Toyota Venza Reliability — Best and Worst Years by the Data

Quick answer

The 2009 draws 3.52 complaints per run and the 2013 1.6, a 2.2-fold gap within the same model. Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age, so 48.2% land after the 3-year basic warranty ends. The system owners report most is Unknown Or Other, with 122 complaints, typically at 4.4 years.

Toyota Venza years to avoid — and the best ones

FIG.01·Toyota Venza — complaint rate by model year
Model year	Per run	Complaints	Runs	Enough history?
2024	2.2	22	10	too new
2023	1.9	19	10	too new
2022	3.64	40	11	too new
2021	15.08	181	12	too new
2015	1.33	28	21	yes
2014	1.53	29	19	yes
2013	1.6	56	35	yes
2012	1.33	24	18	yes
2011	1.96	55	28	yes
2010	1.92	71	37	yes
2009	3.52	148	42	yes

ROWS 11·SOURCE NHTSA complaints, grouped by VIN production run

Does the market discount it? In our listings a 2009 Venza asks a median $7,950, against $8,450 for a 2010, the next model year: about 6% less, so sellers do price some of the trouble in.

Among the 4 Toyota Venza years with enough history, the three to walk away from are 2009, 2011, 2010; the three worth hunting are 2013, 2010, 2011.

When it starts to break

FIG.02·Toyota Venza — age at failure
Age at failure	Complaints	Running total	Warranty
0 years	142	21.3%	covered
1 year	134	41.4%	covered
2 years	69	51.8%	covered
3 years	54	59.9%	you pay
4 years	50	67.4%	you pay
5 years	46	74.3%	you pay
6 years	31	79%	you pay
7 years	29	83.3%	you pay
8 years	26	87.2%	you pay
9 years	21	90.4%	you pay
10 years	14	92.5%	you pay
11 years	11	94.1%	you pay
12 years	21	97.3%	you pay
13 years	6	98.2%	you pay
14 years	7	99.2%	you pay
15 years	5	100%	you pay

ROWS 16·SOURCE NHTSA complaints with incident dates

Basic warranty on this car is 3 years / 36,000 miles. Only 51.8% of reported failures happen inside it — the remaining 48.2% come out of the owner's pocket. Powertrain cover (5 years / 60,000 miles) reaches further, but it only covers the engine and transmission, which account for few of the complaints here.

What actually fails — and at what age

On the Toyota Venza, the early trouble is Visibility/wiper and Service Brakes — reported at around 2.5 years, so a car still under warranty is the one to check for it. What waits further out is Unknown Or Other at 4.4 years — past every basic warranty, and the bill lands on whoever owns the car then.

FIG.03·Toyota Venza — what fails and when
System	Complaints	Typical age	Crash	Fire
Unknown Or Other	122	4.4 yrs	14	—
Visibility/wiper	110	2.5 yrs	1	—
Electrical System	84	5.1 yrs	8	6
Service Brakes	80	3.1 yrs	34	—
Vehicle Speed Control	75	1.8 yrs	24	—
Air Bags	64	6.5 yrs	29	—
Structure	46	3 yrs	5	—
Seats	45	6 yrs	1	5

ROWS 8·SOURCE NHTSA complaints

What else in this class

6 models share the Venza's vehicle class. Per production run, the Toyota RAV4 draws 2.31, the Jeep Wrangler 4.69 and the Honda CR-V 3.7, against 2.8 for the Venza.

FIG.05·Toyota Venza — rivals in the same class
Same class as the Venza	Complaints on record	Recall campaigns	Years built
Toyota RAV4	9,332	168	1996–2026
Jeep Wrangler	16,434	285	1986–2026
Honda CR-V	15,948	207	1997–2026
Tesla Model Y	388	100	2020–2026
Mazda CX-5	2,211	33	2013–2026
Nissan Rogue	7,253	94	2008–2026

ROWS 6·SOURCE NHTSA complaints and recall campaigns

The table shows totals on record; the rates per production run are in the sentence above.

Upgrade to Pro

Good year or bad year — the VIN settles it.

Check any VIN against complaints for its exact build year and plant
Exact value for that car, adjusted for its mileage
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Alerts if a recall lands on a car in your garage
No ads, on every page
No ads, no tracking — and much more

See plans → Start free →

Free plan available — no credit card needed

Everything on the Toyota Venza

Recalls39 campaigns Fuel economy39 mpg best Common problems454 complaints Check a VINAgainst this exact build DimensionsSize, weight, generations Used prices780 listings What yours is worthValue by year & mileage Insurance costEstimated per year Window stickerOriginal Monroney label Decode a VINWhat each character means About this car2009–2026

Frequently asked questions

Is the Toyota Venza reliable?

By complaints per production run it is better than typical: 2.8 against 3.73 for the average car, and in the middle of its class rivals.

Which Venza years should you avoid?

By complaints per production run, 2009, 2011, 2010. The cleanest years old enough to judge are 2013, 2010, 2011. Years newer than 6 are left out: complaints keep arriving for years after a car is sold.

When do Venza problems usually start?

Half of all complaints arrive by 2 years of age. The most reported system is Unknown Or Other, typically at 4.4 years, followed by Visibility/wiper.

Will the warranty cover Venza problems?

Mostly yes: basic cover is 3 years / 36,000 miles, and 51.8% of reported failures fall inside it.

Is the Venza more reliable than the Toyota RAV4?

No: 2.8 complaints per production run for the Venza against 2.31 for the Toyota RAV4.

Complaint records from NHTSA, grouped by VIN production run (characters 1–11). Rates, age-at-failure and warranty coverage computed by ForCar. Model years newer than 6 years are excluded from rankings — complaints accumulate for a decade (how we measure). Last updated Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.

Found this useful?

Mark ForCar as a preferred source and our data shows up first in your Google results. One click, no account.

Prefer ForCar →