2021 Toyota VENZA HYBRID: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
188 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
5,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2021 model year. Data snapshot: . 15 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Visibility/Wiper is the most frequently named component, appearing in 74 of 188 complaints (39.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 23 | 12.2% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 11 | 5.9% |
| Steering behavior | 8 | 4.3% |
| Fuel system concerns | 6 | 3.2% |
| Transmission and shifting | 1 | 0.5% |
| Engine operation | 1 | 0.5% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Visibility/Wiper | 74 |
| Unknown Or Other | 42 |
| Electrical System | 15 |
| Exterior Lighting | 15 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 14 |
| Engine | 11 |
| Service Brakes | 11 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 |
Visibility/Wiper: 74; Unknown Or Other: 42; Electrical System: 15; Exterior Lighting: 15; Fuel/Propulsion System: 14; Engine: 11; Service Brakes: 11; Vehicle Speed Control: 11
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 12 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 2 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 0 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 0 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 12; 25,000 to 49,999: 2; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (12). 173 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 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 34 |
| 2022 | 74 |
| 2023 | 25 |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2025 | 18 |
| 2026 | 10 |
2020: 1; 2021: 34; 2022: 74; 2023: 25; 2024: 26; 2025: 18; 2026: 10
Pattern summary
Visibility/Wiper leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 23 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 11 complaint narratives. Steering behavior appears in 8 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11376424 · 2020-11-26 (November 26, 2020)
MY 2021 TOYOTA VENZA HYBRID LE CLAIMS TO HAVE A 14.5 FUEL TANK CAPACITY BY TOYOTA BUT MINE WILL ONLY FILL UP TO AROUND 11 GALLONS WHEN IT GETS TO EMPTY. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TWICE TO TOYOTA'S SERVICE DEPARTMENT AND THEY CONFIRMED MY VEHICLE WAS ONLY FILING UP TO 11 GALLONS BUT THAT THIS WAS 'NORMAL AND PART OF THE DESIGN SINCE IT HAS A RESERVE OF GAS.' HOWEVER, THE NEW TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRIDS ARE REPORTING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE WHICH TOYOTA HAS ACKNOWLEDGED. BOTH VEHICLES SHARE THE SAME ENGINE, HYBRID SYSTEM, AND SAME 14.5 FUEL TANK AND ARE ALMOST …
Owner-reported narrative. 1,192 miles reported. Look up ODI 11376424 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11399703 · 2021-03-08 (March 8, 2021)
FUEL GAUGE AND FUEL TANK DO NOT OPERATE PROPERLY, LIKE THE 2020 RAV 4 GAS TANK PROBLEM. ON 2/8/21 WHEN THE GAUGE INDICATED 1/2 TANK, I PUT IN 9.997 GAL OF GAS, SINCE THIS CAR ONLY HAS A 14 1/2 GAL TANK THE TANK MUST NOT HAVE BEEN 1/2 FULL. ON 2/14/21 THE GAUGE READ 2/3 , I PUMPED GAS AND THE PUMP SHUT OFF AT 1.1 GAL, I SLOWLY ADDED GAS AS THE PUMP KEPT CLINKING OFF TILL I GOT A TOTAL OF 1.743 GAL OF GAS INTO THE TANK. I STARTED THE ENGINE AND THE GAS GAUGE STILL READ 2/3, SO I STARTED THE GAS PUMP AGAIN SLOWLY ADDED ANOTHER 1.287 GAL OF GAS. I…
Owner-reported narrative. 2,504 miles reported. Look up ODI 11399703 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11407404 · 2021-04-10 (April 10, 2021)
OUR CAR IMPACTED WITH ANOTHER AS WE TRIED TO ENTER THE HIGHWAY FROM A SHORT MERGE LANE. THE OTHER CAR ENTERED IN FRONT OF US FROM THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AFTER WE PASSED A STOP SIGN IN THE MERGE LANE; THE OTHER CAR THEN STOPPED SHORT BEFORE ENTERING THE HIGHWAY, JUST AS WE WERE SPEEDING UP THE ENTER THE HIGHWAY. A SENSOR SOUNDED IN OUR CAR, WE SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES, AND THE TWO CARES COLLIDED. THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT OF OUR VEHICLE WAS DAMAGED; THE REAR DRIVE SIDE OF THE OTHER CAR WAS DAMAGED. DRIVER SIDE SEATBELT IN OUR CAR OPERATED NORMALLY. PA…
Owner-reported narrative. 15 miles reported. Look up ODI 11407404 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11414886 · 2021-05-03 (May 3, 2021)
LEFT AND RIGHT HEADLIGHTS, IN 'LOW BEAM' SETTING, HAVE A VISIBLE 'DARK SHADOW' THAT PROJECTS SLIGHTLY OFF TO THE LEFT OF THE FIELD OF VIEW. WHEN DRIVING ON DARK FREEWAYS, YOU ARE CONSTANTLY DISTRACTED, THINKING THERE IS A MOVING OBJECT APPROACHING FROM THE LEFT. HIGH BEAM SETTING DOES NOT HAVE THIS SITUATION.
Owner-reported narrative. 3,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11414886 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11414986 · 2021-05-03 (May 3, 2021)
JUST PURCHASED NEW 2021 TOYOTA VENZA HYBRID. WITH LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ON, HAVE BLACK "SHADOWS" IN TOP PORTION OF ILLUMINATED FIELD ON BOTH SIDES. VERY DISTRACTING ESP. ON DARK, CURVY ROAD. THESE SHADOWS DO NOT APPEAR WITH HIGH BEAMS ON...NOTHING ON HEADLIGHT LENS TO CAUSE THESE BLACK AREAS. LOW BEAM SHADOWS APPARENT WHEN VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AS WELL AS MOVING. PREVIOUSLY HAD A 2019 TOYOTA RAV4 HYBRID WITHOUT THIS ISSUE.
Owner-reported narrative. 40 miles reported. Look up ODI 11414986 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11420205 · 2021-06-08 (June 8, 2021)
The venzas headlights, while on low beam only, have 2 shadows or blobs in the drivers view. It is very distracting especially while turning or cornering. It appears as if things are running out in front of the car. The issue is discussed by Venza owners on the Toyota nation blog. https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/shadows-in-2021-venza-xle-headlamps.1695536/
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11420205 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11424427 · 2021-07-12 (July 12, 2021)
Very small rock hit front windshield, which cracked soon after purchase. I might be willing to rack this up to bad luck, but there are several others that have posted online about the exact same scenario, see ToyotaNation forum https://www.toyotanation.com/threads/windshield-repair.1695878/ as well as on the Facebook 2021+ Venza hybrid club. I think its likely that the front windshield is under engineered and this presents a safety hazard. Im a fan of Toyota but I think there is something that needs to be looked at here.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11424427 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11424439 · 2021-07-12 (July 12, 2021)
Small rock hit windshield causing it to immediately crack 12” long and in an arc. In 55 years driving never had this occurrence. Checked website and apparently there are quite a few incidents of the same size of crack and arc happening in 2021 Venza. Wondered if there is a manufacturers defect with this windshield.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11424439 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
22V033000 · Exterior Lighting:Hazard Flashing Warning Lights | Exterior Lighting:Turn Signal:Bulbs
Reported: 2022-01-26 (January 26, 2022)
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 Venza Hybrid vehicles. Water may enter the rear turn signal LED lights, allowing condensation to form on the circuit board, and causing a short circuit. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Consequence: A short circuit can cause dimming or failure of the rear turn signals and hazard lights, reducing the vehicle's visibility to other drivers and increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace both rear turn signal LED bulbs and replace the rear turn signal light assembly as necessary, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed March 18, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available by June 30, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TB01/22TA01.
NHTSA campaign record ↗22V239000 · Electronic Stability Control (Esc):Control Module:Software
Reported: 2022-04-13 (April 13, 2022)
Toyota Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022 Lexus LX 600, Lexus NX 350h, Lexus NX 450h+, Toytoa RAV4 Hybrid, 2021-2022 Lexus LS 500h, Toyota Mirai, RAV4 PRIME, Sienna, Venza, and 2020-2022 Toyota Highlander Hybrid vehicles. The Skid Control ECU software may not turn on the Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system when the vehicle is restarted after the driver has disabled the VSC system. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 126, "Electronic Stability Control Systems."
Consequence: Driving with a deactivated stability control system increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the Skid Control ECU software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 27, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA03. Lexus' number for this recall is 22LA01.
NHTSA campaign record ↗