2013 Toyota Venza Problems

What owners report

Owners of this 2013 Toyota Venza most often describe airbag warning lights, or airbags that did not deploy in crashes. Brake pedals that fail to respond or brakes that lock, and sudden acceleration or a throttle that briefly stops responding, are also common reports. Panoramic sunroof glass that shatters or pops, sometimes with no impact, is another recurring theme, and mileage in these reports varies widely from under 6,000 to about 160,000 miles.

1. 1
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light or airbags not deploying

   • 13 complaints (22%)
   • median 60,000 mi at 5.7 yrs old (9 state mileage, few)
   • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2023

   Owners describe the airbag warning light coming on at startup or while driving, sometimes with a seat belt light, a stored diagnostic code, or water found in the footwell. Other owners report airbags that did not deploy in crashes that they put at roughly 20 to 35 miles per hour. Some say a recall repair for these airbag systems was delayed because parts were not available. Most reports with mileage fall between about 20,000 and 95,000 miles, and the highest mileage report is near 160,000.

   Recall 21V257000Recall 13V442000

   What to check: Check that the airbag and seat belt warning lights go off after startup, and that they stay off with a passenger seated. Ask whether recall 21V257000 or 13V442000 has been completed, and check the VIN with the NHTSA recall lookup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Error message: check srs airbag system light came on. I was driving on a highway at about 50 MPH. Took car to my mechanic who hooked it to the computer diagnostic machine. He said this was the 2nd time the light came on (first time for me since august 2014) per the diagnostic machine history. Took to dealership 1/23/2021”

   NHTSA complaint #11389591, filed 2021-01, 94,801 miles

   “I was driving through an intersection on a green light and was struck by another car running a red light. Damaging the front and both sides of my car. I have injuries and my car was totaled by the insurance company. The airbags did not deploy.”

   NHTSA complaint #10822300, filed 2016-01, 30,000 miles
2. 2
   Brakes

   Brake pedal fails to respond or brakes lock

   • 9 complaints (15%)
   • median 44,500 mi at 3.1 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 6 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2014–2019

   Owners describe pressing the brake pedal and having it fail to respond, or the brakes locking or not releasing. Some describe ABS, VSC, or traction control warning lights appearing, and some report that the steering became tight or hard to turn. Several reports describe a crash into another vehicle, a curb, or a fence after the car did not slow as expected. Some say the dealer could not reproduce the problem or found no fault. Most reports with mileage fall between about 40,000 and 60,000 miles, though the highest is near 154,000, and some happened at highway speed.

   What to check: Test the brake pedal at low and moderate speeds, checking that it stays firm and responds promptly, and watch for ABS, VSC, or brake warning lights. Ask whether the brake system has been inspected for leaks, including the master cylinder, and request any brake repair records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While applying pressure to my brakes to stop at a stop sign (~ 30mph), my brakes started to grind and my ABS, vsc and emergency brake lights came on. This has been happening frequently over the past month or so at various times (while on the highway, braking, just driving, etc) at various speeds. I've also noticed that the steering becomes tight. I have not lost control of my car. I am concerned about the safety of my braking system. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10723125, filed 2015-06, 47,000 miles

   “While coming to a stop after dropping off my daughter the brakes started making a loud clicking noise. Later while coming to a stop at a red light the brakes acted like they did not want to stop and as I pressed as hard as I could the brakes locked and the car slid into the back of a truck stopped at the red light.”

   NHTSA complaint #10722733, filed 2015-06
3. 3
   Vehicle speed control

   Sudden acceleration or throttle not responding

   • 7 complaints (12%)
   • median 31,900 mi at 1.6 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2013–2022

   Owners describe the car accelerating or lurching forward without warning, sometimes while stopped, parking, or braking, and in some cases crashing into a building, a pole, or wire cables. Other owners describe the engine not responding to the accelerator for a few seconds at a time, leaving the car coasting, and say the episodes come and go. Some say dealers could not find a fault, would not inspect the car, or found the system operating as designed. Where mileage is given, reports range from under 6,000 to about 37,000 miles, and some describe repeated episodes since the car was bought new.

   What to check: On a test drive, check that the throttle responds smoothly from a stop and that no engine or drive-by-wire warnings appear. Ask the dealer to scan for stored codes and to check for any open recall or service campaign on the throttle or accelerator system.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “While parking the vehicle in a parking lot, when approaching a parking stall and preparing to stop, the vehicle suddenly accelerated forward causing us to rear end a vehicle ahead, which had already parked, unoccupied and was pulled through their parking stall. The sudden acceleration was such a surprise with little time to react. Fortunately no one was injured and there was minimal damage to the vehicles. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10839319, filed 2016-03, 36,566 miles

   “The below issue was first reported to the appropriate Toyota representatives and to NHTSA in 9-2013. It has occurred 36 times since the car was purchased new in may 2013. At this writing the car has less than 6000 miles on the odometer. Intermittently and without warning the electronic link between the gas pedal and the engine is inoperative for 3-5 seconds. During this period the car is not under power it is coasting and depressing the gas pedal has no effect on engine speed. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10607421, filed 2014-07, 25 miles
4. 4
   Other or unknown

   Panoramic sunroof glass shattering or popping

   • 5 complaints (8%)
   • median 44,974 mi at 4.6 yrs old (4 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2013–2023

   Owners describe the panoramic sunroof glass shattering or imploding while driving, sometimes on an interstate or highway at normal speed. Some say the glass broke with no object striking the roof, and others describe a loud pop or jarring noise over bumps that they feared could lead to shattering. Some report water leaking in rain and cracking noises, and say a dealer would not fix the leak without a repair charge. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 2,000 to 100,000 miles, and some describe the glass breaking while driving on an interstate or highway.

   What to check: Look over the panoramic roof glass for cracks or chips, and listen for popping or creaking over bumps on a test drive. Ask whether any roof repair or warranty replacement is documented, and check the VIN with the NHTSA recall lookup.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “On 03-27-2017 approximately 2:15p I was traveling 60 MPH south on i94/i43 in my 2013 Toyota Venza xle just south of the becher/lapham ave exit in my when I heard this loud explosion which resembled a gunshot sound at the same time flying glass coming from over my head. My sunroof imploded on top of me and there was shattered glass inside and outside flying behind me as I looked inside my rear view mirror. I though I was shot at or even a rock was thrown. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10968946, filed 2017-03, 38,000 miles

   “Driving down interstate with moon roof/sun roof open, the moon roof/sun roof shattered into a gazillion pieces. There was no sound of a rock or other projectile hitting the moon roof/sun roof. It just rained glass down on us without warning. Luckily my husband was wearing a ball cap that protected his eyes, but it could have blinded someone and caused an accident. I cut stained glass so am familiar with how glass breaks. I believe the panoramic moon roof/sun roof is a design defect, which resulted in a stress fracture. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10500935, filed 2013-03, 2,000 miles

Buying note. For a used 2013 Venza, check the airbag warning light, brake pedal feel, and throttle response on a test drive, and look over the panoramic roof glass. Ask for records of any airbag recall work, since some owners say the parts for that work were not yet available.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 53 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.