VehicleVerdict

2011 Toyota Venza problems

Verdict · NHTSA data

Worth extra scrutiny

The 2011 Toyota Venza sits mid-pack among Venza years: 89 NHTSA complaints against a model median of roughly 73, with 6 recalls and no defect investigations. Complainants reported 13 injuries in total across these filings.

No single system dominates the record — complaints spread across electrical system (21), other (10), and brakes (9), which usually points to general build quality rather than one defect. In government crash testing it earned 4 of 5 NCAP stars overall.

89

NHTSA complaints

6

Recalls

0

Investigations

9

Crash-involved

3

Fires reported

13

Injuries

0

Deaths

4

NCAP overall · of 5 stars

How does 2011 compare to other Venza years?

Venza NHTSA complaints by model year, 2011 highlighted234 complaints2009: 228 complaints2010: 110 complaints2011: 89 complaints2012: 34 complaints2013: 87 complaints2014: 38 complaints2015: 34 complaints2021: 234 complaints2022: 73 complaints2023: 29 complaints2024: 32 complaints
Venza NHTSA complaints by model year, 2011 highlighted. Red bars are years to avoid.

See all Venza years to avoid →

What are the most common 2011 Toyota Venza problems?

ComponentComplaintsShare
Electrical System2124%
Other1011%
Brakes910%
Seats89%
Visibility & Wipers78%
Airbags56%
Body & Structure56%
Steering44%
Lighting44%
Suspension44%
Engine33%
Fuel System33%
Speed Control33%
Tires & Wheels22%
Latches & Locks11%

Does the 2011 Toyota Venza have recalls?

6 NHTSA recall campaigns on file. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.

21V257000AirbagsApril 13, 2021 · 279,040 units

Defect

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

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.

14V743000SeatsNovember 19, 2014 · 3,233 units

Defect

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

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.

13V123000OtherApril 9, 2013 · 7,525 units

Defect

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

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.

13V014000SeatsJanuary 16, 2013 · 3,235 units

Defect

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.

12V091000LightingMarch 7, 2012 · 186,798 units

Defect

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

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.

11V306000TransmissionJune 1, 2011 · 50 units

Defect

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

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.

Consumer complaints filed with NHTSA

Representative excerpts, cleaned of personal information. These are consumer statements, not verified defects.

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.

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Electrical System · November 3, 2014 · fire

ON APRIL 11, 2016, A COMPLAIN WAS SUBMITTED UNDER TARAKA: COMPLAINT NUM: 10854818 FOR A TOYOTA VENZA 2011.WHILE CAR IN MOTION AT AROUND 55MPH, ON A HIGHWAY, NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND EXCELLENT CAR MAINTENANCE A LOUD EXPLOSION BURST OCCURRED IN THE CAR. WITH NO VISIBILITY AT ALL, I MANAGED TO…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Other · March 16, 2016 · crash

CAR WAS SLOWLY PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT, WHEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT REVVED ITS ENGINE AND ACCELARATED. MY FOOT WAS ON THE BRAKE AND IT WOULD NOT STOP. THE REVVING NOISE WAS LOUD. I HIT A LARGE TREE THAT WAS LUCKILY AT THE END OF THE PARKING SPOT. THE TREE IS WHAT STOPPED THE CAR. WHEN THE CAR…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Brakes · July 28, 2017 · crash

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.

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Seats · November 3, 2014 · fire

ON APRIL 11, 2016, A COMPLAIN WAS SUBMITTED UNDER TARAKA: COMPLAINT NUM: 10854818 FOR A TOYOTA VENZA 2011.WHILE CAR IN MOTION AT AROUND 55MPH, ON A HIGHWAY, NORMAL ROAD CONDITIONS AND EXCELLENT CAR MAINTENANCE A LOUD EXPLOSION BURST OCCURRED IN THE CAR. WITH NO VISIBILITY AT ALL, I MANAGED TO…

Complaint filed with NHTSA · Visibility & Wipers · March 16, 2016 · crash

2011 Toyota Venza — common questions

Is the 2011 Toyota Venza reliable?

It is close to typical for the Venza: 89 NHTSA complaints, 6 recalls, and no investigations on file.

What are the most common 2011 Venza problems?

According to NHTSA complaint data, the leading problem areas are electrical system (21 complaints), other (10 complaints), brakes (9 complaints).

Does the 2011 Toyota Venza have recalls?

Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns affecting the 2011 Toyota Venza. Recall repairs are free at franchised dealers; check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to confirm the work was done.

Which Toyota Venza years should you avoid?

Based on complaint rates and open investigations, the Venza years to avoid are 2021, 2009, 2010. The cleanest record among Venza years belongs to 2023.

How safe is the 2011 Toyota Venza?

In NHTSA's NCAP crash testing, the 2011 Toyota Venza earned an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.

Related

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.

Compiled by Sharon Ben-Moshe, Founder.