Is the Hyundai Palisade more reliable than the Mazda CX-9?

No. The CX-9 comes out ahead by a large margin, even though both rate good. It has about 15 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 31.7 for the Palisade, and far fewer recalls. The Palisade does need fewer unscheduled shop visits each year.

Which has more recalls, the Palisade or the CX-9?

The Palisade has far more. Federal recall records show 33 recalls across its 7 model years, against 6 across the CX-9's 6 model years. The Palisade is also newer, but the gap is still wide.

Which is cheaper to repair, the Palisade or the CX-9?

The CX-9 is slightly cheaper at about $539 a year, against $573 for the Palisade. That adds up to roughly $170 over five years. The Palisade visits the shop less often, so the two are close in practice.

What is the biggest problem with the Mazda CX-9?

The engine. Owners report coolant leaks at the cylinder head that cause overheating and limp mode, plus heavy oil use, with a quart needed in under 3000 miles. Some say Mazda turned down goodwill requests for the repair.

What goes wrong with the Hyundai Palisade most often?

Brakes draw the most complaints. Owners say the ABS kicks in over bumps and the car keeps rolling at low speed with no warning light. Seat belt buckles that unlatch, early windshield cracks and failing rear shocks follow.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9: Reliability Compared

Hyundai Palisade

Good

More Reliable

Mazda CX-9

Good

Shoppers weighing the Hyundai Palisade against the Mazda CX-9 will find the CX-9 well ahead on reliability. Owners filed about half as many complaints per car sold, and federal recall records show far fewer recalls. The Palisade still rates good, though.

How Do the Hyundai Palisade and Mazda CX-9 Generations Compare?

Early model years carry the weakest standing for each vehicle. The Palisade's first generation (LX2) covers model years 2020 to 2025 in the US, with a facelift in 2022. The data also lists a second generation (LX3) starting in 2024, with a facelift entry for 2023. Its weakest years, 2020 and 2021, sit at the start of the first generation. The 2025 and 2026 years rate best, but they have had the least time on the road. The CX-9 is a second-generation (TC) model sold from 2016 to 2024, and the data covers 2018 to 2023. Its weakest years, 2018 and 2019, came early in that run, and 2022 and 2023 rate best.

Verdict

The Mazda CX-9 is more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade, scoring 76/100 vs 65/100.

Reliability goes to the Mazda CX-9, and the gap is large. Both rate good, but the CX-9 draws about half the owner complaints per car sold and carries far fewer recalls. The Palisade's trouble is spread across brakes, seat belts, glass, rear suspension and electrical, with hundreds of complaints in several areas. The CX-9's trouble is narrower and centers on the engine, mainly coolant leaks that lead to overheating. The Palisade does make fewer unscheduled shop visits per year, which is its one clear point in its favor.

Key Differences

1Mazda CX-9 costs $34 less per year to repair
2Mazda CX-9 has 27 fewer total recalls
3Mazda CX-9 has 16.7 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Hyundai Palisade

—

4Mazda CX-9

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Palisade	Mazda CX-9
Reliability Score	65/100	76/100
Years Tracked	7	6
Total Recalls	33	6
Complaints per 10k Sold	31.7	15
Annual Repair Cost	$573/yr	$539/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.6/yr
Year Wins	0	4

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Palisade and Mazda CX-9?

Wide spread versus narrow focus describes the split. Palisade owners describe the ABS kicking in over bumps and painted lines, with the car rolling past stop signs at low speed and no warning light. Buckles unlatch while driving, windshields crack within the first few thousand miles, and rear self-leveling shocks fail again and again. Instrument clusters go dark. Brakes, seat belts, suspension and electrical all have crash-linked reports. CX-9 owners mostly report coolant leaks at the cylinder head, limp mode and heavy oil use. Its crash-linked reports sit in brakes, power train and steering, and none involve seat belts or suspension.

Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9 common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Palisade	Mazda CX-9
ENGINE	1.4Low	5.7Average
SERVICE BRAKES	5.3Average	0.7Very Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	2.2Low	2Low
SEAT BELTS	3.9Average	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	3.7Average	0.1Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.1Low	1.5Low
POWER TRAIN	1.6Low	1.2Low
SUSPENSION	2.3Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	1Very Low	0.3Very Low
STEERING	0.9Very Low	0.4Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.7Very Low	—None
TRAILER HITCHES	0.4Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	0.2Very Low
SEATS	—None	0.1Very Low
Chest Clip	—None	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	0.1Very Low
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: Hyundai Palisade or Mazda CX-9?

Annual repair cost favors the Mazda only slightly: $539 a year against $573 for the Palisade. Over five years that is about $170, which is a small gap. The Palisade makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, 0.4 a year against 0.6 for the CX-9. The data puts the chance that a CX-9 repair is major at 10%, and gives no matching figure for the Palisade. Cost alone should not decide this.

How Does Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9 Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Palisade	Mazda CX-9	Edge
2023	62/1005R / 326C	81/1000R / 12C	Mazda CX-9
2022	65/1005R / 241C	81/1000R / 9C	Mazda CX-9
2021	61/1006R / 354C	77/1001R / 35C	Mazda CX-9
2020	59/1007R / 521C	78/1001R / 19C	Mazda CX-9

Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Hyundai Palisade scored 65/100 and the 2023 Mazda CX-9 scored 81/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Hyundai Palisade vs the Mazda CX-9?

Pick the CX-9 if you want the lower risk of trouble overall. Complaints per car sold are about half the Palisade's, and recalls are far fewer. Target 2022 or 2023, the strongest years, and be careful with 2018 and 2019, the weakest. Before buying, ask for proof of cooling system work, since coolant leaks at the cylinder head and oil consumption are the CX-9's main problems. Pick the Palisade if you need the larger vehicle and can accept more risk. Its shop visits are less frequent, at 0.4 a year against 0.6. Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models rate best, but they have had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof they are trouble free. On any Palisade, check the seat belt buckles, the windshield, and the rear shocks for clunking before you sign.

Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-9: Common Questions

Is the Hyundai Palisade more reliable than the Mazda CX-9?: No. The CX-9 comes out ahead by a large margin, even though both rate good. It has about 15 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 31.7 for the Palisade, and far fewer recalls. The Palisade does need fewer unscheduled shop visits each year.
Which has more recalls, the Palisade or the CX-9?: The Palisade has far more. Federal recall records show 33 recalls across its 7 model years, against 6 across the CX-9's 6 model years. The Palisade is also newer, but the gap is still wide.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Palisade or the CX-9?: The CX-9 is slightly cheaper at about $539 a year, against $573 for the Palisade. That adds up to roughly $170 over five years. The Palisade visits the shop less often, so the two are close in practice.
What is the biggest problem with the Mazda CX-9?: The engine. Owners report coolant leaks at the cylinder head that cause overheating and limp mode, plus heavy oil use, with a quart needed in under 3000 miles. Some say Mazda turned down goodwill requests for the repair.
What goes wrong with the Hyundai Palisade most often?: Brakes draw the most complaints. Owners say the ABS kicks in over bumps and the car keeps rolling at low speed with no warning light. Seat belt buckles that unlatch, early windshield cracks and failing rear shocks follow.

More Hyundai Palisade comparisons

Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Telluride reliability Hyundai Palisade vs Mazda CX-90 reliability Hyundai Palisade vs Volkswagen Atlas reliability Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander reliability Hyundai Palisade reliability by year Hyundai Palisade years to avoid

More Mazda CX-9 comparisons

Mazda CX-9 vs Toyota Highlander reliability Mazda CX-9 vs Honda Pilot reliability Mazda CX-9 vs Kia Telluride reliability Mazda CX-9 vs Chevrolet Traverse reliability Mazda CX-9 reliability by year Mazda CX-9 years to avoid

Decided between Hyundai Palisade and Mazda CX-9? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the Hyundai Palisade and Mazda CX-9

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.

See incorrect data? Report an issue