Most common 2011 Toyota Venza problems
Share of the 59 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Toyota Venza complaints by model year
Best Venza years: 2012, 2015, 2014. Years to avoid: 2009, 2010. Compare all years →
2011 Toyota Venza recalls (6)
Air bags › Side/window › Curtain
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.
Seats › Front assembly › Seat heater/cooler
Southeast Toyota Distributors, LLC (SET) is recalling certain model year 2010-2011 Prius and Corolla, 2009-2011 Venza, 2006-2010 Avalon, 2007-2010 FJ Cruiser, 2005-2011 Sienna and Sequoia, 2006-2011 Tacoma 4x2 and 4x4, Camry, Highlander, Tundra 4x2 and 4x4, and 2007-2011 Rav4 and 4Runner.
Remedy: SET will notify owners, and dealers will disconnect the heaters with copper strand heating elements and refund the purchase price of the seat heater accessory, free of charge.
Equipment › Other › Labels
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…
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.
Seats
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…
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.
Exterior lighting › Brake lights › Switch
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2009 camry vehicles manufactured from July 1, 2008, through February 28, 2009, and model year 2009-2011 venza vehicles manufactured from October 20, 2008, through January 4, 2011.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. The safety recall began on April 12, 2012. Owners May contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331.
Power train › Driveline › Driveshaft
Toyota is recalling certain model year 2011 venza and sienna passenger cars manufactured from March 7, through March 10, 2011. There is a possibility that the front, right, drive shaft May break due to insufficient heat treatment.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners and dealers will inspect the drive shaft, and, if the drive shaft is identified as one that May not have been correctly manufactured, it will be replaced with a new one at no charge.
What 2011 Toyota Venza owners say
Electrical system
Purchased a 2011 toyota venza almost 28 days ago. I haven't even made my first payment for my car loan. The rain here in florida has shown that it is raining inside my vehicle. I have contacted the dealer, I have contacted my insurance company. I have done research and it's a known issue with this vehicle. I need help in correcting this. I am not driving the vehicle because it was shorting out the electric in the car. I have a tarp over it now. Can you point me in the direction of where to turn?
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that the seat warmer module connection melted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 101,162.
Brakes
Major brake problem ; we were saved miraculously I have a Toyota Venza 2011 and I am the only owner ; the car drives smooth , however with major brakes issue My brakes and rotors are still in good condition, however; twice in the highway I wanted to slow down and the brakes don't work , I freak out and my steering wheel looses control and almost hit cars but after a couple minutes it works The worst one was a couple days ago ; was driving at 30 miles an hour trying yo drop off my daughter for her game , hit the curb , brakes completely Lost Control and the car won't stop We panicked the car luckily kept going in the direction of the parking lot and I chose to go through bushes to stop the car and put the emergency brake ; the car after a few horror minutes stopped If the car merged a little bit outside the parking lot there is fast traffic and a lake right after I had the car towed …
Car was slowly pulling into a parking spot, when all of a sudden it revved its engine and accelarated. My foot was on the brake and it would not stop. The revving noise was loud. I hit a large tree that was luckily at the end of the parking spot. The tree is what stopped the car. When the car stopped, I looked and saw was in drive. I was able to put in reverse and back up and park safely. I shut the car off immediately.
Seats
The contact owns a 2011 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that the air bag warning light illuminated, and the check SRS (Supplement Restraint System) message was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a dealer and the error messages were cleared; however, upon placing her purse on the passenger seat, the messages again became displayed. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the driver's side harness needed to be replaced; however, the part was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 13V014000 (Air Bags, Seat). The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 137,945.
Heated seat wiring was disconnected by the dealer to prevent a fire and noted that the plug was melted and the seat was charred, due to a malfunction, my heated seat on driver side stopped working, found a NHTSA champaign id 14V743000 that affected 2009-2011 Toyota Venza and also reported to Toyota corporation at [phone] spoke with khushboo, regarding the recall and she stated my vehicle is outside of warranty. I feel that my vehicle falls within the parameters of the recall on Toyota Venza 2009-2011.
2011 Toyota Venza engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 21 / 27 / 23 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 25 / 22 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 19 / 26 / 21 |
| 3.5L 6-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 18 / 25 / 21 |
EPA ratings. Class: SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2011 Toyota Venza a good car?
Based on 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2011 Venza rates average: 1.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the Venza at the same age. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2011 Toyota Venza?
The electrical system — 15 complaints, 25% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the brakes (9) and seats (7).
How many recalls does the 2011 Toyota Venza have?
There are 6 recalls for the 2011 Toyota Venza, the most recent from April 13, 2021 (curtain). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Toyota Venza?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2012, 2015 and 2014. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2009 and 2010. See the full Toyota Venza years comparison.
At what mileage do 2011 Toyota Venza problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 45,000 miles; 51% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.