were moving to [XXX] from [XXX]. A few hours into the drive, the vehicle battery light came on. It was intermittent though. It would be on for a little while 10-15 mins and then shut off and then repeat this process. I stopped at an Autozone and they tested the battery and it was showing a charge of 7%. I could not afford to get stranded somewhere so I went ahead and had the battery replaced, even though I suspected the alternator was going bad. We continued on the trip, but the battery light continued to turn on and off. The vehicle ultimately began losing power about 2 hours after replacing the battery, causing all the warning lights on the dash to turn on, the main center console display lost power and then I lost power steering. All of this happened while I was on the interstate, putting myself and my family in serious danger. I was able to pull the car off an off ramp and park it safely. I called a tow service to take it to the nearest Hyundai. The dealership verified the alternator was bad, but later found that the tensioner assembly had also failed and would have caused serious damage if they had not caught it. The vehicle has since been repaired under warranty, but I researched and found this is a common failed item. The vehicle only has 33,253 miles on it, and is barely 2 years old. Alternators should not fail like that. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11752430 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The throttle feels like it’s being pressed even when my foot is ONKY on the brake.
NHTSA complaint #11751943 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The speedometer, lane departure, heat gauge, and RPM’s and the whole speedometer cluster will stop working. It does this all the time you never know if it will work and then sometimes it will randomly come back but it’s more in the heat it will not work.
NHTSA complaint #11750456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Several times now, the car's engine will shut off while driving at low speed. When it shuts off, there is a relatively loud electrical noise coming from the engine compartment, and the instrument panel has multiple lights and sounds. There have been times when this issue has nearly caused a major accident.
NHTSA complaint #11749289 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Was driving 70mph on the highway, all instrument cluster speed gauges go to 0mph and I lose ability to manage speed through cruise control. Was driving blind and had no clue what speed I was going and was extremely worried for my safely. Dealership said my instrument cluster has failed, won’t cover under warranty or as a safety issue. Ridiculous a 80k 6 year old car has a main gauge part fail.
NHTSA complaint #11748509 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at a low speed, the power steering failed, several warning lights illuminated, and the engine suddenly stalled. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure recurred two days later. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a failed alternator. The contact paid for the alternator replacement out of pocket. The contact stated that while at a complete stop recently, the brake pedal would travel to the floorboard when depressed, causing the vehicle to shudder. The vehicle would only resume normal operation after the accelerator pedal was depressed. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, but had not yet been diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 77,000.
NHTSA complaint #11748464 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
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 complaint #11748376 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The wireless charging spot is overheating and causing phones to be overheated as well. I had to turn off the wireless charging pad due to it being extremely hot to touch and causing my phone to also be extremely hot to touch. Concerned for device damage as well as a fire risk for the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11748235 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2026 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that on five occasions, while stopped at a light with the Auto START/STOP system activated, the vehicle inadvertently turned off and shifted into park(P) independently. The contact stated that there was an unknown warning light illuminated. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, and the brake pedal was firm; several attempts were needed to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that on one occasion, while stopped, the Auto START/STOP system failed to activate and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended; however, the engine was revving unexpectedly. There was a loud clunking sound, and the vehicle jerked and then accelerated as needed. The vehicle was taken to two dealers during the failures; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle remained with the second dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,500.
NHTSA complaint #11747202 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
While driving the 2024 Hyundai Palisade, the steering wheel suddenly locks up, resulting in an immediate loss of steering control creating an immediate safety hazard. The steering wheel becomes completely rigid, making it impossible to turn left or right. This condition feels as though the power steering system has completely stopped working. Simultaneously, multiple warning lights appear on the dashboard. To avoid an accident, the driver must physically muscle the rigid steering wheel to force the vehicle onto the right-side shoulder of the road. Once safely stopped, turning the engine completely off and restarting it seems to temporarily resolve the problem. After the re-start, the warning lights disappear, and the steering wheel operates normally again. This problem (loss of steering wheel control) has occurred 5 times randomly and intermittently (each time while driving). The first 2 times this problem occurred was in September 2024 and it was taken to a Hyundai dealership and the problem was reported (repair #1 dated 9/30/2024, mileage 13603). Next, the vehicle was in the dealership for repair of the Forward Collison Light / Low Battery (repair #2 dated 11/22/2024, mileage 14899). Next, the vehicle was in the dealership for replacement of the Front Radar Sensor (repair #3 dated 12/05/2024, mileage 15353). Next the vehicle's steering wheel locked up on 9/18/2025, mileage 24370 (3rd time). Next the vehicle's steering wheel locked up on 5/24/2026, mileage 31714 (4th time). Next the vehicle was in the dealership for regular maintenance and to investigate the steering wheel lock up that occurred on 5/24/2026 (repair #4 dated 5/27/2026, mileage 31798). Next the vehicle's steering wheel locked up on 6/04/026, mileage 31946 (5th time). Next the vehicle was in the dealership to replace the steering column control module or power pack electric (repair #5 dated 6/04/2026, mileage 31985).
NHTSA complaint #11744336 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The digital instrument cluster on my 2021 Hyundai Palisade completely and intermittently fails while the vehicle is in motion, dropping the speedometer, fuel gauge, and all safety indicators to zero. The system also issues erroneous audio warnings such as 'wrong way driving detected' while the cluster is blank. I have documented this severe safety hazard on video multiple times over the last 14 months and provided the footage to Dublin Hyundai. Despite three separate dealership visits (April 2025, June 2025, and June 2026), the dealership refuses to repair the vehicle stating they cannot replicate the issue and dismissing my video evidence. This mirrors the exact manufacturing defect outlined in Hyundai Safety Recall 230 (NHTSA Campaign 22V353) for the 2022 Palisade. I am requesting an investigation to expand Recall 230 to the 2021 model year, as driving without a speedometer or warning lights is a life-threatening safety defect.
NHTSA complaint #11741851 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Multiple attempts to have car repaired for a year and a half with no resolution. See attached docs. Included is a letter to Hyundai, timeline of subsequent events, warranty info. Invoices were too large to upload, there are 7 of them.
NHTSA complaint #11740607 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.