Toyota Venza years to avoid
Toyota Venza years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2009 (173 complaints, led by speed control at 36) and the 2010 (79, led by the electrical system at 15 and speed control at 14) drew the most of the 2009–2015 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. Before buying a used Venza, run its VIN: the $14.99 original ClearVIN PDF shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file.
Buying a used Venza? Check its VIN.
Model-year complaint totals do not describe one car. Decode its VIN free, then decide whether to buy its reported title, odometer, accident and auction history.
Title brands · Odometer records · Auction history, where reported
No subscription. No charge to check the VIN. Report contents vary by vehicle; applicable tax is shown at checkout.
See what the paid report includes →One VIN. One $14.99 history report.
For $14.99, VIN Lookup delivers an original ClearVIN vehicle-history PDF for the Toyota Venza VIN you enter: title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file. ClearVIN is on the U.S. Department of Justice’s list of approved NMVTIS data providers; VIN Lookup sells that original report. The records returned vary by VIN.
The VIN decode is free. No card is needed until you choose to buy; applicable tax is shown at checkout. A missing record is not proof that an event never happened.No account · Refund reviewed if not delivered, unopenable or wrong VIN by our error · Sold by VIN Lookup (SH LLC, Sheridan, WY)Original provider PDF
One time, no subscription
The 2009 (173) and 2010 (79) drew the most owner complaints to NHTSA of the 2009–2015 Toyota Venza model years on record, as of November 10, 2026.
NHTSA holds no Toyota Venza records from 2016 to 2020: the years on either side are different vehicles sharing the name, so each is compared only with its own years.
The 2021–2024 Toyota Venza has 2 comparable years with 40 or more complaints (2021, 189 and 2022, 44), too few to name its most.
2012, 2014, 2015, 2023 and 2024 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
Fewest complaints: not named. Fewer than three of the Toyota Venza model years from 2009 to 2015 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Half of the 334 NHTSA owner complaints on the 2009–2015 Toyota Venza that list mileage came after 37,000 miles (NHTSA complaints file of November 11, 2026). How many miles will a Toyota Venza last? →
Toyota Venza complaints and recalls by model year, 2009–2024
This table lists the 11 Toyota Venza model years NHTSA holds records for between 2009 and 2024, collected from NHTSA’s complaints and recalls APIs on November 10, 2026. Each owner complaint is counted once, by its NHTSA number, and a complaint can name more than one component; recall campaigns are counted once per model year, by campaign number. Across these years NHTSA lists 16 distinct recall campaigns, the newest filed Oct 30, 2025. The linked model-year pages (2015–2022) show NHTSA's September 15, 2026 collection, so their counts can differ from this table's.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Most-reported components | Recall campaigns | Newest recall filed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 Venza | 173 · most | speed control (36), electrical system (20), seats (20) | 8 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2010 Venza | 79 · most | electrical system (15), speed control (14), seats (10) | 9 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2011 Venza | 59 | electrical system (15), seats (8), brakes (8) | 6 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2012 Venza | 25 · too few to compare | airbags (9), windshield wipers (6), body structure (5) | 4 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2013 Venza | 59 | airbags (12) | 4 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2014 Venza | 31 · too few to compare | airbags (6), speed control (4) | 1 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2015 Venza | 28 · too few to compare | airbags (6), brakes (5), seats (4) | 1 | Apr 13, 2021 |
| 2021 Venza | 189 | windshield wipers (74), exterior lighting (16), electrical system (15) | 2 | Apr 13, 2022 |
| 2022 Venza | 44 | windshield wipers (12), exterior lighting (8), forward collision avoidance (7) | 1 | Apr 13, 2022 |
| 2023 Venza | 21 · too few to compare | forward collision avoidance (6), electrical system (4) | 3 | Oct 30, 2025 |
| 2024 Venza | 26 · too few to compare | electrical system (5), forward collision avoidance (4) | 3 | Oct 30, 2025 |
Toyota Venza by model year: mileage, problems and recalls
Each page below covers one model year in NHTSA’s complaints file of November 11, 2026: the mileage when owners reported problems, the most-reported components and the recall campaigns NHTSA’s recall files list. That file is a separate collection from the table above and goes back to the 1981 model year, so its counts can differ and it holds years the table does not.
How to read these numbers
- A higher count is not proof of a worse vehicle. Complaint volume rises with sales volume and with years on the road, so older and best-selling years collect more.
- The comparison is between years of the Toyota Venza only. It says nothing about how the Venza compares with other models.
- NHTSA publishes owner reports without verifying them. A complaint is an allegation, not a defect finding.
- Recall campaigns cover production ranges. NHTSA’s VIN lookup checks open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result does not prove the vehicle’s complete recall or repair history; ask for dated repair documentation.
- NHTSA files some years under body or cab names (for example ACCESS CAB or CREW CAB). This collection asked for the names NHTSA lists, and a year far below its neighbours also under the common cab and body names. Such a year is marked as possibly filed under another name only when NHTSA’s records show it split across names or holding recalls and no complaint; otherwise its count is read as low.
Primary sources behind this page
Open the underlying public source and verify that its scope matches the question you are asking.
- NHTSA recall and complaint datasets: scope and API documentationNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle APINational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Recalls Lookup by VINNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Toyota Venza year-by-year questions
Which Toyota Venza years should I avoid?
Toyota Venza years to avoid, by NHTSA owner complaints: the 2009 (173 complaints, led by speed control at 36) and the 2010 (79, led by the electrical system at 15 and speed control at 14) drew the most of the 2009–2015 model years on record as of November 10, 2026; complaints are owner reports, not proven defects, and the counts also reflect each year’s age and sales. NHTSA holds no Toyota Venza records from 2016 to 2020: the years on either side are different vehicles sharing the name, so each is compared only with its own years. The 2021–2024 Toyota Venza has 2 comparable years with 40 or more complaints (2021, 189 and 2022, 44), too few to name its most. 2012, 2014, 2015, 2023 and 2024 have fewer than 40 complaints on file, too few to compare.
What are the best Toyota Venza years?
Complaint counts do not show which model year is best; the closest they come is which years drew the fewest complaints. This page names none: fewer than three of the Toyota Venza model years from 2009 to 2015 with at least 40 complaints on file remain once the years with the most are set aside.
Do complaint counts mean the Venza is unreliable?
No. NHTSA complaints are unverified owner reports, and the count rises with how many vehicles were sold and how long they have been on the road. They are useful for comparing years of the same model, which is what this page does, not for ranking one model against another.
How do I check a specific Venza before buying?
Take the 17-character VIN from the windshield or driver-door label and run it through NHTSA's free recall lookup. It reports open recalls within its coverage and excludes completed repairs. A zero result is not a complete recall or repair history; ask the seller or manufacturer for dated repair documentation. For the vehicle's own past, the original ClearVIN PDF from VIN Lookup shows title brands, odometer readings, accident and auction records on file for that VIN.