Volkswagen CC vs Toyota Venza: which is more reliable?
The Toyota Venza is ahead of the Volkswagen CC on the federal record, 80/100 against 76/100 — a real but narrow gap that a bad model year on either side closes.
The record, side by side
Volkswagen CC
- 7 model years scored
- 604 owner complaints on record
- about 5 complaints per year on the road
- 33 recall campaigns, 23 safety-critical
- best year 2017 (89/100) · worst 2012 (36/100)
Toyota Venza
- 5 model years scored
- 201 owner complaints on record
- about 3 complaints per year on the road
- 16 recall campaigns, 11 safety-critical
- best year 2015 (87/100) · worst 2013 (66/100)
Mean score is the average across model years from 2013 on, where both records are comparable. How the score works.
Year by year: CC against Venza
The comparison that decides the purchase. A nameplate is not one car — a redesign can move the record sixty points inside two years, and the two nameplates rarely move together.
What owners actually complain about
Volkswagen CC
- Air Bags — 279 complaints
- Fuel/Propulsion System — 119 complaints
- Engine — 119 complaints
Toyota Venza
- Air Bags — 38 complaints
- Unknown Or Other — 36 complaints
- Service Brakes — 27 complaints
Both nameplates have Air Bags as their largest complaint group, so the choice between them is about how often, not about what.
Years to avoid on each
Volkswagen CC — avoid: 2012.
Toyota Venza: no model year scores below 45; the strongest are 2012, 2014, 2015.
A year scores below 45 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. Every car’s years to avoid.
What each costs today
A recent used Volkswagen CC prices at about $21,800 and a Toyota Venza at about $17,000 — the Toyota Venza is roughly $4,800 less, and they return 25.0 against 23.0 MPG combined.
Class-level estimates re-priced to your country, not a valuation of one car. Method.
FAQ
Is the Volkswagen CC or the Toyota Venza more reliable?
On the NHTSA record the Toyota Venza scores 80/100 against the Volkswagen CC's 76/100, averaged across every model year we hold. The gap is small enough that the model year matters more than the badge.
Which Volkswagen CC and Toyota Venza years should I avoid?
Volkswagen CC: 2012. Toyota Venza: no year scores below 45. Each of those scores under 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns.
What goes wrong on the Volkswagen CC and the Toyota Venza?
The largest complaint group on the Volkswagen CC is Air Bags (279 complaints); on the Toyota Venza it is Air Bags (38).
Is the Volkswagen CC or the Toyota Venza cheaper to own?
A recent used Volkswagen CC prices at about $21,800 and a Toyota Venza at about $17,000, before insurance and the maintenance band. Both pages carry the five-year running-cost figure.