Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Telluride

Head-to-head reliability comparison from 5,018real NHTSA consumer complaints. Year-by-year breakdown, shared problems, crash & fire rates.

Kia Telluride wins·12(1 tied)

Which is more reliable, Hyundai Palisade or Kia Telluride?

Verdict from 5,018 NHTSA complaints

Kia Telluride wins this comparison overall. Kia Telluride comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 28% lower complaint rate. The Hyundai Palisade edges ahead on fire-involvement rate.

Head-to-Head Metrics

Lower is better on every metric. Bar length = relative magnitude. ✓ = winner.

Complaints per 1K vehiclesLower is better
Hyundai Palisade61.7/1K
Kia Telluride48.2/1K

Kia Telluride wins by 28%

Crash-involvement rateLower is better
Hyundai Palisade2.7%
Kia Telluride2.7%

Within 5% — statistical tie

Fire-involvement rateLower is better
Hyundai Palisade0.60%
Kia Telluride1.20%

Hyundai Palisade wins by 100%

Overall severity scoreLower is better
Hyundai Palisade855.7
Kia Telluride50.1

Kia Telluride wins by 1609%

Total complaints
Palisade2,799
Telluride2,219
US units sold
Palisade
Telluride617,938
Injuries
Palisade72
Telluride51
Fatalities
Palisade1
Telluride1

NHTSA Crash Test Ratings

Official NCAP star ratings — government crash test data. Most recent rated model year.

Top Safety Pick

Hyundai Palisade

2026 model year
OverallNot rated
Not rated
Frontal — Driver
Frontal — Passenger
Side — Driver
Side — Passenger
Side Pole
Rollover

Kia Telluride

2025 model year
OverallEXCELLENT
5 / 5
Frontal — Driver
Frontal — Passenger
Side — Driver
Side — Passenger
Side Pole
Rollover

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (NCAP). Lower star = higher injury risk in that crash type.

Complaint Volume — Year by Year

Sales-volume data not available for both models — showing raw complaint counts. Higher-volume models will appear higher even when reliability is comparable.

Hyundai Palisade
Kia Telluride

Most Reported Problems

Top component complaints for each model. Identical bar lengths = both have the same recurring issue.

Hyundai Palisade
Kia Telluride
Brakes40148Seat Belt Issues3230Wipers & Visibility259328Engine Problems235219Electrical Faults174204Headlight/Taillight Failures0193Transmission / Drivetrain119137

Year-by-Year Head-to-Head

Lower is better. Click either model column to see that year's full breakdown.

YearHyundai PalisadeKia TellurideBetter
2020640855Palisade
2021480385Telluride
2022339373Palisade
2023494260Telluride
2024464279Telluride
202527967Telluride

Frequently Asked Questions

Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Telluride — the most common buyer questions, answered from NHTSA data.

Which is more reliable, the Hyundai Palisade or the Kia Telluride?

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Kia Telluride wins this comparison overall. Kia Telluride comes out ahead on 2 of 4 reliability metrics — including a 28% lower complaint rate. The Hyundai Palisade edges ahead on fire-involvement rate. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation via VinItel.

Should I buy a Hyundai Palisade or a Kia Telluride?

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On reliability data alone, the Kia Telluride is the safer bet — but the actual condition of the specific car matters far more than the model average. Check the VIN of any vehicle you're considering for accident history, title issues, and odometer rollbacks.

What problems do the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride share?

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Top complaints for the Hyundai Palisade: Brakes, Seat Belt Issues, Wipers & Visibility. Top complaints for the Kia Telluride: Wipers & Visibility, Engine Problems, Electrical Faults. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Which has fewer NHTSA complaints, the Hyundai Palisade or the Kia Telluride?

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Across all model years, the Hyundai Palisade has 2,799 NHTSA complaints and the Kia Telluride has 2,219. Normalized for sales volume (complaints per 10,000 vehicles sold), the Kia Telluride has the lower complaint rate. Raw counts can mislead — a 2× more popular model will naturally collect 2× more complaints. Detailed normalized comparison: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/compare/hyundai/palisade/vs/kia/telluride

Which is safer in a crash, the Hyundai Palisade or the Kia Telluride?

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Crash-involvement rate from NHTSA complaints: Hyundai Palisade 2.7% vs Kia Telluride 2.7% — the Kia Telluride has the lower crash rate. NHTSA NCAP star ratings (frontal, side, rollover) for both models are also shown on the comparison page. Note: the per-VIN history matters more than the model average — a salvage-title car of any model carries higher crash exposure than the median.

Does the Hyundai Palisade or the Kia Telluride have more fires?

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Fire-involvement rate based on NHTSA complaints: Hyundai Palisade 0.60% vs Kia Telluride 1.20%. The Hyundai Palisade has the lower reported fire rate. Fire complaints are a relatively rare but important safety signal — they often correlate with electrical-system or fuel-system defects. Check specific recall campaigns at vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/hyundai/palisade and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/kia/telluride

What years of the Hyundai Palisade are worse than the Kia Telluride?

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The comparison page renders a year-by-year head-to-head table — for each model year (where both models have data), it shows complaint count or per-10K rate side by side and marks which model fares better that year. Buyers cross-shopping a specific model year should always check the year-level VinItel pages: vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/hyundai/palisade/{year} and vinitel.com/stats/nhtsa-complaints/kia/telluride/{year}.

Where does this Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Telluride comparison data come from?

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All complaint, crash, fire, and fatality data comes from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) consumer-complaint database — the same source insurance regulators and the federal government use. NCAP star ratings come from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. Sales-volume normalization (per 10K sold) uses US annual vehicle sales. Data refreshes every 6 hours. Source: NHTSA via VinItel.

Other head-to-head matchups buyers cross-shopping the Palisade or Telluride also look at:

Comparison data refreshed 2026-05-04 from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.·Source: NHTSA ODI

Picked your model? Now check the actual VIN.

A model average can't see the car you're buying.

Even the Kia Telluride has cars with hidden accidents, salvage titles, and odometer rollbacks. Check the VIN before you buy — full report $4.99 (vs. Carfax $44.99).

Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Telluride Reliability: Which SUV Is Better? | VinItel