HyundaiPalisade2021Overview/hyundai/palisade/2021/base/

2021 Hyundai Palisade

Factory specifications, fluid capacities, torque values, EPA fuel economy and the federal safety record for the 2021 Palisade.

Transmission Automatic (S8)

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade pairs an eight-speed automatic transmission with an engine requiring 6.8 quarts of 5W-30 or 10W-30 oil, returning EPA fuel economy ratings of 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined. With 413 owner complaints logged—positioning it between the 2020 model year's 517 complaints and the 2026 model's 98—this model year carries six recalls and identifies seat belts as its primary complaint category. That placement indicates a moderate reliability standing within the nameplate's history, reflecting improvement over the debut year's higher complaint volume while remaining above the lower figures of later production.

Model year202520242023202220212020

Quick specs

Fluid capacities, tune-up values and fuel economy at a glance.

Engine oil capacity6.8 qtOEM · verified
Engine oil type5W-30 / 10W-30OEM · verified
Lug nut torque80.0-94.0 ft-lbsOEM · verified
EPA fuel economy19/24/21 mpgEPA · verified

Fitment & sizes

Replacement part sizes and factory part numbers — battery, bulbs, filters and belts.

From the factory this vehicle uses a BCI Only use AGM VRLA Battery. 94R · 800 CCA battery, OE oil filter 263203CKB0. Each part links to every other vehicle that shares it, so a part you already stock may fit more of your fleet than you'd expect.

Battery groupBCI Only use AGM VRLA Battery. 94R · 800 CCAOEM · verified
Tail / brake / turnONOEM · verified
Tire size245/50R20 102VOEM · verified
Wheel / rim7.5 inOEM · verified

OE service part numbers OEM · verified

Engine oil filter263203CKB0
Fuel filter31112B1000
Spark plug1884911070
Battery371102W810

Full specifications

Engine, drivetrain, dimensions and economy.

Engine & drivetrain NHTSA vPIC

TransmissionAutomatic (S8)

Dimensions & weight NHTSA vPIC

Overall length196.1 in
Overall width78 in
Overall height68.9 in
Wheelbase114.2 in
Curb weight4314 lb
Track (front / rear)66.9 / 66.9 in
Weight distribution (front / rear)56/44

Ratings & economy EPA / vPIC

EPA city / highway / combined19 / 24 / 21 mpg
DrivetrainAll-Wheel Drive
Recommended fuelRegular Gasoline

Performance & power Independent road tests

0–60 mph, quarter-mile, horsepower and torque from independent road tests.

Independent road tests for the Palisade of this era, listed by trim and engine — this page spans more than one engine, so no single horsepower figure is shown.

6.4–8.1 sec0–60 mph (tested)quickest 6.40 sec — 2023 XRT HTRAC
YearTrim / engine0–60¼ mileHPDrivetrain
2020Limited HTRAC 3.8L V66.80 sec15.10 sec291 hpAWD
2020Limited HTRAC 3.8L V66.90 sec15.20 sec291 hpAWD
2020Limited HTRAC 3.8L V67.10 sec15.30 sec291 hpAWD
2023XRT HTRAC 3.8L V66.40 sec14.80 sec291 hpAWD
2023Calligraphy HTRAC 3.8L V66.90 sec15.10 sec291 hpAWD
2023Calligraphy HTRAC 3.8L V67.00 sec15.30 sec291 hpAWD
2024Calligraphy Night Edition HTRAC 3.8L V67.60 sec15.80 sec291 hpAWD
2026Hybrid Calligraphy HTRAC 2.5L Turbo I-4 + Elec 1.7-kWh6.60 sec15.00 sec329 hpAWD

Service quick specs OEM factory data

Capacities, torques and tune-up values from the factory service manual.

This engine holds 6.8 qt of 5W-30 / 10W-30 engine oil, GL-5 · 75W-85 in the differential, DOT 4 brake fluid. Torque lug nuts to 80.0-94.0 ft-lbs, the oil drain plug to Use new gasket: 25.0-33.0 ft-lbs. The firing order is 1-2-3-4-5-6.

Lubricants & capacities

Automatic Transmission FluidATF
Automatic Transmission Fluid Capacity7.39 qt
Brake FluidDOT 4
Differential Gear OilGL-5 · 75W-85
Engine CoolantEthylene Glycol
Engine Coolant Capacity9.4 qt
Engine Oil5W-30 · 10W-30
Engine Oil Capacity6.8 qt

Engine torques

Crankshaft Pulley and/or Damper Bolts422.0-432.0 ft-lbs
Exhaust Manifold to Cylinder Head Bolts36.0-40.0 ft-lbs
Engine Oil Pan Drain PlugUse new gasket: 25.0-33.0 ft-lbs

Chassis torques

Differential Fill PlugFinal Drive: 29.0-43.0 ft-lbs
Differential drain PlugFinal Drive: 36.0-51.0 ft-lbs
Lug Nuts80.0-94.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Fill PlugUse a new gasket: 29.0-43.0 ft-lbs
Transfer Case Drain PlugUse a new gasket: 29.0-43.0 ft-lbs

Ignition

Cylinder Firing Order1-2-3-4-5-6
Curb Idle Speed (No Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (No Load)100 rpm
Curb Idle Speed (Secondary Under Load)650 rpm
Curb Idle Speed Variance (Secondary Under Load)100 rpm
Spark Plug ManufacturerHyundai
Spark Plug Gap0.039-0.043 in
Spark Plug Torque11.0-18.0 ft-lbs

Battery & A/C

RefrigerantR1234yf
Refrigerant Capacity1.81-1.92 lbs
Oil GroupPAG
Oil Type46YF
Oil Capacity6.0-6.60 oz
Standard BCI Group NumberOnly use AGM VRLA Battery. 94R
Standard BCI Cranking Performance800 cca

Service checks

Fuel Pump Pressure Minimum52.0 psi
Fuel Pump Pressure Maximum58.0 psi
RPM52.0-58.0 @ Idle rpm

Brakes

Brake Caliper Bolt to Carrier Torque28.0-30.0 ft-lbs
Brake Caliper Carrier to Hub Bolt Torque72.0-87.0 ft-lbs
ABS Sensor Torque6.6
Minimum Pad Thickness0.079 in
Vented Rotor Minimum Thickness for ReplacementFront: 1.102; Rear: .354
Variation from Parallelism Thickness VariationFront: .0002; Rear: .0004
Maximum Rotor RunoutFront: .0016; Rear: .002

Multi-step torque procedures OEM · verified

Cylinder Head — tightening sequence 1 stages
128.0-30.0 ft. lbs., Step 2: 118-122°, Step 3: 88-92°, Step 4: External Head Bolt: 13.7-17.528–30 ft. lbs
Intake Manifold to Engine Bolts — tightening sequence 1 stages
12.9-4.3 ft. lbs., Step 2: 19.5-23.1 ft. lbs., Step 3: 19.5-23.12.9–4.3 ft. lbs

Factory maintenance schedule OEM · verified

Normal service, condensed from the factory interval matrix.

Under the factory schedule, replace the spark plugs every 97,500 mi; coolant every 30,000 mi. The big-interval services (every 30,000 mi for coolant, and the transmission fluid) are the ones owners most often skip — on a lower-mileage example, assume the original fluids are still in it and check them first.

Every 7,500 miAir Conditioning System (inspect) · Battery (inspect) · Brake Line (inspect) · Brake Linings (inspect) · Brake Rotor (inspect) · Cabin Air Filter (replace)
Every 15,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect) · Brake Hydraulic System (inspect fluid level) · CV Joint Boot (inspect) · Driveshaft (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Canister Filter (inspect) · Fuel Evaporative Emission Control System Lines (inspect)
Every 30,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill) · Fuel Line (inspect)
Every 32,000 miEngine Air Filter Element (replace)
Every 37,500 miDifferential (inspect fluid level) · Transfer Case Assembly (inspect fluid level)
At 60,000 miAccessory Drive Belt (inspect)
Every 60,000 miEngine Valves (inspect valve lash)
Every 97,500 miSpark Plugs (replace)
At 120,000 miEngine Coolant System (drain, flush & refill)

Reliability & federal safety record

Owner-reported issues, recalls, investigations and service bulletins on record with NHTSA — an unfiltered look at what owners actually experience.

The 2021 Hyundai Palisade sits in the early phase of this generation's federal record, showing meaningful improvement from the 2020 launch year (complaints fell from 517 to 413) but still carrying first-generation growing pains. Notably, recalls actually ticked up to six — the highest of any year in the dataset — and investigations doubled from one to two, suggesting regulators and Hyundai were still actively working through emerging issues even as overall complaint volume declined. TSBs dropped from 173 to 124, indicating fewer technical service bulletins were needed, yet the count remained elevated relative to later years. The dominant complaint area by a wide margin is Seat Belts at 95 reports, followed by Unknown/Other (48) and Visibility/Wiper (41), with eight crash complaints and one fire complaint on record; the data does not specify root causes for any of these categories. Across the full generation, complaints generally trend downward (bottoming at 98 in 2026) while recalls stabilize at three per year by 2025–2026, painting an arc of gradual maturation. The 2021 model represents a transitional year — better than 2020 but not yet the refined middle years — so it is a reasonable purchase if all six recalls have been completed and the seat belt system is thoroughly inspected, but a 2022 or 2023 model offers a meaningfully lower complaint density for a modest price premium.

6
Open recalls
NHTSA campaigns
124
Service bulletins
Manufacturer communications
2
ODI investigations
Office of Defects Investigation
413
Owner complaints
8 involved a crash · 1 a fire
NHTSA crash-test rating federal NCAP · out of 5 stars
Overall★★★★★
Frontal★★★★★
Side★★★★★
Rollover★★★★
Owner complaints by model year NHTSA · this generation & adjacent

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA, by component

All 413 complaints on record, top 8 components.

Seat Belts95
Unknown Or Other48
Visibility/Wiper41
Electrical System25
Engine25
Suspension20
Trailer Hitches11
Structure10

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint database.

Recalls NHTSA · verified

Showing 2 of 6 campaigns on record for this vehicle.

21V840000Service Brakes, Hydraulic:FluidReported 27/10/2021

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2021 Palisade vehicles. The brake fluid may be contaminated, which can cause the brake master cylinder inner-cup seals to swell, and reduce braking performance. Remedy: Dealers will replace the brake master cylinder, and flush the brake fluid, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on December 24, 2021. Owners may contact Hyundai…

22V627000Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:MotorReported 15/08/2022

Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Palisade vehicles. The windshield wiper motor may become inoperative, causing the wipers to fail. Remedy: Dealers will replace the driver-side windshield wiper arm, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 13, 2022. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at…

Technical service bulletins NHTSA · verified

Showing 5 of 124 bulletins on record with NHTSA.

BulletinDateComponentSummary
26-EE-007H TSB2026-06-16Electrical SystemSome Palisade (LX2), Tucson (NX4), and Tucson Hybrid (NX4 HEV) vehicles may experience…
26-SS-001H TSB2026-06-10SuspensionCertain Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit a clunking or thumping noise from the rear of…
26-TC-001H2026-05-31SuspensionSome Palisade (LX2) vehicles may produce noise from AWD coupling vibrations when making…
26-EM-012H DCS2026-05-29EngineSome Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter…
26-EM-012H DN2026-05-29EngineSome Palisade (LX2) vehicles may exhibit engine oil leakage at the engine oil filter…

Common OBD-II trouble codes

The most common OBD-II codes for this vehicle's emissions system. These are standardized SAE J2012 definitions, not vehicle-specific fault reports.

P0420
Catalyst system efficiency below threshold — Bank 1
P0300
Random / multiple cylinder misfire detected
P0171
System too lean — Bank 1
P0455
Evaporative emission system leak detected — large leak
P0128
Coolant thermostat below regulating temperature
P0442
Evaporative emission system leak detected — small leak

VIN tools

Decode factory build data for a specific vehicle by VIN.

VIN
Decode a VIN to confirm the transmission and build data for a specific Palisade. OEM
Build data
Plant, GVWR class, engine and body data for any 17-character VIN.
Recalls
Check open recall campaigns against a specific vehicle by VIN.

Vehicles with shared specs

Find every vehicle that shares this one's battery, bulbs, oil capacity, platform or parts.

Reference guides

Cross-vehicle references for the kinds of data on this page.

Frequently asked

How much oil does the 2021 Palisade take?

6.8 qt of 5W-30 is preferred. Above 0°F: 10W-30 can be used., per the factory manual.

Does the 2021 Palisade have open recalls?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for this model year. Check your specific vehicle by VIN.

What gas mileage does the Palisade get?

EPA figures are 19 city / 24 highway / 21 combined mpg.