2013 Toyota Venza Problems, Complaints & Recalls

Source: NHTSA · Updated Apr 19, 2026 · 59 owner complaints analyzed

Compared with other Venza years
More complaints than other years 3rd of 7 for complaints
NHTSA crash rating
5 out of 5 stars

Owners have filed 59 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Toyota Venza. That ranks 3rd out of 7 Venza model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (12 complaints, 20%), typically at around 57,500 miles. Complaints mention 13 crashes, 1 fire, 13 injuries. There are 4 safety recalls covering this model year.

Toyota Venza
2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid Limited in Titanium Glow, model code AXUH85L. 2.5-liter I4 with 176hp (A25A-FXS), 3NM+4NM, 4WD. Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: Mr.choppers, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.

Compare with another car

Most common 2013 Toyota Venza problems

Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.

Air Bags12 · ~57,500 mi
Electrical System10 · ~15,200 mi
Service Brakes10 · ~44,500 mi
Structure10 · ~26,048 mi
Unknown or Other9 · ~36,566 mi
Engine7 · ~17,515 mi
Vehicle Speed Control7 · ~36,895 mi
Steering6 · ~92,704 mi
Fuel/propulsion System3 · ~35,000 mi
Electronic Stability Control (esc)2 · ~63,852 mi
Problem areaComplaintsShareMedian milesOwners mention mostTypical repair cost
Air Bags1220%57,500——
Electrical System1017%15,200——
Service Brakes1017%44,500——
Structure1017%26,048——
Unknown or Other915%36,566——
Engine712%17,515——
Vehicle Speed Control712%36,895——
Steering610%92,704——
Fuel/propulsion System35%35,000——
Electronic Stability Control (esc)23%63,852——
Seats23%126——
Back Over Prevention12%———
Equipment12%15,200——
Exterior Lighting12%———
Fuel System, Gasoline12%———
Latches/locks/linkages12%———
Power Train12%———
Seat Belts12%40,000——
Visibility12%2,000——
Visibility/wiper12%———

One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.

Complaints by year received

Peak: 2014, with 10 complaints
2013: 7201372014: 102014102015: 7201572016: 3201632017: 6201762018: 6201862019: 2201922020: 2202022021: 8202182022: 1202212023: 3202332025: 3202532026: 120261

n = 59 complaints · Source: NHTSA

2013 Toyota Venza recalls (4)

Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.

Air bags:side/window:curtainApr 13, 2021 · NHTSA campaign 21V257000 · 279,040 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Equipment:appliance:air conditioner; air bags; electrical systemOct 17, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V442000 · 802,769 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Equipment:other:labelsApr 9, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V123000 · 7,525 vehicles

Problem: 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."

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

Seats; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactiveJan 16, 2013 · NHTSA campaign 13V014000 · 3,235 vehicles

Problem: 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.

Risk: 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.

Fix: 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.

To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.

Recent owner reports

Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.

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…

Electrical System · received Apr 19, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11732171

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…

Back Over Prevention · received Dec 12, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11704769

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.

Unknown or Other · received Nov 15, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11699537

Fuel pump fail causing the car to stall out going 75 miles an hour on the highway

Fuel/propulsion System · received Mar 5, 2025 · NHTSA complaint 11646588

2013 Venza pasenger side and back leak very bad when it rains

Unknown or Other · received Nov 26, 2023 · NHTSA complaint 11556852

Other Toyota Venza years

← 2012 Venza · 2014 Venza →

YearComplaintsRecalls
2015 Venza281
2014 Venza311
2013594
2012 Venza254
2011 Venza596
2010 Venza799
2009 Venza1738

See all Toyota Venza problems by year, every Toyota model, or the Toyota VIN decoder.

Similar Toyota models

Embed this 2013 Toyota Venza badge on your site

Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2013 Toyota Venza?

Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, service brakes problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 12 complaints.

Was there a recall on the 2013 Toyota Venza?

Yes, 4 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.

Was the 2013 Toyota Venza a good year?

Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Venza model years, the 2013 has more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.