Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Toyota Venza New Owners Report

13»

Comments

  • cheers1cheers1 Member Posts: 1
    We have a 2011 Venza and a 2001 Sienna. The bumper of the Venza looks like it is the 10 year old vehicle. Dealer said it was the "bad winter" which the Sienna seems to have handled just fine. Not only are there chips, there are large flakes of paint down to the black of the plastic bumper. We do not do high pressure car washes, we do not drive on gravel roads but the bumper is a mess. Would highly recommend a 3M protector for the front of a Venza until this is corrected.
  • sr8474sr8474 Member Posts: 6
    I have not had the opportunity to test drive or ride in a Venza at night. I'm curious if someone could share if the radio and bluetooth controls are illuminated?
  • jaimel2jaimel2 Member Posts: 5
    Yes, they are illuminated on the dash board but not on the steering wheel.
  • sr8474sr8474 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the information regarding the steering wheel controls NOT being illuminated at night. Unfortunately, this is a deal breaker for me....reminds me too much of the late 90's era Acura's which required the overhead light in order to locate the cruise control and other functions while driving at night. Hopefully they correct this during the cycle mid-fresh since both the Camry and Highlander appear to have illuminated controls on the steering wheel.
  • cartalker10cartalker10 Member Posts: 5
    yes, I have an 09, v6 with all-wheel drive, equalent to the XLE model and steer-wheel controls are illmuniated at night.
  • roya4roya4 Member Posts: 2
    Just bought a Toyota Venza 2011 V6 AWD, Premium Package #2, all in! MSRP: 39k, Deal: 32.5K!!! After $1000 Toyota Rebate included.
  • su922su922 Member Posts: 9
    Sounds like a VERY good deal...where did you buy it?
  • vettedreamervettedreamer Member Posts: 10
    That sounds like a great deal. With the 2012s coming out in few weeks, should see some good offers on the remaining 2011s.
  • su922su922 Member Posts: 9
    Does anyone know why in the world Toyota would leave off an extension for the Venza's sun visors, or if there is a fix for it that doesn't look too cheesy? My commute to and from work is in the exact direction which allows the sun to poke in my side window at the exact place where the extensionless visors end. And, yes, the side windows are tinted.

    I've owned several kinds of Toyotas over the past 25 years and although the Venza is great in so many ways, I am disappointed, in general, in the quality of product Toyota is making these days. I was hoping this would be the last automobile I would have to buy for a long, long time, but now I'm not so sure.
  • choochoomanchoochooman Member Posts: 38
    i work with a lady who has a silver 2010 venza,her front bumber had dime and quarter size chips she was told came from debree form the road. she was driving home in the rain very hard when something flew up on windshield it was a large section of paint from the bumper dealer contacted zone rep who agreed to repaint bumper they had the car for over 2 weeks kept telling her they hadn't got to it yet, when it was ready they told her they repainted it twice due to paint wouldn't stay on, they ended up getting a new bumper from toyota. they said they were having problems with the bumbers
  • mmccloskeymmccloskey Member Posts: 168
    Greetings:
    I agree that the sun visor should extend back to cover the portion of the window where the driver sits to block out the sun. I had a 2002 Lexus ES300 that had the extending visors - they would extend back on the rod nearly 5" to provide excellent blockage of the sun. Have you noticed that the back side of the visor, when it is folded down against the windshield, has a very rough seam along the mid-portion where the rest of the seam is smooth and appears to be sewn not glued.

    I've had my 2011 FWD V6 for nearly 6 weeks and upon close inspection there are several fit/finish issues that my 2007 Highlander Hybrid never had. Unfortunately, I have an eye for detail and most people wouldn't notice the things I do. Although the Venza is a very nice car with great features, it's not as good as the Highlander I traded in. I don't have buyers remorse as I got a very good deal on the Venza but since this is advertised as a 'premium' Toyota I expected better. At least everything works as it should and I've had no issues at all with the Venza, I only hope it will serve me as well as the Highlander did.
    Not sure if there is an aftermarket sun visor extension rod available but maybe you could get a visor from a Lexus RX since it is very similar to the Venza in many ways.

    Regards - M. J. McCloskey
  • mbcacmbcac Member Posts: 1
    After test driving multiple 2011 Venza FWD models (both V4 and V6), purchased a well equipped V6 FWD. Immediate reaction was that ride was very rough, much different than test drive models. Determined that dealer delivered vehicle with excessive tire pressure. Adjusted all four tires to recommended pressure but found no noticeable change in ride quality. Drove vehicle approximately 200 miles on mostly highway roads and car exhibited excessive and consistent bounce.

    Concerned about safety, took the vehicle to a dealer and had a technician take a highway ride with me. When we returned to dealership, service manager asked tech his impressions of the ride. He answered "horrible", said it was stiffer and bouncier than a Tundra or Tacoma. They put car on a lift and found no obvious technical issues. They called Toyota who said there are no known technical issues and claimed that a "stiff" ride is typical.

    Although we liked the vehicle very much, we were unwilling to accept a truck like ride from a passenger car. My other vehicle is a 2006 Honda Pilot and the ride quality of the Pilot with 78,000 miles was significantly smoother than this brand new car.

    We contacted the selling dealer and explained that this vehicle was not indicative of other Venza's and that we wanted to return the vehicle and void the sale. To their credit, they agreed to return the car for full credit. This was a remarkable act of customer service and we will certainly make every effort to buy another vehicle from this dealer.

    To those looking to buy a Venza, make sure you take a highway test drive with the actual vehicle you intend to purchase. Buyer beware!
  • horsepower4horsepower4 Member Posts: 6
    Can't complain about a rough ride, but we did have some road handling issues with our 2009 certified used Venza with 8,000 miles on it. Finally took it to the dealer and they recalibrated the alignments. Drove much better, but seems to get "out of whack" easier than previous cars I have owned. The wind noise in this car is my biggest issue. On a windy day it is horrible; on a normal day it's annoying at the least. I have put down rugs and mats in the back but it doesn't help much. Only when the back has some cargo in it does it make a difference and then not nearly enough. The Venza is very stylish, seats are comfortable, and it drives well enough (albeit keeping the alignments in balance), but I would agree that Toyota has cut some corners on the car. Considering the price tag on the Venzas, I would expect a more complete quality package. Interior materials are not the quality they should be, wind noise is unacceptable, and overall equipment details are just not what you would expect. For example, there is a tire pressure monitor light, but it doesn't tell me which tire is low. My KIA Sedona van took it one step further and indicated which tire was low. Very helpful! If KIA can do it, why not Toyota? I'll drive this Venza for awhile, but I'm headed back to KIA or Hyundai one of these days. More bang for the buck and reliability is great. I never had an issue for the 75,000 miles I drove my Sedona.
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    I am waiting for a 2012 venza to drive and to compare to a 2012 HL. not sure which one I will go with.

    I have test driven several vehicles with 20" low profile tires, e.g. Ford Edge, Venza, etc. They all give a harsher ride than cars with higher profile tires.

    I was not bothered by the venza (and I verified the tire pressure before the test drives), both in the street or on the highway. It certainly gives a less smooth ride than the 2011 HL v6 with fairly large tires, but with a more foregiving profile. Hope that helps. rr70
  • venzaruffridervenzaruffrider Member Posts: 1
    I also made the mistake of not highway testing my 4 CYL AWD Venza before buying. Passengers in the back seat cannot wait to get out. I took my Venza on a roadtrip. After 2 hours I was ready to shoot myself. My wife had to climb in the back seat and tend to our newborn and the backseat ride was worse yet. I am planning to return our venza in hopes of getting something else.

    This is our second Venza within 4 months. After several trips to the dealer, they were unable to get the used V6 AWD Venza that we purchased to go down the road striaght. they determined that the car must have been wrecked and decided to give us our money back.

    Buying a Venza has been one of the worse decisions of my life.. I stuck with a car that rides like crap..
  • su922su922 Member Posts: 9
    Great idea to check on an RX visor. I too traded in a 2008 HL Limited (only because it was just too big for me to handle easily), but I have regretted it simply because of the little things Toyota scrimped on like the visor and cheaper finishes. Plus, the ride is definitely not that of a "premium" vehicle.

    If the RX wasn't so expensive to own I would get another one, but we are looking at retiring in a couple of years and just don't need that kind of expense.

    Thanks for your idea for the visor.
  • wwestwwest Member Posts: 10,706
    You might try dropping back to 17" or even 16" wheels thereby having a taller tire sidewall to help absorb the bumps. Slightly wider doesn't hurt either, more roadbed contact CSA, mine are 17X8.
  • roadventureroadventure Member Posts: 7
    2011 FWD, I4, Aloe Green Metallic
    Panoramic Sunroof, Pushbutton start package.

    I am close to my second tank of gas at a somewhat disappointing 25mpg. Aside from hopes of better fuel mileage I like it!
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Sounds sweet, congrats!

    Just give it some time. Some people get good mpg right away but my minivan took 10,000 miles to really hit its stride with good mpg.
  • mmccloskeymmccloskey Member Posts: 168
    Greetings:

    The mileage you are getting is quite good and will certainly improve with more miles driven.

    I have a 2011 FWD V6 and am getting an average of 24.5mpg (calculated manually) with a bit over 1600 miles since my purchase in mid-October. I realize the I4 will get overall better mpg than the V6 but the V6 is extremely quiet and even under brisk acceleration it's still barely detectable. Some owner reviews have commented on the I4 being a bit noisy under heavy acceleration but I guess it all depends on how sensitive you are to certain sounds.

    Regards - M. J. McCloskey
  • horsepower4horsepower4 Member Posts: 6
    Your mileage should improve. Our 2009 I4 FWD Venza consistently exceeds the sticker mileage. We are getting anywhere from 25-27+ in town; 27+ city/hwy combined, and as high as 34 on interstate driving. Driving 55 on the highway will drastically improve mileage if you aren't in a hurry! There are some things I don't like about the car, but mileage isn't one of them.
  • roadventureroadventure Member Posts: 7
    Thanks for the mileage replies and feedback. I reset the mpg gauge with my most recent fill-up. Immediately I did two days of my regular commute (80 miles a day @ 65mph) plus two short trips of four miles.

    Average mpg on the meter: 29.0

    I am feeling better...........
  • rmcarrmcar Member Posts: 1
    Looking at the Venza but am currently driving a Highlander. I'd love the opinions of anyone who went from a large SUV to the Venza.

    I'm short so the height is important to me. Thanks
  • jaimel2jaimel2 Member Posts: 5
    Stay with your Highlander. trade a new one or lease it. I had two highlanders. 2002 and 2005 then switch to 2009 Venza 4 cyl. WRONG choice in a year will go back to Highlander or other imported . Quality in material is cheap plastic, a lot of road noise and jittery ride, no more Venza for me.
  • mmccloskeymmccloskey Member Posts: 168
    Traded my 2007 Highlander Hybrid for a 2011 Venza V6 FWD. The Venza is a nicer car but the Highlander was the better one. Build Quality on my HH was top notch - no so the Venza although it is tight & rattle free with no mechanical issues. The ride is firm (OK with me) and quiet enough when the road surface is smooth but can become harsh at times with pronounced road noise on rough roads. This could be due to the Goodyear Eagle RS-A tires. I have heard that Venza's equipped with the Michelin Latitude HP tires provide a more tranquil driving experience so if you are set on a Venza, make sure it is equipped/delivered with the Michelins. My Venza does have the Smartkey, Pano roof and power rear liftgate my HH didn't and the styling is more contemporary but my overall impression of the Venza after 3 months of ownership is I wish I had kept my HH.
  • horsepower4horsepower4 Member Posts: 6
    I can agree with a lot of this. Road noise, cheap materials. Toyota has a good idea here but they cut corners on too many things. The price doesn't reflect that. The Highlander looks like a more sturdy-built vehicle. Venza is better on gas mileage and style. It's a car; the Highlander is an SUV. The Venza is lighter and not very good in snow or ice. I bought the Venza for the gas mileage--which is good. It consistantly beats the sticker mileage ratings. However, I am probably going to get back into another KIA Sedona or a Sorento SUV one of these days. I might look at a Highlander as well. Have a friend who just traded her 2001 Highlander for a new 2012. They drove the Venza but opted for a Highlander again. As for height---I'm short, too. 5'2". The Venza power seat works fine to put me in position for driving, but I always use a little half-pillow in the pocket for a little extra "boost". The back seat of the Venza is roomy, which is a plus. Bottom line: If you like your Highlander, then you should probably stick with it. You will sacrifice some gas mileage, but if that's not a prime motivator you'll probably be happier with the SUV.
  • lime679lime679 Member Posts: 38
    Hi all,

    I'll be in the market next month to buy my mother a new vehicle and I'm thinking about the Venza. She thinks it looks sharp and she has never owned anything outside of a car. I was also looking at a Highlander or even going premium and getting her the RX350. The RX may be a lot more than she needs though.

    Are there any immediate advantages with the Venza compared to the likes of the RX350 and Highlander? I would go for the V6 with every option so it would be quite comparable to the RX.
  • njgreggnjgregg Member Posts: 39
    I am assuming that your mother is probably in her 50's and you said that she has always owned a car. With this being the case, the Venza would be better for her than the Highlander or the RX350. The Venza is basically a roomy car with a lower profile, thus making it easier for her to get in and out of. The rear seats are roomy as well and a unique feature is that they recline. The hatch area has more than enough space for her shopping needs and if you opt for the all wheel drive, she'll be safer in snowy & icy conditions. The 4 cylinder of course has better gas mileage.

    Overall, I think the Venza is an ideal choice for the mature soccer mom or soon to be empty-nester.
  • su922su922 Member Posts: 9
    Being a woman in her late 50s and having owned all three of the vehicles you mentioned, I would definitely get her the RX350. It far outclasses both the Highlander and Venza in quality of materials and style. It sits high enough to see the road and other vehicles very well, but is not so large as to be difficult to park. It is very easy to drive (the Venza has loose steering), has lots of space for packages and groceries which are easy to load and unload without a lot of bending. In my opinion, the Highlander is too large for easy handling and maneuverability and the Venza is so disappointingly cheap and noisy. Become your Mom's "favorite" and get her the RX! :)

    I know I probably sound like a commercial or a Lexus salesperson (which I am not), but if I could do it all over again, without a doubt I would keep my RX.
  • lime679lime679 Member Posts: 38
    Yes my mom is in her late 50's. Thanks for the input.

    I'm leaning towards the RX but I really want mom to appreciate all the fun stuff it comes with. I think she would feel more at home in the Venza as the mouse like device in the RX may be a bit challenging. We live in Houston so AWD is not required.

    We have now ruled out the Highlander as it would be too big for her and she does not require a 3rd row. She normally totes around the grandkids but no more than the 3 at a time.

    Thanks
  • roadrunner70roadrunner70 Member Posts: 241
    2012 venza pearl white. it appears that the paint on the front bumper is not well adhered to the plastic front bumper. Ater a slight rub against another vehicle, a whole section just peeled off and the adjacent area appears to be ready to just peel off as well. On all the other cars we have owned, even with a rub against another vehicle, the paint stayed on, albeit scratched sometimes badly. RR70
  • 11_venza_love11_venza_love Member Posts: 1
    Having the same issue with mine, although it wasn't a result of impact. It is a black 2011. At first I noticed how easily it seemed to scratch, but just figured that was my punishment for buying black. Last week I noticed that the paint was peeling off of the bumper, I took it in to my dealer and they identified 4 seperate spots where the paint is coming off... My problem, although still under the "bumper to bumper" factory warranty Toyota is having a hard time deciding whether or not they are going to cover the cost to fix the paint. Up to this point I have loved my car, the paint issue will definitely put a damper on my enthusiasm, especially if they don't fix it.
  • encore3encore3 Member Posts: 1
    edited April 2013
    I own a Venza since May 2009, I experienced exactly the same enexpected
    acceleration problems as you described. It happened to me first in May 2010, then in April 2012, and in January 2013.
    Fortunatly I new what to do, I kwickly shifted the transmission into "neutral "each time, otherwise, in two occasions I would have hit the car in front of me.

    The dealer did several tests each time on the car, but could not find anything wrong...
    According to the Toyota service center, I am the only person reporting such a problem; strange !..
  • ronnronn Member Posts: 398
    I don't know about the 2011, but I can tell you all this hype about the Venza being rough and loud is totally false with the 2013. I have the 2013 XLE...I traded the 2008 Highlander Limited, and I am not one bit sorry I traded....the Venza is more fun to drive, easier to park and turn, and it is just as quiet and smooth as my Highlander was. I cannot believe all the reviews about this car and people saying it is loud and rough !!! maybe the older models were different, I never drove one, but I can tell you that the 2013 is one fun quiet, smooth car and I love it. If you go to some of the other car reviews, you will see that other owners of the 2013 Venza are saying the same thing.....afterall, this is the same V6 as the Highlander. I just came back from a road trip today, and I had a blast with the Venza !
  • ronnronn Member Posts: 398
    I had an 2008 Highlander Limited, and traded for the 2013 Venza....Love it ! I don't miss the highlander at all, even though it was a great SUV with no problems. My Venza is just as quiet and smooth, I have the EXL AWD with panoramic Sunroof and premium stereo that rocks ! I have found the Venza to be easier to drive, park etc. and it is more fun to drive. It also gets a little better gas than the Highlander. I just returned from a road trip and the mpg average is 23.3 and this was mixed in town and highway......I'm sure it will get better as time goes on. I really get disturbed when some car reviews are saying this crossover is noisy and rough riding.......Mine is just as quiet and smooth ...no engine noise at all. It might depend somewhat on the tires as they offer different ones, but mine is a wonderful ride. I enjoy this so much more than the highlander, and I personally think it is nicer looking. I am tall 6'2, have plenty of room, and people have set in the back behind my seat, and they are amazed at the room in the back. Hope this helps...I love it !
  • ronnronn Member Posts: 398
    I have friends with the RX........I disagree with you....The Venza is just as nice, and mine is more quiet than their RX.
  • poorthingflintpoorthingflint Member Posts: 61
    How many floor mats are you using? Are you using the factory floor mats? Floor mats shifting and jamming the throttle seems to be the main cause of this problem. You did the correct thing it amazes me the people that just rode their brakes until they failed. Obviously there was no codes stored so it is possible a sticking throttle could be your problem, might ask to meet with a factory rep and get him to authorize a provisional replacement of the throttle cable. There has never been to my knowledge any documented or recorded instance of a computor or electrical malfunction causing sudden acceleration and believe me the lawyers and their greedy clients have done their best to prove this problem exists. The class action pay off would be huge. Good luck.
Sign In or Register to comment.