← New search

2012 Toyota Venza

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Fewer warning signs than most model years

Owner complaints for the 2012 Toyota Venza are lower than the model-year median of 59.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Venza years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 19 of 25 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Air Bags. Review the 9 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Visibility/wiper. Review the 6 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Structure. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

6 crash reports0 fire reports4 injury reports

Air Bags complaints

9 reports
Clear category filter
100,000 miles · Jan 3, 2022
Air Bags

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the airbags warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The …

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the airbags warning light illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) and the vehicle was taken to the dealer for the recall repair. The dealer advised the contact that the recalls repair had been completed; however, upon picking up the vehicle, the contact noticed that the airbags warning light remained illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure. The dealer advised the contact that they would need to remove the driver’s and passenger’s side front door panels, and the carpet to repair the vehicle. The contact was also informed that the repair would be completed at her expense. The contact declined. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ODI #11446013

Mileage unknown · Nov 10, 2021
Air Bags

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact received a recall notification for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11439963

104,000 miles · Jun 15, 2021
Air BagsCrashInjury

The contact owned a 2012 TOYOTA VENZA. The contact stated while her husband was driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle traveling in front of them came to an abrupt stop. In an effort to avoid the vehicle, the contact's husband jumped a curb and hit a light post. The front driver and passenger airbags deployed upon impact; however, the …

Read full complaint

The contact owned a 2012 TOYOTA VENZA. The contact stated while her husband was driving at 15 MPH, the vehicle traveling in front of them came to an abrupt stop. In an effort to avoid the vehicle, the contact's husband jumped a curb and hit a light post. The front driver and passenger airbags deployed upon impact; however, the side curtain airbags failed to deploy. The authorities arrived at the scene and a police report was filed. Both the contact and her husband were transported to the hospital by ambulance. The contact's husband was treated for soreness and bruising to his chest and back. The contact had trouble breathing upon arrival and was given oxygen. She was then transferred to another hospital where she was treated for a broken sternum, a fractured back, chest contusions, and swelling to her chest area. Due to the accident, the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was deemed a total loss. The contact then received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (AIRBAGS) which she linked to her injuries. The dealer nor the manufacturer have yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had been destroyed. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.

NHTSA ODI #11421009

Mileage unknown · Jun 8, 2021
Air Bags

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified of the issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated…

Read full complaint

The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified of the issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI #11420096

98,466 miles · Jan 15, 2021
Air Bags

THE PASSENGER SIDE WARNING LIGHT INDICATES THAT AIR BAG IS OFF WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER IS SEATED IN IT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN MOTION WITH THE SEAT IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THIS MAY PREVENT THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING PROPERLY IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE IS A 2013 RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT IT DOES NOT SHOW UP UNDER THE …

Read full complaint

THE PASSENGER SIDE WARNING LIGHT INDICATES THAT AIR BAG IS OFF WHEN AN ADULT PASSENGER IS SEATED IN IT WHEN THE VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN MOTION WITH THE SEAT IN THE UPRIGHT POSITION. THIS MAY PREVENT THE AIRBAG FROM DEPLOYING PROPERLY IN AN ACCIDENT. THERE IS A 2013 RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE, BUT IT DOES NOT SHOW UP UNDER THE VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER WHEN SEARCHED, NHTSA RECALL BULLETIN REFERENCE NUMBER 13V014000.

NHTSA ODI #11388347

10,588 miles · Feb 13, 2018
Air BagsSeat BeltsStructureCrashInjury

AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WHEN I WAS IN AN ACCIDENT. I WAS HIY AT A HIGH SPEED ON DRIVERS DIDE FRONT WHEEL. I WAS IN MOYION WHIL A TRUCK HIT ME GOING AT A HIGH SPEED AND WAS DRAGGED WHEN WHEELS GOT STUCK

NHTSA ODI #11072513

60,000 miles · Jan 11, 2017
Air BagsCrashInjury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA VENZA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A SECOND VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG BURST OPEN AND BLACK SMOKE AND FRAGMENTS FLEW OUT. THE FRAGMENTS SEVERELY INJURED BOTH OF THE DRIVER'S LEGS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDE…

Read full complaint

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 TOYOTA VENZA. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 20 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO A SECOND VEHICLE. THE DRIVER'S SIDE AIR BAG BURST OPEN AND BLACK SMOKE AND FRAGMENTS FLEW OUT. THE FRAGMENTS SEVERELY INJURED BOTH OF THE DRIVER'S LEGS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT EXAMINER WHO CONCLUDED THAT THE AIR BAG FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY WATER DAMAGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 60,000. ...UPDATED 03/13/17 *BF *CN

NHTSA ODI #10944376

26,000 miles · Jan 2, 2014
Air BagsUnknown Or Other

NO INCIDENT, JUST A SAFETY QUESTION. I PURCHASED THIS 2012 VENZA A FEW DAYS AGO AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THE FRONTAL PASSENGER CRASH TEST WAS 2 STARS (OUT OF 5). FOR 2013 IT WAS 4 STARS FOR THE SAME TEST. I AM TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS CAR (VIN NUMBER) WAS MADE BEFORE OR AFTER TOYOTA MADE SAFETY MODIFICATIONS THA…

Read full complaint

NO INCIDENT, JUST A SAFETY QUESTION. I PURCHASED THIS 2012 VENZA A FEW DAYS AGO AND WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THAT THE FRONTAL PASSENGER CRASH TEST WAS 2 STARS (OUT OF 5). FOR 2013 IT WAS 4 STARS FOR THE SAME TEST. I AM TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THIS CAR (VIN NUMBER) WAS MADE BEFORE OR AFTER TOYOTA MADE SAFETY MODIFICATIONS THAT LED TO THE 4 STAR FRONTAL PASSENGER RATING. TOYOTA CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT HELPFUL AND SUGGESTED CONTACTING NHTSA. THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR ME AS I CARRY MY GRANDCHILDREN IN THIS CAR AND IF THERE IS A SAFETY CONCERN IT WILL HAVE TO BE RETURNED. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. PS - I SENT THIS NOTE YESTERDAY BUT INCLUDED THE WRONG VIN. THE VIN ENTERED ABOVE IS NOW CORRECT. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10558158

11,000 miles · Oct 9, 2013
Air BagsCrashInjury

MY CAR WAS HIT FROM THE REAR AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED, PUSHING CAR INTO CONCRETE BARRIER, DID A 360 AND BOUNCED BACK TO OTHER CONCRETE BARRIER. PASSENGER AIR BAG DID NOT OPEN. DRIVERS AIR BAG OPENED BUT DID NOT INFLATE. NO OTHER AIR BAGS OPENED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10547409

Official recalls

4

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.

13V442000 · Air Bags; Electrical System; Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner

Oct 17, 2013

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Additional source detail variants (3)

Equipment:appliance:air Conditioner

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.

Consequence: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Air Bags

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.

Consequence: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

Electrical System

Toyota is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Avalon, Avalon HV, Venza, Camry, and Camry HV vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the drain hose for the air conditioning condenser may become clogged causing water to accumulate at the bottom of the air conditioning condenser unit housing. The accumulated water may then leak through a seam in the housing onto the air bag control module potentially resulting in a short circuit of the module.

Consequence: A short circuit may cause the air bags to become disabled or inadvertently deploy. An inadvertent airbag deployment can increase the risk of injury or the possibility of a crash. An inoperative airbag can increase the risk of injury in a severe crash. The power steering assist could also become inoperable resulting in increased steering effort and can increase the risk of a crash at low speeds.

Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will seal the air conditioning condenser unit housing and install a protective cover on the airbag control module, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2014. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.

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.

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.