2021 Toyota Venza

Family: Venza · filed with NHTSA as REDUNDANT VENZA, VENZA HYBRID

Summary

Of the 161 complaints that name a component, 50% concern Windows, Wipers & Visibility (80).
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Not enough history to compare this year with the rest of its generation.
2 recalls filed for this model year.
1 federal defect investigation covers this model year.

At a glance

Owner complaints: 189
Recalls: 2
Investigations: 1
NCAP overall: 5 of 5 stars
Combined MPG: 39
Annual fuel cost: $1,600
Median mileage at complaint: 5,500 mi (n = 15)
Crashes / fires / injuries / deaths: 15 / 0 / 12 / 0

What owners report

Windows, Wipers & Visibility

80 complaints · 50% of complaints that name a component · median 11,500 mi (n = 4)

Owner report Windshield suddenly cracked, making two large arcs several feet long. Driving on paved road at 20 mph, no gravel, no other traffic.

Owner report A large crack appeared on the windshield of my 2021 Toyota Venza. Due to this being a safety issue when driving the vehicle, so I looked into having it repaired by a local shop. When the Venza was taken to the repaired, the repair shop notified me that the issue didn't originate from a rock/chip. The issue was with …

Lighting

16 complaints · 10% of complaints that name a component · median 3,000 mi (n = 3)

Owner report I just purchased as 2021 Toyota Venza Limited. The headlight on low beam cast a odd shaped shadow. It is very distracting and often makes you think something is in front of the car. The issue dissappears when headlight are switched to high beam. This is very unsafe and deserves a recall.

Owner report Head lights! Dangerous. They have blind-spots due to equipment blocking full light vision. This is my 2nd report to you. I have not gotten a response. I think this should be looked into immediately. I don't care to drive at night because of this blind-spot. Yes, I have reported this to Toyota and they could not d…

Electrical System

15 complaints · 9% of complaints that name a component · median 57,346 mi (n = 2)

Owner report Primary Control/Head Unit Failure - I can no longer access any of the electronic functions of the vehicle due to the computer screen failure. The back up camera works, but when the vehicle is in drive, it's nothing but a strobing light trying to connect. It's a safety concern most at night due to the constant strobe …

Owner report The infotainment system has failed. It is the 12.5 screen-based system that enables the control of numerous features including air conditioning/heating, audio (all radio and satellite radio) and map/gps display. This system is the focus of a recall on this model car (newer versions) but the issue is the same for this y…

15% of complaints name no specific component and are left out of the shares above.

Across the generation (2021–2024)

To compare years fairly, each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Note
2021	189	135
2022	42	28	not compared
2023	21	17	not compared
2024	26	26	not compared

Recalls

Whether a recall has been fixed on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

22V239000 · ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC):CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

Filed 2022-04-13 · 458,110 vehicles

Defect: 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."

Risk: 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.

22V033000 · EXTERIOR LIGHTING:HAZARD FLASHING WARNING LIGHTS | EXTERIOR LIGHTING:TURN SIGNAL:BULBS

Filed 2022-01-26 · 41,544 vehicles

Defect: 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."

Risk: 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.

Federal investigations

Action	Component	Opened	Closed	Recall
DP22005	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM	2023-01-27	2023-08-07	22V063000

DP22005: Pedestrian alert sounds

Engines and fuel economy

Version	Engine	Transmission	Drive	City	Hwy	Combined	Fuel cost / yr
Venza AWD	2.5L 4cyl Hybrid	Automatic (AV-S6)	All-Wheel Drive	40	37	39	$1600

Fuel cost is EPA's estimate at the fuel prices of its last update, not today's.

Crash test ratings (NCAP)

Variant	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover
2021 Toyota VENZA HYBRID SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆

Service bulletins

Toyota issued 204 service bulletins listed against this model year, most often about electrical system.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so one listed here may not be specific to this year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-08-20	ENGINE	This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
2026-08-20	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
2026-08-11	ENGINE	Although the flow shut-off valve is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 36 months or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repair…
2026-05-14	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toy…
2026-02-27	ENGINE	OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
2026-01-30	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
2026-01-28	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
2026-01-07	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Serv…
2026-01-06	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Although the HV Floor Under Wire Harness and Rear Traction Motor Cable is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 3 years or 36,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toy…
2025-09-25	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	The subject vehicles are equipped with a rear motor unit and an HV Floor Under Wire that provide high voltage to operate the motor. Mud, water, or road salt could potentially enter the HV Floor Underwire connector housing and could cause co…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more often after news coverage or a recall. That is why this page compares a model year only with other years of the same generation, never with other models.

Each complaint is counted once, even when it names several components; a complaint that names several systems appears under each of them. Owner reports are quoted as filed and have not been verified by NHTSA or by us.

Every model year of this Venza, including the ones without a page of their own, is listed on the Toyota Venza model page.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls and investigations (bulk files, data as of 2026-10-28).
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program: crash test ratings.
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines, transmissions and fuel economy.

MotorAlmanac is independent and not affiliated with NHTSA, EPA or any manufacturer. This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection. Before buying a used car, check its VIN for open recalls and have it inspected.