Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade?

Yes, but only slightly. Both rate good. The Pilot draws far fewer owner complaints per car sold and costs a little less to repair each year. The Palisade makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, so a well-kept example of either is a reasonable buy.

Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the Palisade?

The Pilot has more. Federal recall records show 51 across nine model years for the Pilot and 33 across seven for the Palisade. The Pilot has been sold for more years, so the totals are not a like-for-like measure. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls.

What are the common Hyundai Palisade problems?

Owners report ABS activating over bumps so the car keeps rolling at low speed, seat belt buckles that unlatch while driving, and windshields that crack within the first few thousand miles. Self-leveling rear shocks that clunk and fail are also common. The 2020 and 2021 model years are the weakest.

What goes wrong most often on the Honda Pilot?

Electrical faults lead the list. The infotainment screen goes blank, and the backup camera and radio go with it. Stop/start that will not restart the engine, transmission shudder, and sudden engine failure also appear. The 2019 and 2020 model years are the weakest.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade: Reliability Compared

More Reliable

Honda Pilot

Good

Hyundai Palisade

Good

Reliability favors the Honda Pilot over the Hyundai Palisade by a slight margin. Pilot owners file far fewer complaints per car sold. The Palisade counters with fewer shop visits, and its most serious complaints involve braking and seat belts.

How Do the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade Generations Compare?

Most used Pilots on the market come from two stretches. The third generation ran from 2016 through 2022, with a refresh for 2019, and its 2019 and 2020 years are the weak ones. The fourth generation began in 2023 and received a facelift for 2026. The 2026 model has had little time on the road, so its clean record says little yet. The Palisade's first generation ran from 2020 through 2025, with a facelift in 2022. Its weakest years, 2020 and 2021, were both built before that facelift, so the facelift year onward is the better place to start.

Verdict

The Honda Pilot is more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade, scoring 68/100 vs 65/100.

Slight edge to the Pilot. Both sit in good standing, so the gap is small. The deciding reason is complaint volume: Pilot owners filed 9.1 complaints per 10,000 sold, against 31.7 for the Palisade, and the Pilot costs a little less per year to repair. The Pilot has real weak spots, including sudden engine failures and infotainment dropouts, and it carries more recalls. The Palisade makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, which keeps the result close.

Key Differences

1Honda Pilot costs $31 less per year to repair
2Honda Pilot has 22.6 fewer complaints per 10k sold
3Hyundai Palisade has 18 fewer total recalls

Category Scoreboard

3Honda Pilot

—

2Hyundai Palisade

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Pilot	Hyundai Palisade
Reliability Score	68/100	65/100
Years Tracked	9	7
Total Recalls	51	33
Complaints per 10k Sold	9.1	31.7
Annual Repair Cost	$542/yr	$573/yr
Repair Frequency	0.5/yr	0.4/yr
Year Wins	7	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Pilot and Hyundai Palisade?

Electronics and drivetrain faults define the Pilot. The infotainment screen goes blank and takes the backup camera with it, stop/start can fail to restart the engine, and some engines fail suddenly with knocking, one needing a new engine. Transmissions shudder around 50,000 to 60,000 miles. Brakes, belts, and glass define the Palisade. ABS fires over bumps and the car keeps rolling at low speed, buckles unlatch while driving, and windshields crack within the first few thousand miles. Palisade brakes carry 15 crash-linked complaints, more than any single Pilot area. The Pilot adds crash-linked engine and transmission complaints, which the Palisade list does not include.

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Pilot	Hyundai Palisade
SERVICE BRAKES	0.3Very Low	5.3Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.4Low	2.1Low
SEAT BELTS	0.1Very Low	3.9Average
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	3.7Average
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.1Low	2.2Low
POWER TRAIN	0.9Very Low	1.6Low
ENGINE	1Very Low	1.4Low
SUSPENSION	—None	2.3Low
STEERING	0.2Very Low	0.9Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.1Very Low	1Very Low
VISIBILITY	—None	0.7Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	0.6Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	0.6Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.4Very Low	—None
TRAILER HITCHES	—None	0.4Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	0.2Very Low
BACK OVER PREVENTION	0.1Very Low	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
SEATS	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Pilot or Hyundai Palisade?

A $31 yearly gap separates the two: about $542 for the Pilot and $573 for the Palisade. Over five years that comes to roughly $155, so the difference is small. The Palisade makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.4 a year against 0.5 for the Pilot. Independent repair-cost data puts the chance that a Pilot repair is major at 13%. No matching figure is available for the Palisade.

How Does Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Pilot	Hyundai Palisade	Edge
2026	81/1000R / 0C	72/1002R / 23C	Honda Pilot
2025	71/1004R / 111C	70/1003R / 139C	Honda Pilot
2024	72/1006R / 82C	63/1005R / 304C	Honda Pilot
2023	72/1005R / 93C	62/1005R / 326C	Honda Pilot
2022	72/1003R / 105C	65/1005R / 241C	Honda Pilot
2021	63/1008R / 358C	61/1006R / 354C	Honda Pilot
2020	60/1009R / 431C	59/1007R / 521C	Honda Pilot

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Pilot scored 72/100 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 Honda Pilot vs the Hyundai Palisade?

Pick the Pilot if you want the lower repair bill and fewer complaints per car sold. Target 2023, one of its strongest years. Avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest. On a test drive, check that the infotainment screen stays on and that stop/start restarts the engine. Ask for proof of any fuel pump recall work, and listen for transmission shudder. Pick the Palisade if you want a full-size SUV and fewer shop visits. Favor 2022 or later, which came after the facelift, and avoid 2020 and 2021, its weakest years. Brake slowly over bumps and listen for a pedal that grinds while the car keeps rolling. Inspect the windshield for cracks, press on every seat belt buckle, and listen for rear clunking that points to worn self-leveling shocks. Ask whether the buckle recall work is done.

Honda Pilot vs Hyundai Palisade: Common Questions

Is the Honda Pilot more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade?: Yes, but only slightly. Both rate good. The Pilot draws far fewer owner complaints per car sold and costs a little less to repair each year. The Palisade makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, so a well-kept example of either is a reasonable buy.
Which has more recalls, the Pilot or the Palisade?: The Pilot has more. Federal recall records show 51 across nine model years for the Pilot and 33 across seven for the Palisade. The Pilot has been sold for more years, so the totals are not a like-for-like measure. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls.
Which costs less to repair, Pilot or Palisade?: The Pilot, by a small amount. Independent repair-cost data estimates $542 a year for the Pilot and $573 for the Palisade. Over five years that is about $155. The Palisade does need fewer unscheduled shop visits each year.
What are the common Hyundai Palisade problems?: Owners report ABS activating over bumps so the car keeps rolling at low speed, seat belt buckles that unlatch while driving, and windshields that crack within the first few thousand miles. Self-leveling rear shocks that clunk and fail are also common. The 2020 and 2021 model years are the weakest.
What goes wrong most often on the Honda Pilot?: Electrical faults lead the list. The infotainment screen goes blank, and the backup camera and radio go with it. Stop/start that will not restart the engine, transmission shudder, and sudden engine failure also appear. The 2019 and 2020 model years are the weakest.

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How we score the Honda Pilot 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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