2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid problems & reliability
188 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Oct 6, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
9 complaints report injuries (12 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility/wiper → | 74 | 39% |
| Unknown / Other | 42 | 22% |
| Exterior Lighting → | 16 | 9% |
| Electrical System → | 15 | 8% |
| Fuel/propulsion System → | 14 | 7% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 12 | 6% |
| Engine → | 11 | 6% |
| Service Brakes → | 11 | 6% |
| Power Train | 9 | 5% |
| Air Bags | 7 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 20 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“low‑beam headlights/headlight assembly issues. Moisture getting in, corrosion of prongs that connect to the headlight assembly. Dimming lights once assembly was replaced. Condensation in the headlights. Some bulbs work while others don't.”
Exterior Lighting · filed Aug 7, 2026
“Rear passenger side window exploded (shattered) while driving on the Hardy Toll Road in [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Unknown / Other · filed Jul 9, 2026
“The center console has cracked and has sharp corners causing an increased risk of injury. Also may cause one to jerk the wheel if placing their elbow down and not expecting the sharp corner. No accident occurred as of yet, but could if someone else were to be driving my car and place their arm down on the center…”
Unknown / Other · filed Jul 9, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Pedestrian alert sounds
Defect Petition DP22005 · opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · led to recall 22V063000
Technical service bulletins
151 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid. The 10 most recent:
OBSOLETE NOTICE August 20, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0051-26.
T-SB-0110-20 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
This bulletin includes basic procedures for performing a rescue charge at battery on high voltage (HV) Ni-MH and Li-ion batteries.
T-SB-0051-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 20, 2026
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…
24TE04 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Aug 11, 2026
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’…
22TE09 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued May 14, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE February 27, 2026: This bulletin is no longer applicable and is now obsolete.
T-SB-0104-21 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 27, 2026
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 30, 2026
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.
T-SB-0001-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 28, 2026
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…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
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’…
22TE09 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Jan 6, 2026
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…
25TD01 · Service Campaign · issued Sep 25, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.