Certain 2020 – 2025 model year Palisade vehicles may experience abnormal seat belt buckle(s) operation. At Hyundai, we are committed to providing vehicles of outstanding quality and value. In an effort to meet this commitment, Hyundai is extending warranty coverage for the Seat Belt Buckle under this condition to 15 years/150,000 miles (whichever occurs first) from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use and is valid for original and subsequent owners.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2021 Hyundai Palisade seatbelts problems
moderate Owners of the 2021 Hyundai Palisade have filed 97 NHTSA complaints about the seatbelts at roughly $500 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See seatbelts across all vehicles →
Complaints
97
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$500
| Model year | seatbelts complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 Palisade | 40 |
| 2021 Palisade (this page) | 97 |
| 2022 Palisade | 65 |
| 2023 Palisade | 48 |
| 2024 Palisade | 33 |
| 2025 Palisade | 33 |
1injury
What stands out
Of the 7 model years of Hyundai Palisade we track for seatbelts problems, this one carries the most owner complaints on file — 97.
Owners have filed 97 seatbelts complaints with NHTSA against this vehicle, but no formal recall covers the issue — the federal record reflects what manufacturers have admitted, not everything owners are reporting.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering seatbelts on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Certain 2020-2025MY Palisade (LX2) vehicles may experience abnormal seat belt buckle(s) operation. Hyundai has extended warranty coverage for the seat belt buckle under this condition to 15 years/150,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (whichever occurs first) and is valid for original and subsequent owners.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Certain 2020-2025MY Palisade (LX2) vehicles may experience abnormal seat belt buckle(s) operation. Follow the procedure in this TSB to inspect the concerning seat belt buckle(s) for abnormal symptoms with buckle insertion, ejection feeling, sound, or potential debris that influences operation. If any of the above symptoms are found, replace the seat belt buckle(s). Hyundai is extending warranty coverage for the seat belt buckle under this condition to 15 years/150,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (whichever occurs first) and is valid for original and subsequent owners. Please note that any vehicles under 15 years/150,000 miles are covered by this TSB,
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Certain 2020-2025MY Palisade (LX2) vehicles may experience abnormal seat belt buckle(s) operation. Hyundai is extending warranty coverage for the seat belt buckle under this condition to 15 years/150,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (whichever occurs first) and is valid for original and subsequent owners. Please note that any vehicles under 15 years/150,000 miles and within the original 5 years/60,000 miles are still subject to this warranty extension under TSB 25-BE-010H.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Certain 2020 - 2024MY Palisade (LX2) vehicles may experience seat belts that are twisted due to excessive space in the D-ring. Hyundai is extending warranty coverage for the seat belts under this condition to 10 years/100,000 miles from the date of original retail delivery or date of first use (whichever occurs first) and is valid for original and subsequent owners. Follow the service procedure in this TSB to visually inspect and replace seat belts that are twisted due to excessive space in the D-ring.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Second and third row seat belt buckles routinely unbuckle without passenger contact while driving, sometimes within minutes of latching or during normal operation. The problem is intermittent and difficult for dealers to reproduce on demand, yet owners report it happening multiple times per trip or weekly. Replacement buckles fail with the same symptoms. Second-row buckles also resist latching or fail to latch altogether, requiring 5-10 minutes of effort, particularly with booster seats. The recessed, angled design of captain's chair buckles makes secure engagement nearly impossible for children and older passengers, and buckles that appear latched often pop open when verified.
Front seat belt buckles disengage unexpectedly while driving, and at least one passenger-side buckle will not accept the male connector at all. Faulty warning lights and chimes malfunction independently—alerting when belts are latched or staying silent when unlatched. One driver-side seat belt jams in the door and fails to tighten properly. Rear buckles have seized and failed to retract.
Hyundai issued recall 25V607000 for seat belts, but the remedy parts remain unavailable or severely backordered. Dealers cannot schedule repairs and refuse to address intermittent failures they cannot reproduce during static inspection. Owners report waiting months for parts that never arrive. The intermittent nature of failures makes them difficult to document, yet the sheer volume of reports from different owners and passengers rules out user error.
Same Hyundai Palisade seatbelts reports on nearby years: 2020 · 2022 · 2023 · 2024
Failure modes owners describe
Spontaneous unbuckling of second-row and third-row seat belt buckles
Seat belt buckles in second and third row seats unlatching without passenger contact while vehicle is in motion. Some instances occur within minutes of initial buckling; others happen intermittently during a trip. Problem affects multiple seats across the second and third rows, with some buckles requiring replacement by dealers only to recur later.
When: Typically within first 15-30 minutes of driving, or at various points during trips. Reported onset from purchase onward; some owners report issues since 2021 model-year purchase.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt unlatches suddenly while passenger is buckled and vehicle moving; Seat belt alarm chimes when unlatching occurs; Problem is intermittent and difficult to reproduce on demand; Occurs with different passengers, ruling out user error; Can happen during normal driving, hard braking, or when passenger applies slight pressure (leaning forward)
Repairs/costs cited: Hyundai service centers have replaced buckles; however, same failure recurs on replaced units. Some dealers unable to replicate issue during testing and refuse to perform warranty repair. Parts availability delays reported for recall remedy.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 25V607000 (Seat Belts recall) issued; remedy parts unavailable or on backorder. Dealers instructed to wait for parts availability. Hyundai case management on file for some owners, but inaction cited when technician cannot reproduce issue during static inspection.
Difficulty or failure of second-row seat belt buckles to latch
Seat belt tongues resist insertion into buckles or fail to latch securely despite full insertion attempts. Some require multiple attempts (5-10+ minutes) to achieve latching, particularly with booster seats in use. Others fail to latch at all.
When: Reported from purchase onward. Some owners note issue worsens over time or recurs after brief proper function.
Symptoms owners cite: Tongue does not insert smoothly into buckle; Multiple insertion attempts required to achieve latch click; Buckling extremely difficult or impossible with high-back booster seats; Even when click is heard, buckle may not be fully secure upon verification pull; Can occur in single seat or both second-row seats simultaneously
Repairs/costs cited: Hyundai buckles have been replaced by dealers; some consumers cite part backorder delays. One narrative mentions dealer could not repair passenger-side latch that would not receive the metal fitting.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 25V607000 parts unavailable or backordered at multiple dealerships. No alternative repair solutions offered.
Faulty seat belt warning indicators and chimes
Seat belt status indicators (lights/chimes) malfunction, alerting driver when seat belt is actually latched, or failing to alert when unlatched. Issue affects driver and passenger seats independently.
When: Reported at various points during vehicle ownership; one instance noted third-row passenger-side chime began malfunctioning at a later date than driver-side chime.
Symptoms owners cite: Seatbelt chime dings continuously when belt is properly buckled; Chime activates when no occupant in seat; Light indicator does not correspond to actual belt status; Problem can affect multiple seats independently
Repairs/costs cited: Service provider recommended possible solution not detailed in narrative. Issue unresolved as of report date.
Front seat belt latch mechanism defects (driver and passenger)
Driver and front passenger seat belt buckles fail to latch reliably or disengage during driving. Front passenger side buckle on at least one vehicle would not accept the male connector pin.
When: Reported at various points during ownership; one narrative notes failure at 35,000 miles.
Symptoms owners cite: Front passenger side seat belt cannot be latched (male fitting incompatible with buckle receiver); Driver and passenger seat belts disengage while driving despite appearing latched; Disengagement occurs without warning; seat belt monitor shows belt as latched just before failure; Occurs intermittently across multiple uses
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer unable to repair passenger-side latch; part ordered and backordered for extended period. Consumers paying out-of-pocket for belt replacement after dealership denial of coverage.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Recall 25V607000 applies; parts unavailable. Hyundai representative acknowledged NHTSA concern when informed of issue.
Rear captain's chair buckle design/accessibility issues
Second-row captain's chair seat belt buckles are recessed into the seat base and angled, making secure latching difficult or impossible, especially with booster seats. Buckle tongue approaches at an angle rather than straight, requiring side pressure to engage.
When: Issue noted from purchase or early ownership onward.
Symptoms owners cite: Buckle appears latched (click heard) but disengages when pulled to verify; Requires pushing receiver to the side to achieve correct angle for insertion; Impossible or nearly impossible to buckle reliably with narrow booster seats; Takes 5+ minutes on multiple occasions to achieve secure latching; No clear click or confirmation of latching; occupant uncertainty about security
Repairs/costs cited: Design defect; no repair parts cited. One narrative recommends extending receiver to allow angle adjustment.
Seat belt retraction and jamming issues
Driver-side seat belt does not retract properly when released, becomes stuck or jammed in door, and fails to tighten adequately for crash protection.
When: Intermittent; problem replicated by owner in front of service technician with video evidence.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt gets stuck/jammed in car door when retracting; Seat belt does not tighten sufficiently for effective crash protection; Intermittent locking and sticking behavior
Repairs/costs cited: Owner provided video and photos of damage caused by seat belt jamming; Hyundai refuses coverage, claiming inability to replicate despite owner's in-shop demonstration.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Hyundai refuses warranty coverage; claims inability to replicate despite owner evidence.
Seat belt buckle internal failure preventing retraction
Rear passenger seat belt failed to retract when released while parked; seat belt remained extended and jammed until buckle was manually disconnected.
When: Failure mileage approximately 82,500.
Symptoms owners cite: Seat belt does not retract when buckle released; Seat belt remains in extended position unless manually manipulated
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer diagnosed internal buckle failure requiring buckle replacement; vehicle not repaired.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer stated no recalls on VIN for seat belt.
Synthesized from 97 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 3 most recent
Second row seat belt buckles come unbuckle while driving. Even with buckle securely fastened and checked upon passenger being seated, later on the seatbelt becomes unbuckled randomly during driving. Extreme safety issue not only since the passenger is unbuckled, but because driver now becomes distracted trying to resolve a safety issue while driving.
Occasionally the driver's side middle row passenger seat belt will come unbuckled while driving. This happens without pushing the eject button. Reinserting the buckle will clear the seat belt alarm and refasten the belt but occasionally it will pop out again.
The captain seats in the back middle row will be clicked in place and they come undone during operation of the vehicle. This happens on both of the captain seats in the back row. This has occurred at least 6 times in the last month Dec 2024
Had seatbelts trouble with your 2021 Hyundai Palisade?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the seatbelts problem on the 2021 Hyundai Palisade?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 97 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the seatbelts typically fail?
Based on the 97 complaints filed, seatbelts issues most often appear around 52,250 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $500 for seatbelts repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to seatbelts?
No active recalls currently cover seatbelts issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2021/Hyundai/Palisade.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.