2012 Toyota Venza: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
25 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 25 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 1.79
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
On Dec. 17, 2023, shortly after 12:00 p.m.,I was driving my Toyota Venza on the highway under normal when the STEERING KNUCKLE suddenly fractured. This unexpected failure caused the vehicle to lose steering control, leading to a serious traffic accident. I inspected that part and found that the STEERIN KNUCKLE had broken abnormally, as the break showed no signs of any impact.
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact received a recall notification for 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 dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confi…
The contact owns a 2012 Toyota Venza. The contact received a recall notice for NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V257000 (Air Bags) however, the part for the repair was unavailable. The dealer had been notified of the issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the repair. The contac…
Recalls: 4 campaigns (3 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 13V123000 | 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 Toyota 4Runner, 2010-2013 Toyota… |
| 21V257000 | 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. |
| 13V014000 | Air Bags:Frontal:Sensor/Control Module-Inactive | 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 Tundra; model year 2009-2013… |
| 13V442000 | Electrical System | 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. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Air Bags9 complaints · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$600–$1,700
- Unknown Or Other6 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Visibility/Wiper6 complaints · typical job: Wiper motor, linkage or windscreen replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$490–$1,200
- Structure5 complaints · typical job: Body, subframe or corrosion repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,070–$2,920
- Steering1 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Engine1 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
Other Toyota Venza years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Toyota Venza?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Air Bags (9 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2012 Toyota Venza a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 83/100, computed from 25 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2012 Toyota Venza's most common problem?
9 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2012 Toyota Venza sit in the Air Bags group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement: about 2.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $600–$1,700 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2012 Toyota Venza cost to run per year?
About $5,103 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $25,518 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2012 Toyota Venza have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2012 Toyota Venza, 3 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 09/04/2013. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2012 Toyota Venza really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Thin evidence — 25 complaints, 4 recalls on record
- 25 NHTSA complaints on record (1.8/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (2.6/yr)
- 4 recall campaigns, 3 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality