2009 Toyota VENZA problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
173 owner complaints analyzed
8 distinct recall campaigns
40,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2009 model year. Data snapshot: . 140 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Vehicle Speed Control is the most frequently named component, appearing in 36 of 173 complaints (20.8%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 54 | 31.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 16 | 9.2% |
| Steering behavior | 14 | 8.1% |
| Transmission and shifting | 9 | 5.2% |
| Engine operation | 2 | 1.2% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Vehicle Speed Control | 36 |
| Electrical System | 19 |
| Seats | 18 |
| Unknown Or Other | 18 |
| Service Brakes | 17 |
| Air Bags | 14 |
| Steering | 13 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 13 |
Vehicle Speed Control: 36; Electrical System: 19; Seats: 18; Unknown Or Other: 18; Service Brakes: 17; Air Bags: 14; Steering: 13; Visibility/Wiper: 13
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 59 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 19 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 27 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 19 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 13 |
| 150,000 and above | 3 |
Under 25,000: 59; 25,000 to 49,999: 19; 50,000 to 74,999: 27; 75,000 to 99,999: 19; 100,000 to 149,999: 13; 150,000 and above: 3
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (59). 33 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2009 | 9 |
| 2010 | 43 |
| 2011 | 12 |
| 2012 | 4 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 20 |
| 2015 | 19 |
| 2016 | 10 |
| 2017 | 6 |
| 2018 | 10 |
| 2019 | 7 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 7 |
| 2022 | 2 |
| 2023 | 3 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 2 |
| 2026 | 2 |
2009: 9; 2010: 43; 2011: 12; 2012: 4; 2013: 9; 2014: 20; 2015: 19; 2016: 10; 2017: 6; 2018: 10; 2019: 7; 2020: 4; 2021: 7; 2022: 2; 2023: 3; 2024: 4; 2025: 2; 2026: 2
Pattern summary
Vehicle Speed Control leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 54 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 16 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 14 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10269578 · 2009-05-21 (May 21, 2009)
FIRST HIGHWAY TRIP WITH A BRAND NEW 2009 TOYOTA VENZA AUTOMATIC 4 CYLINDER AWD. MAINTAINED SPEED LIMIT 100 KILOS/HR. WENT TO PASS A SEMI AND GAS PEDAL STUCK AT 120 KILOMETERS ON NARROW TWO WAY HIGHWAY WITH SOFT SHOULDERS POST MAJOR SNOW FALL LAST FRIDAY(NORMALLY NOT SPEED). WAS UNABLE TO DEPRESS THE GAS PEDAL AND APPLY FULL PRESSURE ON BRAKES.THE VEHICLE DID NOT SLOW DOWN ENGINE WAS STILL RACING. FINALLY WAS ABLE TO PUT TRANSMISSION INTO NEUTRAL, STILL WITH FULL BRAKES BARELY WORKING WITH RACING ENGINE . ENGINE SMELLS BEGAN, ABLE TO WRESTLE CA…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,200 miles reported. Look up ODI 10269578 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10270260 · 2009-05-29 (May 29, 2009)
2009 TOYOTA VENZA (MANUFACTURED -OCT./08), 6 CYLINDER. WAS IN PARK,ABOUT TO GO IN REVERSE TO BACK OUT OF LEVEL DRIVEWAY, FOOT ON BRAKE, CAR WOULD NOT ENGAGE IN REVERSE! FOOT BRAKE PEDAL FELT TENSE AND INFLEXIBLE. IE. WOULD NOT MOVE EVEN WITH APPLIED FOOT PRESSURE. FLASHING TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT CAME ON. TURNED OFF CAR THEN RESTARTED AND REPEATED EFFORT TO BACK OUT. SAME THING! AGAIN REPEAT STEPS, REPEATED SAME RESPONSE. TRIED TURNING OFF TRACTION CONTROL AND TURNING BACK ON SEVERAL TIMES. NO IDEA WHAT DID IT, BUT FINALLY WAS ABLE TO BACK OUT…
Owner-reported narrative. 4,150 miles reported. Look up ODI 10270260 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10349629 · 2010-08-16 (August 16, 2010)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE AFTER THIRTY MINUTES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR FACILITY WHERE IT WAS FOUND THAT THE SPARK PLUG ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR WAS LOOSE AND MADE REPAIRS. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 9,000.
Owner-reported narrative. 9,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10349629 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10509850 · 2013-04-29 (April 29, 2013)
DRIVING HOME FROM WORK FRIDAY MORNING AND THE VSC, ABS WARNINGS BEGIN TO COME UP. AN ISSUE WHICH WAS NOTED WHEN WE FIRST PURCHASED THE CAR AND AROUND 20K MILES THE DEALER TOLD US WE NEEDED A NEW BATTERY WHICH WE HAD TO PURCHASE OUT OF POCKET. SINCE THEN WE PURCHASED AN EXTRA WARRANTY TO COVER ALL COMPONENTS OF THE VEHICLE. THIS TIME THE DEALER IS STATING THAT IT IS A SPEED SENSOR AND THAT THE INSURANCE COVERS IT BUT WE WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THE LABOR ROUGHLY 400 DOLLARS. THE DEALER INFORMED US THAT THE ISSUE AT HAND WAS FOR A SPEED SENSOR BUT TH…
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10509850 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10313054 · 2010-02-23 (February 23, 2010)
I HAVE EXPERIENCED THE ENGINE SURGE PROBLEM WITH MY 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. IN MY CASE, IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY, AND HAS NOT YET CAUSED AN ACCIDENT. IN ALL OF THESE INCIDENTS, I WAS ACCELERATING TO PASS ANOTHER CAR OR TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC WHEN THE ENGINE SURGED, CAUSING THE CAR TO MOVE MUCH FASTER THAN I HAD INTENDED. IN THE FIRST CASE OF PASSING, THE SURGE NEARLY CAUSED ME TO LOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR BECAUSE TORQUE PULLED THE STEERING WHEEL BEYOND WHERE I INTENDED TO TURN. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR INTO THE TOYOTA DEALER, THE CUSTOMER HANDLER TO…
Owner-reported narrative. 1,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10313054 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10389806 · 2011-03-11 (March 11, 2011)
TOYOTA VENZA'S AIRBAG WASN'T DEPLOYED WHILE AN ACCIDENT OCCURRED WITH HEAVY DAMAGED IN THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO, DRIVER SEAT BELT WASN'T FUNCTION IT RIGHT. IT DIDN'T PULL THE DRIVER TIGHT ENOUGH. CHEST HIT INTO THE STEERING WHEEL WITH SERIOUS INJURY. TWO SAFETY DEVICE IN THIS CAR FAIL TO PROTECT THE DRIVER. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 6,100 miles reported. Look up ODI 10389806 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10305743 · 2010-02-04 (February 4, 2010)
DRIVING IN RESIDENTIAL AREA, 20-25 MPH, MADE TURN, AND WHEN ACCELERATOR WAS PRESSED TO ACCELERATE, THE CAR WOULD NOT GO FORWARD. IT WAS AS IF THE CAR HAD SLIPPED INTO NEUTRAL, BUT IT WAS STILL IN DRIVE. I PUT THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND THEN BACK IN DRIVE AND IT STILL WOULD NOT GO. THE CAR, HOWEVER, WOULD GO IN REVERSE. SEVERAL ATTEMPTS MADE SHIFTING FROM OTHER GEARS TO DRIVE (INCLUDING THE SEQUENTIAL SHIFT) WITHOUT SUCCESS. FINALLY DROVE THE CAR IN REVERSE FOR A SHORT DISTANCE, THEN PUT IT IN DRIVE AND THE GEAR ENGAGED AND IT WENT FORWARD. CO…
Owner-reported narrative. 5,361 miles reported. Look up ODI 10305743 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10329176 · 2010-05-06 (May 6, 2010)
INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) MY 2009 TOYOTA VENZA VIN [XXX] , EXHIBITED SEVERE UNINTENDED AND UNCONTROLLED ACCELERATION AT 7:45AM ON MAY 5, 2010. THE CAR WAS RUNNING FOR LESS THAN TWO MINUTES WHEN I STOPPED TO MAKE A TURN FROM LORAIN AVENUE, SILVER SPRING MD, ONTO WESTBOUND MD 193 UNIVERSITY BLVD. I ACCELERATED TO ENTER TRAFFIC AND THE CAR TOOK OVER AND ACCELERATED TO FULL THROTTLE ON ITS OWN. THE SAME BEHAVIOR AS IF GOING INTO CRUISE CONTROL "RESUME" MODE AFTER BEING IN "COAS…
Owner-reported narrative. 11,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10329176 at NHTSA ↗