It’s one of Hyundai’s best-selling model lines but that doesn’t mean the big Palisade SUV is immune from problems – or lawsuits. The Korean carmaker’s U.S. arm faces a class action claiming issues with the electronic brake controls on Palisade can make it difficult to stop the 3-row SUV. More from Headlight.News.
A new lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California alleges Hyundai has failed to acknowledge – and resolve – a problem with the braking system on the big Palisade SUV.
The case, which is seeking to be deemed a class action, notes there have been at least 200 complaints about the problem filed with the National Highway Safety Administration. It also claims Hyundai became aware of the problem even before it brought Palisade to market.
The automaker, plaintiffs noted in their legal filing, has failed to repair the ABS Defect in Class Vehicles within a reasonable time. As a result, many Class Vehicle owners have been forced to continue driving their cars with faulty brakes that suffer from the ABS Defect.”
What’s wrong
The problem noted in the lawsuit has been reported by Hyundai owners since the 2023 Palisade first came out. The problem continues to impact 2024 and 2025 models, as well.
Owners indicate their SUVs may be harder to initiate braking, and thus take longer to stop, when thy go over rough or uneven pavement.
They quote experts who indicate the issues is the result of faulty calculations of wheel speed due to errors with the SUV’s antilock braking and stability control systems. Under some situations the brakes may unexpectedly release, even though the driver continues applying pressure to the pedal.
What owners want
Plaintiffs’ attorneys will likely seek to expand the class, a common move in such cases. In the meantime, it list several Palisade owners filing the complaint. It claims Camille Maldonado experienced the problem, “whenever (she) applied vehicle brakes while driving on a rough or uneven road surface, she felt as if her vehicle was skidding over the road surface and took a longer distance to come to a stop than she reasonably anticipated.”
Though this could conceivably result in a collision, there have been no reports of crashes, injuries or fatalities in the 200 complaints lodged with NHTSA.
In the lawsuit, plaintiffs claim Hyundai has violated both federal law and consumer protection measures in the states of New York and Ohio by not acknowledging and then fixing the problem quickly enough.
“Hyundai has failed to repair the ABS Defect in Class Vehicles within a reasonable time,” the lawsuit stated, while alleging that the problem first was observed during pre-production testing and has since been highlighted in owner forums on Reddit and elsewhere. “As a result, many Class Vehicle owners have been forced to continue driving their cars with faulty brakes that suffer from the ABS Defect.”
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What’s next
A lawsuit like this could put pressure on both the automaker and federal regulators to address the alleged issue. Meanwhile, if this case is handled like other automotive class actions, plaintiff attorneys will start trying to line up still more Palisade owners who will claim they also experienced braking problems.
Depending on where owners live, and what legal remedies are available there, they could be in for financial remuneration should the case win at trial or, as is the norm, get resolved through negotiations or mediation.
The legal filing noted that buyers might have chosen a different vehicle due to the issue but might also have sought a bigger discount from Hyundai if they did choose a Hyundai Palisade.
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