2012 Toyota Venza — Known Issues & Recalls

Your airbag warning light came on, and you brought your Venza to the dealer for a recall repair. After the dealer said the recall was complete, the warning light was still on. The dealer told you they'd need to remove the front door panels and carpet to fully fix it, and said you'd have to pay for that additional work. You declined the repair, so your airbag system remains unrepaired. The fix would likely involve replacing or rewiring components in the airbag control system, possibly including door panel and carpet removal for access.

Your 2012 Toyota Venza's side curtain airbags failed to deploy during a crash at 15 mph, while the front airbags deployed as expected. You and your husband sustained serious injuries—including a broken sternum, fractured back, and chest injuries—that may have been prevented if all airbags had deployed properly. This issue is covered under a safety recall, and the airbag system will need to be inspected and replaced to restore full protective function.

Your passenger-side airbag warning light stays on even when an adult is sitting in the seat with the car parked or driving normally. This means the airbag system may not deploy properly if you're in an accident. There's a known recall for this issue, but it doesn't appear in the system under your vehicle's identification number. The fix will likely involve a software update or replacement of the airbag sensor to correctly detect passenger presence.

Your driver's side airbag deployed during a crash at 20 mph and burst open with black smoke and fragments, causing severe leg injuries. An independent examiner determined the airbag failure was caused by water damage. The airbag system may need inspection for water intrusion and the airbag unit itself may need replacement.

Your 2012 Toyota Venza was subject to a recall for airbag issues (Campaign 21V257000), but the replacement parts needed to fix it weren't available at the time. You felt the manufacturer took longer than reasonable to supply the necessary parts for the repair.

Your 2012 Toyota Venza is subject to a recall for the airbag system, but the replacement part needed for the repair is currently unavailable from the dealer. You've been waiting for the part longer than expected, and Toyota has been notified of the delay. Your airbags have not failed, but you'll need to return to the dealer once the part becomes available.

Your sun visor flips down on its own while driving or parked, blocking your view of the road. The hinge breaks after some time, and even after the dealer replaced it under warranty, the problem returns. This creates an unsafe condition by blocking your visibility while you're driving.

Your driver's side sun visor keeps dropping down while you're driving, blocking your view of the road. This has happened multiple times, and now the visor won't stay up at all. The visor clip or latch mechanism likely needs to be repaired or replaced to keep it securely in the up position.

Your driver's side sun visor keeps flopping down into your line of sight while driving and won't stay in the up position. This is a visibility issue that can be distracting and potentially unsafe. The fix will likely involve repairing or replacing the visor hinge mechanism to hold it securely in place.

Your driver's side sun visor won't stay in the up position and has broken off completely. This creates a safety hazard because sun glare blocks your view of the road while driving. The visor will need to be replaced to restore visibility and safety.

Both your sun visors (driver and passenger side) have broken and won't stay in place—they randomly fall down while you're driving, which can be distracting. The visors don't appear to have been damaged from misuse, and this seems to be a recurring issue for other owners of this model. The fix will likely involve replacing the visor clips or the entire visor assembly.

Your driver's side sun visor won't stay in the up position and keeps falling down, which blocks your view of the road. This makes it difficult to see clearly while driving. The visor will likely need to be adjusted or replaced to fix the problem.

Water accumulates on your driver's side floor whenever it rains. This suggests water is entering the vehicle through the door seal, weatherstripping, or drainage system rather than draining properly away from the cabin. The fix likely involves inspecting and resealing door gaskets, checking the weatherstripping around the door frame, or clearing clogged drain holes beneath the vehicle.

Your hatchback won't close when you use the remote button—you have to shut it manually. Before this, the hatchback also wouldn't open with the remote, and you heard a grinding noise coming from the rear driver side. The problem started around 30,000 miles and hasn't been diagnosed or repaired yet.

Your steering knuckle suddenly fractured while driving on the highway, causing you to lose steering control and get into a serious accident. The break appeared to happen without any impact damage, suggesting a manufacturing or material defect rather than wear and tear. Fixing this issue will require replacing the steering knuckle and inspecting the front suspension system for any related damage.

Your airbags failed to deploy when your car was hit by a truck at high speed while you were driving. You were struck on the driver's side front wheel and your car was dragged after the wheels got stuck. The airbag system may need to be inspected and replaced to ensure proper deployment in future impacts.

Your car suddenly accelerated on its own while you were slowly moving forward to park in your driveway. When you tried to brake, the brakes didn't respond, and your car crashed into another vehicle, which then hit a garage beam. The brake system and speed control may need inspection to identify why braking failed during the acceleration event.

Your car rolls backward on hills or slight inclines even when the transmission is in Drive, requiring you to keep your foot on the brake to prevent it from rolling back into traffic behind you. This is a potentially dangerous situation on slopes or at stop lights on inclines. The issue may involve the transmission's hill-hold function or related drivetrain components that need inspection and repair.

Your engine makes a knocking or rattling noise when you first start it in cold weather, and the noise continues while you're driving. This could indicate an issue with engine timing, spark knock, or internal components that need attention.

When you accelerate quickly and push the engine past 3,000 RPM, a strong rotten egg smell develops inside your car. The Toyota dealership initially struggled to reproduce the issue and suggested the smell might be from aftermarket brakes or fuel quality, but you were able to demonstrate the problem by running the engine at 4,000 RPM for a few minutes. A Toyota field service representative ultimately refused to address the issue, claiming the car is being operated excessively despite normal driving habits. The repair would likely involve inspecting and possibly replacing the catalytic converter or fuel system components that may be producing the sulfur smell.