Diagsheet

Midsize and three-row SUVs · model years 2020 to 2026

Hyundai Palisade vs Honda Pilot: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Palisade looks better on 4 and the Pilot on 1, with 2 too close to call.

Hyundai Palisade

Hyundai Palisade

2,422 complaints · 16 recalls

Honda Pilot

Honda Pilot

1,554 complaints · 21 recalls

Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2020 to 2026PalisadePilot
Complaints that report a crash2.4%2.9%
Complaints that report a fire0.6%0.5%
Complaints that report an injury1.9%2.3%
Median miles when problems are reported11,00020,000
Recall campaigns per model year2.33.0
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations25

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Palisade owners complain about most is brakes; for the Pilot it is electrical. Complaints citing seat belts make up 17% of all Palisade complaints, against 4.8% on the Pilot. The Pilot leans the other way on electrical: 29% of its complaints, against 9.0% for the Palisade.

Hyundai PalisadeHonda Pilot

Electrical9.0%29%
Engine13%18%
Collision avoidance6.8%20%
Brakes17%8.1%
Seat Belts17%4.8%
Windshield and wipers11%3.3%
Transmission and drivetrain6.3%7.7%
Steering3.3%6.8%
Lane keeping1.3%8.3%
Suspension7.0%1.4%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Palisade is seat belt problems (21% of its complaints). On the Pilot it is infotainment problems (19% of its complaints), against 3.7% on the Palisade.

ProblemPalisadePilot
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early18% 441most in 2024 · 10k mi8.7% 135most in 2025 · 8k mi
Seat belt or seat problems21% 518most in 2021 · 28k mi5.3% 83most in 2023 · 38k mi
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails3.7% 89most in 2021 · 15k mi19% 293most in 2020 · 5k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving6.2% 149most in 2020 · 33k mi14% 218most in 2020 · 28k mi
Windshield cracks or distorts11% 274most in 2020 · 6k mi2.9% 458k mi
Brakes on its own (automatic emergency braking)2.4% 589.6% 149most in 2021 · 20k mi
Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out2.1% 519.2% 143most in 2021 · 48k mi
Adaptive cruise or lane keeping misbehaves1.8% 448.1% 126most in 2021 · 19k mi

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Palisade owners report problems earlier. Half the Palisade complaints that give a mileage come before 11,000 miles; for the Pilot the halfway point is 20,000. 79% of Palisade reports and 78% of Pilot reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Hyundai PalisadeHonda Pilot

Under 25k65%54%
25k to 50k14%24%
50k to 75k8.0%12%
75k to 100k7.6%7.2%
100k to 150k4.1%2.3%
Over 150k1.3%0.3%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 538 for the Palisade and 387 for the Pilot.

Worst and best years

The 2024 Palisade draws 1.7 times the complaints of a typical Palisade year for its age. The 2016 Pilot draws 3.2 times the complaints of a typical Pilot year for its age.

Hyundai Palisade

Every Palisade model year

Honda Pilot

Every Pilot model year

Hyundai PalisadeHonda Pilot

Each model year against its own model's median. Palisade: 2020 1.0, 2021 0.9, 2022 0.8, 2023 1.3, 2024 1.7. Pilot: 2020 1.4, 2021 1.5, 2022 0.6, 2023 0.7, 2024 0.8.2020 Palisade: 1.0 times its median2020 Pilot: 1.4 times its median'202021 Palisade: 0.9 times its median2021 Pilot: 1.5 times its median'212022 Palisade: 0.8 times its median2022 Pilot: 0.6 times its median'222023 Palisade: 1.3 times its median2023 Pilot: 0.7 times its median'232024 Palisade: 1.7 times its median2024 Pilot: 0.8 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The Pilot draws more recalls: 3.0 campaigns per model year against 2.3 for the Palisade. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Hyundai Palisade

16 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (3), seat belts (2) and service brakes, hydraulic (2).

  • 25V-607 (seat belts) covers 6 model years
  • 26V-034 (airbags) covers 6 model years

Investigations

  • PE24021: Inadvertent seat belt unlatch (closed, led to a recall)
  • RQ22005: Windshield wiper failure (closed, led to a recall)

Honda Pilot

21 recall campaigns and 5 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: fuel system (3), backup camera (2) and tires (2).

  • 23V-431 (backup camera) covers 3 model years
  • 24V-064 (airbags) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • PE25017: Inaccurate rear passenger seat belt warning status (open)
  • PE25008: Engine failure (open)
  • EA25004: No restart after auto start/stop engages (open)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Pilot complaints report a crash: 2.9%, against 2.4% for the Palisade. Fire reports: 14 for the Palisade and 8 for the Pilot. Complaints on file report 1 death in the Palisade and 0 in the Pilot for these model years.

Hyundai PalisadeHonda Pilot

Report a crash2.4%2.9%
Report a fire0.6%0.5%
Report someone hurt1.9%2.3%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Hyundai Palisade or the Honda Pilot more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Palisade looks better on 4 and the Pilot on 1, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Palisade has 2,422 complaints and the Pilot 1,554 for model years 2020 to 2026, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Palisade or the Pilot?

The Palisade has 16 recall campaigns and the Pilot 21 across model years 2020 to 2026. The Pilot draws more recalls: 3.0 campaigns per model year against 2.3 for the Palisade.

What are the most common problems on the Palisade and the Pilot?

The most reported problem on the Palisade is seat belt problems (21% of its complaints). On the Pilot it is infotainment problems (19% of its complaints), against 3.7% on the Palisade.

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