Is the Toyota Highlander more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade?

Yes, the Highlander has a clear edge. It has 5.8 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 31.7 for the Palisade. It also has lower yearly repair costs and fewer unscheduled shop visits. Both models land in the good range for reliability, so the gap is about frequency of trouble.

Which has more recalls, the Highlander or the Palisade?

The Highlander has more. Federal recall records show 66 across its nine model years, against 33 across seven for the Palisade. Part of that gap is the Highlander's two extra model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.

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

The Highlander. Independent repair-cost data estimates $489 a year for it and $573 for the Palisade. Over five years that adds up to about $420 in savings. A Highlander transmission replacement, quoted at $8,500 to $10,000, is the exception that can wipe that out.

What is the most common problem on the Hyundai Palisade?

Service brakes lead the Palisade's complaints. Owners say the ABS kicks in over bumps, gravel, or painted road markings, the pedal shakes, and the car keeps rolling at low speed. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. Seat belt buckles that unlatch while driving come second.

Do Highlanders have transmission problems?

Power train is the Highlander's largest complaint area. Owners describe a whine under acceleration that grows louder until the transmission fails. Most reports come just past the 60,000-mile warranty. Some owners wait months for a backordered replacement unit. Test drive any used example for that whine.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander: Reliability Compared

Hyundai Palisade

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Highlander

Good

Reliability favors the Toyota Highlander over the Hyundai Palisade, which draws far more owner complaints per vehicle sold. The Palisade's trouble is more frequent and more routine, while the Highlander's worst failures, such as transmission loss, are costly when they hit.

How Do the Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Highlander Generations Compare?

Most used Highlander shoppers will land in the fourth generation (XU70), which covers 2020 through 2026. The 2018 and 2019 years belong to the third generation (XU50). A fifth generation (XU80) is listed for 2027, which makes 2026 the last year of the current design. The Palisade list is shorter. Its first generation ran from 2020 through 2025, with a facelift for 2022, and a second generation followed with the 2026 model year. The 2025 and 2026 years rank strongest on both, but they have had the least time to collect complaints, so that standing is not yet proven.

Verdict

The Toyota Highlander is more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade, scoring 73/100 vs 65/100.

Reliability favors the Highlander, and the edge is clear. Owners filed about the same number of complaints on each SUV, but far more Highlanders were sold, so the rate per vehicle is much lower. It also costs less to repair and visits the shop less often. The Highlander's weak spot is serious but narrower: transmission failure just past warranty. The Palisade's problems are more widespread, including ABS grabbing on bumps, seat belts unlatching, and windshields cracking early.

Key Differences

1Toyota Highlander costs $84 less per year to repair
2Hyundai Palisade has 33 fewer total recalls
3Toyota Highlander has 25.9 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Hyundai Palisade

—

4Toyota Highlander

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander: Which Is More Reliable?

Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Hyundai Palisade	Toyota Highlander
Reliability Score	65/100	73/100
Years Tracked	7	9
Total Recalls	33	66
Complaints per 10k Sold	31.7	5.8
Annual Repair Cost	$573/yr	$489/yr
Repair Frequency	0.4/yr	0.3/yr
Year Wins	0	7

What Are the Common Problems With the Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Highlander?

A few costly failures define the Highlander's complaints. A whine under acceleration can end in transmission replacement, and a lower bumper cover can detach at highway speed. Air bag reports carry the heaviest crash link, with front impacts that often ended without deployment. Palisade complaints are more everyday. The ABS pulses over bumps and the car keeps rolling at low speed, belt buckles come undone, and windshields crack within a few thousand miles. Rear shocks fail repeatedly. The Palisade shows no crash-linked air bag, power train, or structure area, while the Highlander shows no seat belt area.

Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander common problem areas comparison
Component	Hyundai Palisade	Toyota Highlander
SERVICE BRAKES	5.3Average	0.5Very Low
SEAT BELTS	3.9Average	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	3.7Average	—None
POWER TRAIN	1.6Low	1.5Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	2.2Low	0.8Very Low
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.1Low	0.4Very Low
SUSPENSION	2.3Low	—None
ENGINE	1.4Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	1Very Low	0.5Very Low
STEERING	0.9Very Low	0.1Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.7Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	0.5Very Low
TRAILER HITCHES	0.4Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	0.3Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.1Very Low
SEATS	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
TIRES	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—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 Toyota Highlander?

Independent repair-cost data puts the Highlander at $489 a year and the Palisade at $573. That is $84 less per year, or about $420 over five years. The Highlander also averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.4 for the Palisade. The data gives a 13% chance that a Highlander repair is major. No matching figure is available for the Palisade. The Highlander's transmission quotes of $8,500 to $10,000 show how a single failure can erase the savings.

How Does Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander Reliability Compare by Year?

Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Hyundai Palisade	Toyota Highlander	Edge
2026	72/1002R / 23C	84/1000R / 0C	Toyota Highlander
2025	70/1003R / 139C	76/1008R / 40C	Toyota Highlander
2024	63/1005R / 304C	67/10016R / 198C	Toyota Highlander
2023	62/1005R / 326C	73/10013R / 140C	Toyota Highlander
2022	65/1005R / 241C	74/1007R / 186C	Toyota Highlander
2021	61/1006R / 354C	70/1006R / 403C	Toyota Highlander
2020	59/1007R / 521C	71/1008R / 269C	Toyota Highlander

Best years to cross-shop: The 2022 Hyundai Palisade scored 65/100 and the 2022 Toyota Highlander scored 74/100 — 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 Toyota Highlander?

Pick the Highlander if you want the lower repair bill and fewer shop trips, and you plan to keep the car for years. Skip the 2024 and 2021 model years, which are the weakest. Before you buy, ask whether the lower bumper cover recall was completed, and check the transmission for any whine under acceleration. A used example near or past 60,000 miles deserves a close look, since that is where transmission reports cluster. Pick the Palisade if you need the larger body and third row, and you accept more nuisance repairs. Avoid 2020 and 2021, its weakest years. Test drive over bumps and rail crossings to see whether the ABS grabs, latch every seat belt, and look over the windshield for cracks. Ask whether the rear shocks have been replaced, because owners past warranty were refused coverage. The newest years of both models have had little time to collect complaints, so treat their clean records as unproven.

Hyundai Palisade vs Toyota Highlander: Common Questions

Is the Toyota Highlander more reliable than the Hyundai Palisade?: Yes, the Highlander has a clear edge. It has 5.8 owner complaints per 10,000 sold against 31.7 for the Palisade. It also has lower yearly repair costs and fewer unscheduled shop visits. Both models land in the good range for reliability, so the gap is about frequency of trouble.
Which has more recalls, the Highlander or the Palisade?: The Highlander has more. Federal recall records show 66 across its nine model years, against 33 across seven for the Palisade. Part of that gap is the Highlander's two extra model years. Check any specific car's VIN for open recalls before you buy.
Which is cheaper to repair, the Highlander or the Palisade?: The Highlander. Independent repair-cost data estimates $489 a year for it and $573 for the Palisade. Over five years that adds up to about $420 in savings. A Highlander transmission replacement, quoted at $8,500 to $10,000, is the exception that can wipe that out.
What is the most common problem on the Hyundai Palisade?: Service brakes lead the Palisade's complaints. Owners say the ABS kicks in over bumps, gravel, or painted road markings, the pedal shakes, and the car keeps rolling at low speed. Dealers often cannot reproduce it. Seat belt buckles that unlatch while driving come second.
Do Highlanders have transmission problems?: Power train is the Highlander's largest complaint area. Owners describe a whine under acceleration that grows louder until the transmission fails. Most reports come just past the 60,000-mile warranty. Some owners wait months for a backordered replacement unit. Test drive any used example for that whine.

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More Toyota Highlander comparisons

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Decided between Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Highlander? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Hyundai Palisade and Toyota Highlander

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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