AI Damage2020 Hyundai Palisade: common problems
Owners of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade filed 541 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and visibility. The maker issued 168 service bulletins for this year. We found 2 repair videos on YouTube. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 541
- involving a crash
- 13
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 168
- YouTube repair videos
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 25% of all complaints
- 2 Visibility 24% of all complaints
- 3 Suspension 11% of all complaints
- 4 Seat belts 9% of all complaints
- 5 Electrical system 9% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 5% of all complaints
- 8 Air bags 5% of all complaints
- Engine: 133 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
- Visibility: 131 complaints (24% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.
- Suspension: 61 complaints (11% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 11.
- Seat belts: 51 complaints (9% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 9.
- Electrical system: 46 complaints (9% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 52.
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 3.8 L · petrol · 6 cylnamed in 5 complaints
- automatic, 8-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 541 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 133 | 1 | 10 |
| Visibility | 131 | 1 | 7 |
| Suspension | 61 | 0 | 11 |
| Seat belts | 51 | 0 | 9 |
| Electrical system | 46 | 1 | 52 |
| Powertrain | 40 | 1 | 24 |
| Structure | 26 | 0 | 10 |
| Air bags | 25 | 4 | 2 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 17 | 4 | 0 |
| Steering | 15 | 3 | 10 |
| Seats | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Service brakes | 12 | 1 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 9 | 2 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
The front airbag deployed as a result of the collision, knocking my glasses off. The vehicle was still continuing in forward motion after the collision….Traffic Crash Report states, “...
Vehicle was in an accident. Impact was at driver front fender. Driver side curtain air bags deployed. Car spun after impact and went into the woods stopping when it hit a tree. Front and passenger airbags did not deploy.
I was recently involved in an accident with my 2020 Palisade that I believe may have been caused by a brake failure. I was simply moving the vehicle from one part of a driveway to another when, as I drove over a drainage ditch, the brakes did not respond and the car suddenly accelerated into a tree.
as I prepared to stop with the brake still depressed, the car suddenly surged, with the tach going to 5000rpm. The vehicle jumped the sidewalk (with rear wheels making drag marks on the sidewalk.
The steering wheel locked causing me to hydroplane and hit ropes and car landed in the middle of 95. No airbags deployed during collision causing head to bump and back injuries. Police report is inaccurate. He asked me how fast I was going and I gave him the speed limit.
Turned into a parking spot , my palisade immediately jumped forward accelerating on its own it began driving by itself, bouncing off of one vehichle to another and pushing the car in front of me backwards then sideways. i had no control over this car. i did not have my foot on the gas as i checked .
The brake did not work at all. The car never stopped once it started moving on its own. Forward collision warning never came when it was approaching the first vehicle in front of mine on its own. The 'check engine' light was on for 3 days and disappeared on its own about 1 month prior to the accident.
On three separate occasions, when turning left, the steering wheel locked briefly at the 11pm position and there was a clunking noise. It released after a second or two. Obviously having steering lock is a severe safety issue.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 96 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 5% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Palisade has 295 complaints (8 years in the data). This year has 541, above average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Visibility. Wipers, mirrors, defrosters, cracked glass.
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil…
Certain vehicles equipped with internal combustion engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin provides the inspection and repair procedures for vehicles exhibiting this condition…
- Certain Palisade (LX2) and Santa Fe (NC) vehicles equipped with Lambda II 6-cylinder engines may exhibit…
Certain Palisade (LX2) and Santa Fe (NC) vehicles equipped with Lambda II 6-cylinder engines may exhibit higher-than-expected engine oil consumption. This bulletin outlines the combustion chamber cleaning procedure for…
- Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior…
Certain vehicles may exhibit excessive paint peeling or bubbling of the primer/paint film on the exterior metal body panels: hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. This warranty extension…
- Certain 2020 – 2025 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter…
Certain 2020 – 2025 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. At Hyundai, we are committed to providing vehicles of…
- Certain 2020 – 2024 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of…
Certain 2020 – 2024 model year Palisade vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn rear self-leveling shock absorbers. At…
- Some Palisade (LX2), Tucson (NX4), and Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV) vehicles may experience battery drain due…
Some Palisade (LX2), Tucson (NX4), and Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV) vehicles may experience battery drain due to continuous operation of the cooling fan after vehicle ignition has been turned off, potentially resulting in a…
- Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle…
Certain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of the vehicle while driving over rough roads. This may be caused by worn self-leveling rear shock absorbers. Hyundai is extending…
- Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may produce noise from AWD coupling vibrations when making turns caused by a…
Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may produce noise from AWD coupling vibrations when making turns caused by a logic error with the All Wheel Drive Electronic Control Unit (AWD ECU). This bulletin provides instructions to…
- Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due…
Some Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter housing assembly due to deterioration of the housing seal. Hyundai is extending the warranty coverage for the engine oil filter…
- Certain Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels
hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected vehicles has been extended to 10 years/unlimited miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of…
- Some Hyundai vehicles with exterior white paint may exhibit peeling or bubbling on metal body panels
hood, fender(s), roof, door(s), quarter panel(s), and tailgate/trunk. The paint warranty coverage for affected vehicles has been extended to 10 years/unlimited miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of…
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and…
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has identified the presence of substandard and dangerous driver’s-side airbag inflators manufactured by Jilin Province Detiannuo Automobile Safety System Co…
NHTSA lists 168 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Repair videos
We do not copy videos: these are YouTube links credited to their authors. Amounts are as stated by the author and not verified by us.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2020 Hyundai Palisade?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, visibility, suspension. Total complaints: 541. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: oil leak or consumption (15%), warning lights, check engine (13%), windows, sunroof (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2020 Hyundai Palisade?
NHTSA lists 168 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2020 Hyundai Palisade from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2020 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.