2023 Toyota Venza Hybrid problems

EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that while reversing up a steep driveway to enter a roadway, the vehicle reached the top of the incline. The contact attempted to shift the vehicle into Drive to complete the turn, but the vehicle would not allow the gear engagement. Consequently, the vehicle rolled backward down the driveway, through a ditch, and up an adjacent embankment. The vehicle speed was unknown. The vehicle's final stop was hitting a tree from the rear. No air bags were deployed. The vehicle was towed to an Auto Body Shop. The contact stated that both she and her daughter were in the vehicle and experienced back pain and neck discomfort. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.

NHTSA complaint #11730849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Venza Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving into a parking space, the vehicle suddenly experienced unintended acceleration and crashed into the rear of another parked vehicle. No injuries were reported, and no police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. A manufacturer's investigator came to the dealer to inspect the vehicle. The contact was informed that the Black Box information did not indicate that a vehicle malfunction had occurred during the crash. The contact indicated that the vehicle had experienced a second similar failure while driving 5 MPH, the accelerator pedal erroneously extended to the floor, and the vehicle began to unintentionally accelerate. The contact was able to press the brake pedal and safely stop the vehicle. The cause of the failures was not determined. The failure mileage was 15,000.

NHTSA complaint #11687390 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Purchased used from Metro Ford on 12-31-2024 with 16,689 miles. Was out of town until March 1 so I did not insure or drive the car until March. I had only driven it a few times before the accident happened. At first I started noticing that the car did not respond immediately when the gas pedal was pressed. I thought it was me being unfamiliar with how the new car worked. On 3-26-2025 I had pulled into a parking space in front of a building and all of a sudden the car surged forward unexpectedly even without me pressing the pedal leading to me crashing through the glass windows into the building. No warning lights were on. The car had two known issue with Unintended Acceleration and throttle delay yet no recall has been issued. My safety and the safety of 15 others was a risk and the crash did result in injuries. The building was full of students and clients and they were hurt along with major property damage to the building. State Farm declared the car was a total loss due to all the damage to my car and we have no idea the amount of damage done to the building. The business had to be closed for repairs and they are still closed. I have filed a product liability claim with Toyota case number 250407002330. Toyota will get with State Farm to see if an inspection can be made of the car as I have transferred ownership to State Farm as of April 4, 2025. The car was picked up by State Farm on April 5, 2025. I just discovered the known issue with the car this weekend so I do not think an inspection was done other than the body shop estimate.

NHTSA complaint #11653274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Purchased used from Metro Ford on 12-31-2024 with 16,689 miles. Was out of town until March 1 so I did not insure or drive the car until March. I had only driven it a few times before the accident happened. At first I started noticing that the car did not respond immediately when the gas pedal was pressed. I thought it was me being unfamiliar with how the new car worked. On 3-26-2025 I had pulled into a parking space in front of a building and all of a sudden the car surged forward unexpectedly even without me pressing the pedal leading to me crashing through the glass windows into the building. No warning lights were on. The car had two known issue with Unintended Acceleration and throttle delay yet no recall has been issued. My safety and the safety of 15 others was a risk and the crash did result in injuries. The building was full of students and clients and they were hurt along with major property damage to the building. State Farm declared the car was a total loss due to all the damage to my car and we have no idea the amount of damage done to the building. The business had to be closed for repairs and they are still closed. I have filed a product liability claim with Toyota case number 250407002330. Toyota will get with State Farm to see if an inspection can be made of the car as I have transferred ownership to State Farm as of April 4, 2025. The car was picked up by State Farm on April 5, 2025. I just discovered the known issue with the car this weekend so I do not think an inspection was done other than the body shop estimate.

NHTSA complaint #11653274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Purchased used from Metro Ford on 12-31-2024 with 16,689 miles. Was out of town until March 1 so I did not insure or drive the car until March. I had only driven it a few times before the accident happened. At first I started noticing that the car did not respond immediately when the gas pedal was pressed. I thought it was me being unfamiliar with how the new car worked. On 3-26-2025 I had pulled into a parking space in front of a building and all of a sudden the car surged forward unexpectedly even without me pressing the pedal leading to me crashing through the glass windows into the building. No warning lights were on. The car had two known issue with Unintended Acceleration and throttle delay yet no recall has been issued. My safety and the safety of 15 others was a risk and the crash did result in injuries. The building was full of students and clients and they were hurt along with major property damage to the building. State Farm declared the car was a total loss due to all the damage to my car and we have no idea the amount of damage done to the building. The business had to be closed for repairs and they are still closed. I have filed a product liability claim with Toyota case number 250407002330. Toyota will get with State Farm to see if an inspection can be made of the car as I have transferred ownership to State Farm as of April 4, 2025. The car was picked up by State Farm on April 5, 2025. I just discovered the known issue with the car this weekend so I do not think an inspection was done other than the body shop estimate.

NHTSA complaint #11653274 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

We own a 2022 Toyota Venza Hybrid and are having problems with it "lunging forward" when applying the brake. This has happened multiply times. The first is when I was pulling very slowly into the garage because the car just fits through the door having only inches to spare on either side of the side view mirrors. As I was lightly applying the brake, the car LUNGED FORWARD, the word BRAKE in bold red letters appeared on the dashboard (The Forward Collision Warning) and the car jerked to a stop by itself avoiding hitting the back wall. It happened in a split second. No damage, no injuries. Not so the second time. On Feb 13, 2025, we were going to a local business. My husband was in the front passenger seat. We pulled into the parking lot and I turned right into the parking space. As I lightly applied the brake, the car violently LUNGED FORWARD hitting the cement post supporting the building. "No Forward Collision Warning light this time".There was a loud bang noise and both the driver, upper and lower and passenger airbags were deployed. The seatbelts jolted us back to our seats and locked up. There was smoke and a nasty smell (from the airbags). This all happened in a split second. I couldn't open the door, so I had to crawl over the console with help from my husband to get out of the car. I was taken to the ER by ambulance to get x-rays of my chest which was badly bruised and my ankle which was also bruised. My husband escaped injuries but was in shock as well. Since this happened, we have done research on the Internet and found numerous complaints and instances of this same thing happening to drivers when gently applying the brakes, particularly in TOYOTA hybrid vehicles. Many people narrowly escaping severe injuries and death in similar situations. I guess it has to take a few fatalities for Toyota to do something about it. What a shame! The insurance co. totaled the car. We won't be getting another Toyota.

NHTSA complaint #11643026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

We own a 2022 Toyota Venza Hybrid and are having problems with it "lunging forward" when applying the brake. This has happened multiply times. The first is when I was pulling very slowly into the garage because the car just fits through the door having only inches to spare on either side of the side view mirrors. As I was lightly applying the brake, the car LUNGED FORWARD, the word BRAKE in bold red letters appeared on the dashboard (The Forward Collision Warning) and the car jerked to a stop by itself avoiding hitting the back wall. It happened in a split second. No damage, no injuries. Not so the second time. On Feb 13, 2025, we were going to a local business. My husband was in the front passenger seat. We pulled into the parking lot and I turned right into the parking space. As I lightly applied the brake, the car violently LUNGED FORWARD hitting the cement post supporting the building. "No Forward Collision Warning light this time".There was a loud bang noise and both the driver, upper and lower and passenger airbags were deployed. The seatbelts jolted us back to our seats and locked up. There was smoke and a nasty smell (from the airbags). This all happened in a split second. I couldn't open the door, so I had to crawl over the console with help from my husband to get out of the car. I was taken to the ER by ambulance to get x-rays of my chest which was badly bruised and my ankle which was also bruised. My husband escaped injuries but was in shock as well. Since this happened, we have done research on the Internet and found numerous complaints and instances of this same thing happening to drivers when gently applying the brakes, particularly in TOYOTA hybrid vehicles. Many people narrowly escaping severe injuries and death in similar situations. I guess it has to take a few fatalities for Toyota to do something about it. What a shame! The insurance co. totaled the car. We won't be getting another Toyota.

NHTSA complaint #11643026 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

My wife owns this Toyota Venza. On October 9, 2024, I took the vehicle to the dealership for maintenance and all regular checkups passed. No sensor lights nor problem lights were on during the incident. On October 16, 2024 my wife was parking in a spot to pick up the mail in our community's mailbox. She pressed the brake and tried to park the vehicle when suddenly the motor accelerated over the parking lines on its own to a small hill continuously. My wife tried to press the brake multiple times with no success and the motor continued accelerating on its own. My wife turned the steering wheel to the right to avoid running into the hill or flipping the vehicle over. Once turned, the vehicle continued accelerating crossing over a neighborhood street and finally crashing into a neighbor's wall. Once it crashed the wall, all air bags were deployed and the vehicle rebounded back into the street where my wife was eventually able to shift it into parking. Once parked, the vehicle wouldn't start or move at all. Thankfully, there were no fatalities but my wife crashed into a wall and had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for the bruises in her legs and body from the air bag impact. Additionally, our community is gated and thankfully there is little traffic but this problem in a main road or highway could easily injure or kill people. We reported the accident to the local police and filed a report with them. We also notified insurance of the crash and have started a repair claim but the vehicle has not been inspected for any damages or problems. We have video recording of the incident which we will use for insurance and can provide as part of this complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11620694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

My wife owns this Toyota Venza. On October 9, 2024, I took the vehicle to the dealership for maintenance and all regular checkups passed. No sensor lights nor problem lights were on during the incident. On October 16, 2024 my wife was parking in a spot to pick up the mail in our community's mailbox. She pressed the brake and tried to park the vehicle when suddenly the motor accelerated over the parking lines on its own to a small hill continuously. My wife tried to press the brake multiple times with no success and the motor continued accelerating on its own. My wife turned the steering wheel to the right to avoid running into the hill or flipping the vehicle over. Once turned, the vehicle continued accelerating crossing over a neighborhood street and finally crashing into a neighbor's wall. Once it crashed the wall, all air bags were deployed and the vehicle rebounded back into the street where my wife was eventually able to shift it into parking. Once parked, the vehicle wouldn't start or move at all. Thankfully, there were no fatalities but my wife crashed into a wall and had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for the bruises in her legs and body from the air bag impact. Additionally, our community is gated and thankfully there is little traffic but this problem in a main road or highway could easily injure or kill people. We reported the accident to the local police and filed a report with them. We also notified insurance of the crash and have started a repair claim but the vehicle has not been inspected for any damages or problems. We have video recording of the incident which we will use for insurance and can provide as part of this complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11620694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

My wife owns this Toyota Venza. On October 9, 2024, I took the vehicle to the dealership for maintenance and all regular checkups passed. No sensor lights nor problem lights were on during the incident. On October 16, 2024 my wife was parking in a spot to pick up the mail in our community's mailbox. She pressed the brake and tried to park the vehicle when suddenly the motor accelerated over the parking lines on its own to a small hill continuously. My wife tried to press the brake multiple times with no success and the motor continued accelerating on its own. My wife turned the steering wheel to the right to avoid running into the hill or flipping the vehicle over. Once turned, the vehicle continued accelerating crossing over a neighborhood street and finally crashing into a neighbor's wall. Once it crashed the wall, all air bags were deployed and the vehicle rebounded back into the street where my wife was eventually able to shift it into parking. Once parked, the vehicle wouldn't start or move at all. Thankfully, there were no fatalities but my wife crashed into a wall and had to be taken to the hospital to be treated for the bruises in her legs and body from the air bag impact. Additionally, our community is gated and thankfully there is little traffic but this problem in a main road or highway could easily injure or kill people. We reported the accident to the local police and filed a report with them. We also notified insurance of the crash and have started a repair claim but the vehicle has not been inspected for any damages or problems. We have video recording of the incident which we will use for insurance and can provide as part of this complaint.

NHTSA complaint #11620694 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that while his wife was attempting to park the vehicle and with her foot on the brake pedal, the vehicle suddenly accelerated on its own. As a result, the driver collided with another parked vehicle ahead, lightly damaging the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. A police report was not filed, and no injuries were reported. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 1,000.

NHTSA complaint #11585181 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2023 Toyota Venza. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the vehicle accelerated without warning as the accelerator pedal was released. As a result of the failure, the contact crashed into the rear end of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy upon impact. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The vehicle resumed normal operation after the failure. The vehicle was later towed to the dealer where they were unable to duplicate the failure. The contact was initially informed that the event data recorder did not record the accident. The contact was later informed that the vehicle control history showed that the vehicle's brake pedal was released and that the accelerator pedal was applied before the accident, the contact disputed the finding. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 2,600.

NHTSA complaint #11582113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

Head on collision driving 40-45 MPH - a Mercedes pulled out in front of me and I slammed into their vehicle. My air bags did not deploy nor was there auto braking system. The crash indicator also did not call the police. My car is totaled. There is no way this vehicle is not part of your recent recalls. I was injured by the seat belt and have chest pain- this could have been avoided had my air bags deployed

NHTSA complaint #11543683 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.