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2011 Toyota Venza

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2011 Toyota Venza do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 59.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

45 reports with mileage · 14 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Seats. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 8 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

5 crash reports2 fire reports6 injury reports

Seats complaints

8 reports
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137,945 miles · Jul 14, 2023
Air BagsSeats

The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated, and the check SRS (Supplement Restraint System) message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the error messages were cleared; however, upon placing her purse on the passenger seat, the messages again became displa…

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The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated, and the check SRS (Supplement Restraint System) message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the error messages were cleared; however, upon placing her purse on the passenger seat, the messages again became displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the driver’s side harness needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V014000 (Air Bags, Seat). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 137,945.

NHTSA ODI #11532247

64,750 miles · Apr 15, 2021
Seats

HEATED LIGHTS ON BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT NOT WARMING UP. BOUGHT THIS CAR SECOND HAND FROM A SMALL AUTO DEALER (BUYACAR.COM IN GREENSBORO NC). BUT I DID TAKE MY CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIRS, THEY DID NOT TELL ME THAT THERE'S A RECALL ABOUT SEATS FOR THIS MODEL AND I DID COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WARMING SEAT NOT WORKING. SO REC…

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HEATED LIGHTS ON BUT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT NOT WARMING UP. BOUGHT THIS CAR SECOND HAND FROM A SMALL AUTO DEALER (BUYACAR.COM IN GREENSBORO NC). BUT I DID TAKE MY CAR TO A TOYOTA DEALER FOR REPAIRS, THEY DID NOT TELL ME THAT THERE'S A RECALL ABOUT SEATS FOR THIS MODEL AND I DID COMPLAIN ABOUT THE WARMING SEAT NOT WORKING. SO RECALL WAS ABOUT, WIRING OF SEAT. THE DEALERSHIP DID NOT CHECK BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE CHARGED$500 FOR A REPAIR THAT IS PART OF A RECALL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP ON THIS MATTER.

NHTSA ODI #11408309

94,000 miles · Oct 7, 2019
Electrical SystemSeats

HEATED SEAT WIRING WAS DISCONNECTED BY THE DEALER TO PREVENT A FIRE AND NOTED THAT THE PLUG WAS MELTED AND THE SEAT WAS CHARRED, DUE TO A MALFUNCTION, MY HEATED SEAT ON DRIVER SIDE STOPPED WORKING, FOUND A NHTSA CHAMPAIGN ID 14V743000 THAT AFFECTED 2009-2011 TOYOTA VENZA AND ALSO REPORTED TO TOYOTA CORPORATION AT 800-331-4331 SP…

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HEATED SEAT WIRING WAS DISCONNECTED BY THE DEALER TO PREVENT A FIRE AND NOTED THAT THE PLUG WAS MELTED AND THE SEAT WAS CHARRED, DUE TO A MALFUNCTION, MY HEATED SEAT ON DRIVER SIDE STOPPED WORKING, FOUND A NHTSA CHAMPAIGN ID 14V743000 THAT AFFECTED 2009-2011 TOYOTA VENZA AND ALSO REPORTED TO TOYOTA CORPORATION AT 800-331-4331 SPOKE WITH KHUSHBOO, REGARDING THE RECALL AND SHE STATED MY VEHICLE IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. I FEEL THAT MY VEHICLE FALLS WITHIN THE PARAMETERS OF THE RECALL ON TOYOTA VENZA 2009-2011.

NHTSA ODI #11266882

20 miles · May 20, 2018
Electrical SystemSeatsSteering

SEATS RUBBED ON CONSOLE. STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEATS NO LONGER OPERATE. WHEN IN REVERSE AND TURNING STEERING WHEEL LOUD SQUEALING NOISE AND THUMPING UNTIL PLACED IN DRIVE. WENT TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS WHO SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR FELL DOWN AND BLOCKED ABILITY TO SEE…

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SEATS RUBBED ON CONSOLE. STRONG ELECTRICAL BURNING SMELL. DRIVERS SIDE HEATED SEATS NO LONGER OPERATE. WHEN IN REVERSE AND TURNING STEERING WHEEL LOUD SQUEALING NOISE AND THUMPING UNTIL PLACED IN DRIVE. WENT TO SEVERAL DEALERSHIPS WHO SAID THEY COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG. DRIVERS SIDE SUN VISOR FELL DOWN AND BLOCKED ABILITY TO SEE WHEN DRIVING.

NHTSA ODI #11096950

101,162 miles · Nov 3, 2015
Electrical SystemSeatsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT WARMER MODULE CONNECTION MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 101,162.

NHTSA ODI #10787954

59,500 miles · Oct 27, 2015
Seats

THE DRIVER SEAT HEATER WHEN TURNED ON OVERHEATED WITH A STRONG ELECTRICAL BURN SMELL. TOYOTA REPAIR SERVICE SAID THE HEATER ELEMENT HAS GONE BAD, BUT NO RECALL FOR OUR VIN# UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIN ID#14V743000.

NHTSA ODI #10786323

65,000 miles · Nov 13, 2014
Fuel/propulsion SystemSeats

SMELL BURN AND SMELL FUEL WHILE DRIVING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10654707

Mileage unknown · Nov 9, 2011
Seats

THE HEAD REST FOR THE FRONT SEATS ON THE VENZA MAKES THESE SEATS THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE I HAVE EVER SAT IN, LET ALONE DRIVE. I AM ONLY 5' 4" TALL AND THE WAY THE HEAD REST LANDS, IT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD WHEN I DRIVE. I END UP WITH BOTH A HEAD ACHE AND A NECK ACHE WHENEVER I DRIVE. IT APPEARS THIS VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED FOR SO…

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THE HEAD REST FOR THE FRONT SEATS ON THE VENZA MAKES THESE SEATS THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE I HAVE EVER SAT IN, LET ALONE DRIVE. I AM ONLY 5' 4" TALL AND THE WAY THE HEAD REST LANDS, IT PUSHES MY HEAD FORWARD WHEN I DRIVE. I END UP WITH BOTH A HEAD ACHE AND A NECK ACHE WHENEVER I DRIVE. IT APPEARS THIS VEHICLE WAS DESIGNED FOR SOMEONE TALLER, PERHAPS A MAN. THE HEAD REST NEEDS TO BE REDESIGNED FOR SOMEONE OF MY STATURE. I WOULD GLADLY PAY FOR ANOTHER HEADREST IF ONE WAS AVAILABLE. BUT THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THAT ONCE AGAIN THE NEEDS OF WOMEN (SHORTER THAN MEN) ARE NOT WHAT IS DRIVING THE DESIGN. I EXPECT MORE FROM ALL CAR MANUFACTURERS, IT IS TIME TO RECOGNIZE THAT WOMEN MAKE UP 51% OF THE POPULATION. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10435080

Official recalls

6

21V257000 · Air Bags:side/window:curtain

Apr 13, 2021

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2009-2015 Venza vehicles. The Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) wiring may become damaged with regular use of the driver-side door.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Damaged wires may cause the air bag sensor to become inoperable, preventing the deployment of the side and curtain air bags on the driver side and increasing the risk of injury during a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and, if necessary, replace the driver-side front door wire harness, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 19, 2021. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 21TB01/21TA01.

14V743000 · Seats:front Assembly:seat Heater/cooler

Nov 19, 2014

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner. The affected vehicles may experience compression of the seat cushion which may damage the seat heater wiring.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Damage to the seat heater wiring could cause the wires to short, increasing the risk of the seat burning and causing personal injury to the occupant.

Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge. The recall is expected to began in January 2015. Owners may contact SET customer service at 1-866-405-4226.

13V123000 · Equipment:other:labels

Apr 9, 2013

Southeast Toyota is recalling certain model year 2008 and 2010-2013 Toyota Tundra, 2010-2012 Rav4, 2012 Toyota Sequoia, 2010-2011 Toyota Corolla, 2010-2011 Toyota Camry and Camry Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid, 2010-2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser, 2011 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2010-2013 Toyota Venza, 2010-2011 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota Tacoma, 2011-2012 Toyota Sienna, 2012 Toyota Prius, 2013 Scion FR-S, 2011 Scion XD, 2011 Scion XB, and 2012 Scion TC vehicles. These vehicles were sold with labels that were outside the allowable one percent of accuracy of actual weight added. Thus, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) Number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An inaccurate label could lead to owners overloading their vehicles and tires. An overloaded vehicle can result in a tire failure which may result in a vehicle crash, personal injury, or property damage.

Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners and provide a corrected label with instructions concerning its installation. A small group of the affected vehicles will need additonal remedies which are still being developed. The recall began on May 28, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

13V014000 · Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE ; Seats

Jan 16, 2013

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Seats

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Consequence: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

Air Bags:frontal:sensor/control MODULE-INACTIVE

Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain models interspersed through model years 2009 through 2013 as follows: model year 2009-2012 Tacoma, 4Runner, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Prius, and RAV4; model year 2009-2010 Avalon, FJ Cruiser, and Highlander Hybrid; model year 2010-2013 model year Corolla, Sienna and Tundra; model year 2009-2013 Highlander and Venza; model year 2012 Prius V; and model year 2010-2012 Sequoia. During modification by SET to include accessories such as leather seat covers, seat heaters or headrest DVD systems, these vehicles may not have had the passenger seat occupant sensing system calibration tested. Without passing the calibration test, the occupant sensing system may not operate as designed.

Consequence: If the front passenger seat occupant sensing system is out of calibration, the front passenger airbags may not deploy or they may deploy inappropriately for the passenger's size and position. This could increase the risk of personal injury during the event of a vehicle crash necessitating airbag deployment.

Remedy: Southeast Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will test the sensitivity of the occupant detection sensors, and recalibrate them as necessary. The recall began on March 21, 2013. Owners may contact Southeast Toyota at 1-800-301-6859.

12V091000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Mar 7, 2012

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2009 CAMRY VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 1, 2008, THROUGH FEBRUARY 28, 2009, AND MODEL YEAR 2009-2011 VENZA VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM OCTOBER 20, 2008, THROUGH JANUARY 4, 2011. DURING ASSEMBLY OF THE CONTACT-TYPE STOP LAMP SWITCH, SILICONE GREASE MAY HAVE COME IN CONTACT WITH THE SURFACE OF THE SWITCH WHICH COULD CAUSE CONTACT RESISTANCE. IF THIS OCCURS, WARNING LAMPS COULD ILLUMINATE, A NO START CONDITION COULD RESULT, THE SHIFT LEVER MAY NOT SHIFT FROM THE “PARK” POSITION, OR THE VEHICLE’S BRAKE LIGHTS COULD BECOME INOPERATIVE.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: INOPERATIVE BRAKE LIGHTS WOULD NOT WARN OTHER DRIVERS THAT THE VEHICLE IS SLOWING OR STOPPING, INCREASING THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS, AND DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH, FREE OF CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 12, 2012. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

11V306000 · Power Train:driveline:driveshaft

Jun 1, 2011

TOYOTA IS RECALLING CERTAIN MODEL YEAR 2011 VENZA AND SIENNA PASSENGER CARS MANUFACTURED FROM MARCH 7, THROUGH MARCH 10, 2011. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE FRONT, RIGHT, DRIVE SHAFT MAY BREAK DUE TO INSUFFICIENT HEAT TREATMENT.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: SHOULD THE DRIVE SHAFT BREAK DURING VEHICLE OPERATION, THE VEHICLE WILL LOSE POWER WITHOUT PRIOR WARNING. LOSS OF MOTIVE POWER WITHOUT WARNING MAY INCREASE THE RISK OF A CRASH.

Remedy: TOYOTA WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND DEALERS WILL INSPECT THE DRIVE SHAFT, AND, IF THE DRIVE SHAFT IS IDENTIFIED AS ONE THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN CORRECTLY MANUFACTURED, IT WILL BE REPLACED WITH A NEW ONE AT NO CHARGE. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 22, 2011. OWNERS MAY CONTACT TOYOTA AT 1-800-331-4331.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.