2020 Hyundai Palisade Complaints

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 09/23/2026

My 2020 Hyundai Palisade experienced repeated instances of the engine cooling fan continuing to operate after the vehicle was completely shut off. In one instance, the fan ran for about 90 minutes after shutdown. After the vehicle was driven again, it ran for approximately another 45 minutes after shutdown. On a subsequent occurrence, the fan continued running until it discharged the battery enough that the vehicle would not start. Southtowne Hyundai in Newnan, Georgia subsequently diagnosed the cause as an internal PCB block failure and replaced the engine-room PCB block pursuant to Hyundai Technical Service Bulletin 26-EE-007H, which addresses battery drain caused by continuous cooling-fan operation after the vehicle is turned off. The dealer installed PCB block part number 91959-S8000-FFF. The failure was intermittent and did not occur every time the vehicle was shut off. My concern is that the defect could unexpectedly discharge the battery while the vehicle is parked, leaving it unable to restart. I am filing this complaint so NHTSA has a record of the failure and can determine whether similar failures are occurring in other Hyundai Palisades.

ENGINE — Filed 10/03/2026

My 2020 Hyundai Palisade (3.8L V6) suffered an engine failure at approximately 108,000 miles. On September 3rd,2026 , while driving at about 65 mph, the engine began knocking loudly. There was no warning before this happened and the engine light had not come on. The vehicle was taken to Shottenkirk Hyundai, an authorized Hyundai dealer, which diagnosed a connecting rod bearing failure. The repair order states: "Replace engine assembly due to piston slap on front bank caused by rod bearing failure." The dealer says the entire engine must be replaced. The vehicle has been maintained with regular oil changes. The failure was internal and was not caused by a crash, impact, or outside damage. I believe this is a safety defect. A connecting rod bearing failure can cause the engine to stall or seize without warning while driving, including at highway speed, creating a risk of a crash. A failed rod can also break through the engine block and leak oil onto hot engine parts, which is a fire risk. The vehicle is past Hyundai's 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. I have opened a case with Hyundai Consumer Affairs (case # 43347615) and am waiting for a decision. The vehicle and failed engine are available for inspection at the dealer. I am asking NHTSA to investigate connecting rod bearing failures in the 3.8L V6 engine in the 2020 Hyundai Palisade.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 08/18/2026

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.

ENGINE — Filed 04/19/2026

Component: Engine My 2020 Hyundai Palisade (approximately 155,856 miles) experienced a serious and dangerous engine-related failure that resulted in a vehicle fire. My 16 year old daughter was driving alone at the time of the catastrophic failure and fire. For approximately six months prior to the incident, the vehicle was consuming oil at an abnormal rate with no visible external leaks. This condition persisted without clear cause. While driving, the vehicle suddenly developed a new oil leak, and the engine failed without warning, leaving me stranded on the roadway. Immediately following the failure, the engine compartment caught fire. There were no prior indications of an active oil leak before this sudden failure. The progression from oil consumption to catastrophic failure and fire presents a serious safety concern. This incident created a dangerous situation with risk of injury or worse, and it appears to be more than normal wear and tear. I am reporting this as a potential safety defect involving engine failure and fire risk. Mileage at time of incident: approximately 155,856 miles No prior accident or external cause contributed to the fire.

ENGINE — Filed 04/19/2026

Component: Engine / Engine and Engine Cooling Description: My 2020 Hyundai Palisade (approximately 155,856 miles) experienced a serious and dangerous engine-related failure that resulted in a vehicle fire. For approximately 8 months prior to the incident, the vehicle was consuming oil at an abnormal rate with no visible external leaks. This condition persisted without clear cause. While my [XXX] daughter was driving, the vehicle suddenly developed a new oil leak, and the engine failed without warning, leaving my daughter stranded on the roadway. Immediately following the failure, the engine compartment caught fire. There were no prior indications of an active oil leak before this sudden failure. The progression from oil consumption to catastrophic failure and fire presents a serious safety concern. This incident created a dangerous situation with risk of injury or worse, and it appears to be more than normal wear and tear. I am reporting this as a potential safety defect involving engine failure and fire risk. Mileage at time of incident: approximately 155,000 miles No prior accident or external cause contributed to the fire. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 09/30/2025

I was driving through town at a low rate of speed (20-30 mph) with 2-3 car lengths between me and the next vehicle. I continued through light to next light. This distance was on an upward incline. After traveling approximately 500 ft, I noticed the traffic slowing in front of me and took my foot off the accelerator to start to slow down. This is when the car suddenly accelerated (instead of slowing down as would be expected when traveling up an incline), picking up speed quickly. The car's response happened so quickly that I was unable to swerve to avoid hitting the car in front of me. I hit the car in front of me that was slowing down at the light which then subsequently hit several other vehicles that were in front of it that were also slowing/stopped for the light. 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, “... [witness] went up to Unit 1 [Palisade], and the tires were still spinning…” As I was in shock after the collision, a bystander came up to the vehicle to turn it off and this is when the wheels/forward motion was completely stopped. This Palisade is equipped with Forward Collision Avoidance Assist (FCA) system. There was no warning given nor did the vehicle attempt to slow down during the event so I believe that this system failed to operate which contributed to the collision. I also believe that there was a failure with the engine/electrical system, ETC, and/or transmission that caused the system to suddenly accelerate while traveling uphill AFTER I removed my foot from the gas pedal. The vehicle was totaled by my insurance company. They did say that they were sending an engineer to review the Event Data Recorder. I have not seen any results from that nor do I have the vehicle in my possession as it was totaled.

AIR BAGS — Filed 09/13/2025

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.

SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 09/09/2025

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. I sustained facial injuries and was transported by ambulance to a nearby hospital. The vehicle is currently at Canby Motors in Bel Air and is available for inspection. The vehicle has only been inspected by Canby Motors to my knowledge at this time. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

POWER TRAIN,ENGINE — Filed 08/23/2025

The contact owned a 2020 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 65 MPH, he heard an abnormal popping and hissing noise. The contact stated that he started to smell a burning odor. The contact was losing forward momentum. No warning lights illuminated. When he applied the accelerator pedal, the vehicle continued to slow down. The contact pulled off the highway, stopped the vehicle, and turned off the engine. The contact stated that almost immediately, smoke was issuing from under the front end. The contact stated that the vehicle burst into flames. The police and fire department were called. The fire was extinguished using chemicals. The police and fire departments issued reports. The vehicle was towed away to an impound lot. The contact stated that he had the transmission replaced in 2024. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

ENGINE — Filed 05/28/2025

Hello, I have a 2020 Hyundai Palisade that was bought last year in 2024. It’s had no issues with the engine up until approximately the last 2 weeks with oil consumption and noises from the engine rattling. I contacted the dealership to get it checked out and on the way there it caught fire. The engine died and almost all of the oil leaked out. The engine block now has a hole in it, so it is unable to be driven. My husband was driving and had just had surgery. Thankfully I was driving in a separate vehicle with my kids in case something like this happened. It has been sitting at the dealership since the 28th of May. The dealership inspected it and said there is no known cause at this time. The dealership also said they unfortunately can’t do anything. I called my insurance and they said the only thing they can cover is the damages caused by the fire. The estimate amount to fix it is 13K. But I believe the engine malfunctioned and was already having problems without my knowledge of it. There were no warning lights or alerts stating there were any problems with the vehicle. I also do know there is a class action lawsuit happening because of the 2020 Hyundai Palisades.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM — Filed 01/15/2025

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to close the trunk manual, there was an electrical shock where her hand came in contact with the trunk. As a result, the contact's wife sustained a minor burn to her left hand. The contact was a physician who confirmed that his wife sustained a second-degree burn and treated his wife for the injury. The contact was able to wrap his wife's hand. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.

AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE — Filed 01/15/2025

The vehicle, a 2020 Hyundai Palisade SEL, was located in a closed garage, unoccupied. Within 10 minutes of parking the car in the garage, it caught on fire, possibly originating on the front, driver's side. Due to this incident occurring inside a garage, there was damage to our home and a high risk of safety (including loss of life) to the home and its occupants. At this time, we are waiting for the insurance company to investigate the origin of the fire as there were no warning lights or any indication of risk. This fire happened very suddenly and unexpectedly and it is our sincere hope that a thorough investigation will prevent this from happening to other families.

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE — Filed 08/07/2024

I had just pulled into a (handicapped) parking space at my bank in Marana Az. 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. Vehicle shot up the slight rise , hit and demolished a concrete bench and some plants and was heading toward the main entrance when I shut the engine off with the ignition key. The car stopped less than 10 feet from the bank entrance. the car came close to going through the entrance shattering the glass doors and possibly injuring bank customers and employees. There was no warning, but this car has had 3 or 4 sudden engine surges before - about one every 1 1/2 years. Hyundai service has checked and denied any problems. On line queries indicate the surging problems are not uncommon. They happen without warning and result in serious injury and damage to people and property. Hyundai is stonewalling. Other drivers have similar events occur for sudden unintended acceleration (SUA) and suggest problems with the Electronic Throttle Control (ETC) including throttle position sensors. Our Palisade has less than 40,000 miles on it and has been well maintained, but Hyundai people refuse to acknowledge any problems - my wife and I consider that this car is a potential death machine.

VISIBILITY — Filed 09/19/2023

The contact owns a 2020 Hyundai Palisade. The contact stated while driving 30-35 MPH in a snowstorm, with his son in the front passenger's seat, another vehicle drove by the driver's side of the vehicle and sprayed a significant amount of snow on the vehicle, and the windshield wipers seized. The contact then lost visibility of the roadway and slowed down. The vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle. Both the contact and his son sustained back injuries but did not received medical assistance. The contact was unsure whether the other driver had sustained an injury. A police report was filed. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The vehicle was taken to an auto body repair shop, where it was repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that the windshield wipers seized on a second occasion, due to the presence of snow at the base of the windshield. The contact became aware of that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V627000 (Visibility), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the windshield wiper arm was replaced under the recall; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated that the recall remedy did not fix the safety issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened; however, the case was later closed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,450. The VIN was unavailable.

AIR BAGS — Filed 04/12/2023

I was involved In an accident, where the vehicle went into a ditch ( the ditch is deeper than 5 feet) and hit all the front and passenger side of the vehicle and only the steering wheel and legs of the driver airbags deployed, no other airbag deployed not the curtain airbag, not the front passenger. NON, ONLY DRIVERS LEG AND STERLING WHEEL.

STEERING,AIR BAGS — Filed 10/07/2022

I was in an accident on I95. 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. I wasn't looking at my speed odometer my eyes were on the road. When I came to my self because I told him I hit my head. I distinctly remember the steering wheel locked before gliding. It happened so fast.

STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 09/11/2022

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 . i finally hit the park light and the car stopped. I need something done asap as i need a vehichle. My car as towed to the dealershipon sunday this is now thursday hyundai is supposed to be in touch but i have not heard anything

STRUCTURE — Filed 07/26/2022

When exiting the vehicle the door ripped a gash in my right leg in the calf area. There was a recall, they supposedly fixed it. It happened again after the repair was made. It doesn't look to me the repair was made. It was repaired by Doug's Hyundai on 04/07/2022. I have contacted HyundaiUSA and have a case opened but all I am getting is the runaround. Case 20085813, contact is Haley 833.462.8722 ext 65118.

STRUCTURE — Filed 08/06/2022

Power liftgate fell without warning and struck my wife in the head. Liftgate will go up and down when activated, but will fall without warning.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 06/21/2022

I approached the intersection slowly and stopped completely to turn right. There were a couple of vehicles in front of mine. I pushed the 'Auto Hold' button while waiting on the Red light. A second later, I felt the car moving on its own and stepped on the brakes. The car did not stop and went forward and crashed into the vehicle in front of me. My vehicle did not stop after the initial collision and accelerated more on its own and went forward. I pushed the 'Park' button to stop the car but it did not work and the vehicle kept moving forward fast and hit another car. It still kept moving fast until it hit other things. The car stopped after it went through a wire fence and hit a tree. 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. I tried to take it to the service center immediately but the earliest appointment I could get was in June. The service adviser at Hyundai service said there was nothing that they can do since the warning light was not on when we asked for a service check on 6/11/22.

STEERING — Filed 01/05/2022

The roads were icy and my son pulled over to wait out the storm. Our car was parked. Another car slid on the ice and stuck our Hyundai Palisade in the rear. It was a minor impact, no airbags deployed and nobody was injured. The steering column sheered off and the steering wheel was cut loose from the column. Hyundai has an open recall campaign on a similar model (NHTSA campaign #18V118000) for this exact problem of steering wheels sheering from the column. Hyundai sent an investigator to check the car and reports to me that there is no defect with my car. The insurance company is planning to repair the car, including the steering assembly, and return it to me. It is hard to believe that this incident, which occurred on a car built just a few months after the models that were recalled, could be a coincidence. There was no prior warning. The car is now at body repair shop and is available for inspection.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE — Filed 05/27/2021

emergency brakes came on ,on the freeway twice ,and one in front ,no other car around. on the right side a person in the parking lot while the car was moving about 2 mph ,walked next too the car and it felt like one brake came on only to slow me down and did not stop ,just braked for 2 seconds ,like on the freeway all the brakes came on the freeway, but in the parking lot only one came on it felt like.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 07/12/2020

VEHICLE CAME WITH TOW HITCH SYSTEM FROM THE MANUFACTURER. WHILE USING A TRAILER HITCH THE HEAT FROM THE EXHAUST MELTED THE BACK END OF THE CAR, HEATED UP THE CARGO HITCH TO THE POINT OF MAKING IT HARD TO REMOVE FROM CAR, AND MELTING THE CARGO WEATHER PROOF BAG. THIS HAPPENED WITHIN A 2.5HR TRIP.

AIR BAGS — Filed 06/11/2020

I WAS INVOLVED IN AN INTERSECTION COLLISION AND NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. *TR

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 05/04/2020

I HAVE COMPLAINED SINCE I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE IN SEPT 2019, WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO PARK AND YOU PRESS THE REVERSE BUTTON SOMETIMES IT TAKES TWO OR THREE TIMES PRESSING TO GET THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO REVERSE. THIS HAS HAPPENED ON FLAT ROAD, ON A HILL IN THE CITY, THIS LAST TIME WHEN I PUT IT IN REVERSE IT DIDN'T GO AND WHEN I LET OFF THE BRAKE THINKING IT WAS IN GEAR IT JOLTED FORWARD AND WRECKED INTO THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME. *TR