2012 Toyota Venza Problems, Recalls & Reliability

34 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2012 Toyota Venza, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 20/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2012 Toyota Venza has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

34Complaints
20/100Trouble index
4Recalls

Better year

Where 2012 sits among all Venza years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Airbags 9 complaints (26%)
Visibility & wipers 7 complaints (21%)
Other 6 complaints (18%)
Body & structure 5 complaints (15%)
Transmission & drivetrain 1 complaints (3%)
Brakes & stability 1 complaints (3%)

Recalls (4)

AIR BAGS 21V257000 2021

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.

Fix: 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. Owners may contact Toyota customer…

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 13V442000 2013

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…

Fix: 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…

EQUIPMENT 13V123000 2013

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…

Fix: 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…

AIR BAGS 13V014000 2013

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…

Fix: 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. Owners may…

Technical service bulletins

253 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and body & structure — are on file for the 2012 Toyota Venza. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.

See the 2012 Venza TSB list →

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2013peak 7 in 20182025

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2012 Toyota Venza reliable?

The 2012 Toyota Venza drew 34 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 20/100, scored against the model's worst year (2009).

What are the most common 2012 Toyota Venza problems?

The top reported problems for the 2012 Toyota Venza are airbags (9 complaints), visibility & wipers (7), and other (6).

Does the 2012 Toyota Venza have recalls?

4 recall campaigns apply to the 2012 Toyota Venza. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.

← 2011 Venza All Venza years 2013 Venza →
Data updated 2026-08-20 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.