Is the GMC Acadia more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade?

Yes, the Acadia has a clear edge. Federal recall records show 17 recalls for the Acadia and 33 for the Palisade. The Palisade also has 15 crash-linked brake complaints to the Acadia's 4. The Acadia's main weakness is its 9-speed transmission, which can shudder and sometimes fail.

Which has more recalls, the Acadia or the Palisade?

The Palisade has more. Federal recall records list 33 across seven model years for the Palisade, against 17 across eight model years for the Acadia. Owners also report that parts for the Palisade's seat belt buckle recall have been on back order, so dealers could not always finish the repair.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Acadia or the Palisade?

The Palisade costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $573 a year for the Palisade and $734 for the Acadia, a gap of about $805 over five years. Both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits per year. Repair costs can jump on either one if a major failure hits.

What is the biggest problem with the Acadia?

The transmission. Owners report the 9-speed shuddering or bucking at steady speeds, sometimes as early as 15,000 miles. Hard shifts and shifting into neutral are also reported. Fluid flushes and torque converter replacement do not always fix it, and complete failure is reported at roughly 74,000 to 80,000 miles.

What goes wrong most often on the Hyundai Palisade?

Brakes lead the complaints. Owners say the ABS activates over bumps and painted lines, and the car keeps rolling at low speed with no warning light. Seat belt buckles that unlatch, windshields that crack within the first few thousand miles, and failing rear self-leveling shocks follow.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

GMC Acadia

Good

Hyundai Palisade

Good

Reliability favors the GMC Acadia over the Hyundai Palisade by a clear margin. The Palisade has 33 recalls to the Acadia's 17. The Palisade is cheaper to repair each year, but its brake, seat belt, and windshield complaints outweigh that for many shoppers.

How Do the GMC Acadia and Hyundai Palisade Generations Compare?

Most used Acadias on the market come from the second generation, which ran from the 2017 to 2023 model years, with updates in 2020, 2021, and 2022. Its two weakest years, 2020 and 2023, both fall in that run, so shoppers in that price range should be selective. The third generation began with the 2024 model year, so those cars have had less time to build a complaint record. For the Palisade, the first generation covered 2020 to 2025, with a facelift in 2022. Its weakest years, 2020 and 2021, are the earliest cars. The second generation reaches the 2026 model year, so little history exists for it.

Verdict

The GMC Acadia is more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade, scoring 70/100 vs 65/100.

A clear edge goes to the Acadia, and recalls are the deciding fact: federal records show 17 across its model years against 33 for the Palisade. The Palisade also draws far more crash-linked brake complaints. It does cost less to repair each year, and shop-visit frequency is the same. The Acadia's weak spot is its 9-speed transmission, which can fail outright. That is serious, but the Palisade's overall problem load is heavier.

Key Differences

1Hyundai Palisade costs $161 less per year to repair
2GMC Acadia has 16 fewer total recalls
3GMC Acadia scores 5 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2GMC Acadia

—

1Hyundai Palisade

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade: Which Is More Reliable?

GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	GMC Acadia	Hyundai Palisade
Reliability Score	70/100	65/100
Years Tracked	8	7
Total Recalls	17	33
Total ComplaintsRaw count — varies with sales volume	770	1908
Annual Repair Cost	$734/yr	$573/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.4/yr
Year Wins	7	0

What Are the Common Problems With the GMC Acadia and Hyundai Palisade?

Different failures define each model. Acadia owners report a shuddering or bucking 9-speed transmission, with some complete failures, plus rear camera blackouts and a parking brake that sets itself while moving. Thermostat failure also triggers a "Steering Assist Reduced" warning. Palisade owners describe ABS kicking in over bumps so the car rolls past stops, seat belt buckles unlatching, windshields cracking within the first few thousand miles, and rear self-leveling shocks failing repeatedly. Brakes show the starkest gap: 15 crash-linked Palisade complaints against 4 for the Acadia. Crash-linked steering and engine complaints appear only in the Acadia's main problem areas.

GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade common problem areas comparison
Component	GMC Acadia	Hyundai Palisade
SERVICE BRAKES	70	317
POWER TRAIN	200	99
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	139	125
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	106	134
SEAT BELTS	6	234
VISIBILITY/WIPER	2	220
SUSPENSION	4	136
ENGINE	37	85
STEERING	55	54
STRUCTURE	4	60
VISIBILITY	—	41
TRAILER HITCHES	—	26
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	23	—
AIR BAGS	12	10
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	5	12
SEATS	6	3
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	8	—
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	6	—
LANE DEPARTURE	2	3
FUEL SYSTEM	4	—
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)	4	—
WHEELS	3	—
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—	2

Raw complaint counts aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports. Counts vary with sales volume.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: GMC Acadia or Hyundai Palisade?

Repair bills run lower on the Palisade. Independent repair-cost data puts its annual cost at $573, against $734 for the Acadia. That gap is $161 a year, or about $805 over five years. Both models average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits a year, so neither sends you to the shop more often. The Acadia has a 19% chance that a repair is major, which fits its transmission risk. No major-repair figure is available for the Palisade.

How Does GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade Reliability Compare by Year?

GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade year-by-year reliability scores
Year	GMC Acadia	Hyundai Palisade	Edge
2026	76/1000R / 0C	72/1002R / 23C	GMC Acadia
2025	76/1000R / 51C	70/1003R / 139C	GMC Acadia
2024	76/1000R / 51C	63/1005R / 304C	GMC Acadia
2023	64/1004R / 37C	62/1005R / 326C	GMC Acadia
2022	66/1003R / 44C	65/1005R / 241C	GMC Acadia
2021	68/1002R / 134C	61/1006R / 354C	GMC Acadia
2020	62/1006R / 84C	59/1007R / 521C	GMC Acadia

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 GMC Acadia scored 76/100 and the 2022 Hyundai Palisade scored 65/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the GMC Acadia vs the Hyundai Palisade?

Pick the Acadia if you want fewer recalls and a calmer overall complaint record, and you can accept a transmission risk. Test drive for shudder or bucking at steady speeds, and ask whether the transmission has been serviced. Skip the 2020 and 2023 model years, which are its weakest. The 2024 is among its stronger years, though any recent year has had less time to collect complaints. Pick the Palisade if lower yearly repair cost matters most and you want the larger vehicle. Check that the seat belt buckle recall repair was done, since owners report parts on back order. Inspect the windshield, listen for clunks from the rear, and test the brakes over rough pavement at low speed. Avoid the 2020 and 2021 model years, its weakest. If you carry people in the third row, check those buckles closely.

GMC Acadia vs Hyundai Palisade: Common Questions

Is the GMC Acadia more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade?: Yes, the Acadia has a clear edge. Federal recall records show 17 recalls for the Acadia and 33 for the Palisade. The Palisade also has 15 crash-linked brake complaints to the Acadia's 4. The Acadia's main weakness is its 9-speed transmission, which can shudder and sometimes fail.
Which has more recalls, the Acadia or the Palisade?: The Palisade has more. Federal recall records list 33 across seven model years for the Palisade, against 17 across eight model years for the Acadia. Owners also report that parts for the Palisade's seat belt buckle recall have been on back order, so dealers could not always finish the repair.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Acadia or the Palisade?: The Palisade costs less. Independent repair-cost data estimates $573 a year for the Palisade and $734 for the Acadia, a gap of about $805 over five years. Both average 0.4 unscheduled shop visits per year. Repair costs can jump on either one if a major failure hits.
What is the biggest problem with the Acadia?: The transmission. Owners report the 9-speed shuddering or bucking at steady speeds, sometimes as early as 15,000 miles. Hard shifts and shifting into neutral are also reported. Fluid flushes and torque converter replacement do not always fix it, and complete failure is reported at roughly 74,000 to 80,000 miles.
What goes wrong most often on the Hyundai Palisade?: Brakes lead the complaints. Owners say the ABS activates over bumps and painted lines, and the car keeps rolling at low speed with no warning light. Seat belt buckles that unlatch, windshields that crack within the first few thousand miles, and failing rear self-leveling shocks follow.

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How we score the GMC Acadia and Hyundai Palisade

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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