Most common 2013 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 →
2013 Toyota Venza recalls (4)
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.
Equipment › Appliance › Air conditioner
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.
Remedy: 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.
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.
What 2013 Toyota Venza owners say
Air bags
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact stated when starting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Additionally, the passenger's side seat belt warning light remained illuminated with a passenger in the seat. The contact stated that the driver's side and passenger's side air bags seat belts warning lights recently started to remain illuminated. The local dealer was contacted about inspecting the vehicle however, the contact declined after being provided a cost to do the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated while starting the vehicle. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that parts were not available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.
Body & structure
I was on the freeway all of sudden traffic stooped , I hit the brakes no ABS the traction lite came on car went to neutral . I had an impact at 20.1 MPH according to toyotas black box. The front end was damaged in the tune of $8300.00 tore the front bumper off severe frame damage all in the area of the air bag sensor that was tore off. Come to find out after the accident their was an air bag recall we were never notified. The vehicle was fixed by a body shop recommended by the dealership that never checked out the system, I took it in for the recall they did not perform as per their supplemental documents from your web site. Now I have nerve damage and tendentious as I braced myself and bent the steering wheel. I have asked and asked for help from Toyota they told me the impact was not severe enough . My understanding is the air bags deploy at a 10 to 15 MPH impact I hit at 20 plus . …
Automatic rear hatchback power door, closed un-commanded, pinning and crushing middle 3 fingers of both hands between bottom edge of door and car body/bumper. Activating opening switches only cycled door to auto close - significantly increasing the automatic system pressure and resultant pain. Only able to extricate fingers after second person was able to assist by prying hatchback door with a garden shovel which allowed just enough relief to allow pulling fingers free. If alone, I would have never gotten free - the damage would have likely been at least the loss of my middle fingers to the first joint and if alone in a remote enough location the result would have been death. I repeat, both hands were trapped and could not be extricated without someone else's assistance. The rear hatchback door automatically closed, un-commanded and could not be opened by any means. …
Brakes
Tl* the contact owned a 2013 Toyota Venza. While driving 60 MPH with the cruise control activated, the brake pedal was depressed, but failed to respond without warning. As a result, the contact crashed into another vehicle a police report was filed. The contact sustained bruises to the right leg and chest area that required medical attention. The vehicle was towed and deemed destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 48,112. Updated 05/16/17 updated 12/04/2017
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed and the vehicle failed to respond. As a result, the contact crashed the vehicle into a curb and a fence. A police report was filed and no injuries were sustained. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was undetermined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.
2013 Toyota Venza engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | FWD | 20 / 26 / 23 |
| 2.7L 4-cyl | 6-speed automatic | AWD | 20 / 26 / 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: Small SUV.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2013 Toyota Venza a good car?
Based on 59 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2013 Venza rates average: 1.4× 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 2013 Toyota Venza?
The air bags — 12 complaints, 20% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the body & structure (10) and brakes (10).
How many recalls does the 2013 Toyota Venza have?
There are 4 recalls for the 2013 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 2013 Toyota Venza problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 37,000 miles; 65% 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.