2013 Toyota Venza: problems, recalls and reliability
4 recalls and 59 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is air bags (20% of complaints); the 2012 and 2014 and 2015 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Apr 2021
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Upon approaching my vehicle and unlocking it, the drivers side mirror courtesy light wire caught on fire and started smoking. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk because had I not been there my entire car could have caught on fire as well as any thing or anyone around or in my vehicle. No one has inspected the vehicle at this time. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to failure. They first appeared the moment it happened.”Owner report · Exterior Lighting · Mar 2026
“The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a distorted image. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not under recall. In addition, the contact stated that due to the failure, the contact was concerned about crashing into any objects behind the vehicle while reversing. The contact stated that the rear-view display was not viewable. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Back Over Prevention · Sep 2025
“When the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) light comes on, it also cuts power to the engine even when the car is moving at full highway speed. This can pose a great danger when crossing bridges or anytime while driving the vehicle in traffic.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2025
Show 7 more owner reports
“Sunroof/moonroof assembly leaks heavily in rain, makes cracking sound over bumps Dealer/manufacturer will not fix, they want $4600 to repair”Owner report · Structure · Oct 2021
“Both front lower control arms were cracked. Dealer kept old parts. These parts help control the steering to the wheels. The cracks were confirmed by the Dealer only. The car was not inspected by any other entities. There were no warning indicators, the problem was founded during a routine multipoint inspection.”Owner report · Steering · Aug 2021
“The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact received notification of 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 local dealer and the manufacturer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2021
“The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact stated when starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the passenger's side seat belt warning light remained illuminated with a passenger in the seat. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side air bags seat belts warning lights recently started to remain illuminated. The local dealer was contacted about inspecting the vehicle however, the contact declined after being provided a cost to do the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jun 2021
“Internal Fault of fuel pump assembly. With NO prior warnings of messages or warning lights from the dash, nor any poor performance issues of starting or running of the engine the fuel pump failed all at once while driving on an expressway at 65 mph and the engine shut down leaving me without any control of my vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer who confirmed that the fuel pump had an internal failure and the vehicle is disabled. No Recall has been issues by Toyota for this model year. An extremely dangerous situation that Toyota is not properly addressing.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · May 2021
“The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact received notification of 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 contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated while starting the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2021
“Tl* the contact owned a 2013 toyota venza. The contact stated while driving at 20 mph, another vehicle had impacted into the contacts vehicle on the driver side; none of the air bags deployed. The contact stated multiple injuries (the contact was the only one in their vehicle). The contact woke up in the hospital while receiving medical care for headaches, bruising on the left arm, lower back bruising and bruising on the chest which resulted in internal bleeding. A police report was filed. The contact stated the vehicle was towed to insurance lot where it was diagnosed with being destroyed. The manufacturer was not informed of failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Apr 2021
When filing, owners marked a crash in 13 of these complaints and injuries in 13 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 4 campaigns
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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."
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.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2013 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Venza by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Toyota Venza reliable?
NHTSA has 59 owner complaints and 4 recall campaigns on record for the 2013 Toyota Venza. The most complained-about area is air bags (20% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2013 Toyota Venza problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 41,000 miles or less.
Does the 2013 Toyota Venza have open recalls?
4 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning equipment:appliance:air conditioner. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.