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2021 Venza Gas Tank Problem


BradGK

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2021 Toyota Venza Hybrid Limited  

 

Fuel gauge and fuel tank do not operate properly, like the 2020 & 2021 Rav 4 gas tank problem.

 

 On 2/8/21 when the gauge indicated 1/2 tank, I put in 9.997 gal of gas, since this car only has a 14 1/2 gal tank the tank could not have been 1/2 full.

 

On 2/14/21 The gauge read 2/3, Odometer read 2504. I pumped gas and the pump shut off at 1.1 gal, I slowly added gas as the pump kept clinking off till I got a total of 1.743 gal of gas into the tank. I started the engine and the gas gauge still read 2/3, so I started the gas pump again slowly added another 1.287 gal of gas. I started the car again and the gauge still read 2/3 full. I left the gas station and after driving approx. 4 miles the gauge suddenly went up above the full mark.

 

On 2/27/21 Gauge was at ½, I pumped 7.528 gal till full vehicle odometer was at 2754 miles. This time that seemed to be correct, Miles driven since last fill up was 250 miles. Miles per gallon this time would have been 33.21 mpg.

 

On 3/15 21 Gauge was at 1/3 odometer was at 3111, I could only put in 6.477 gallons of gas till pump kept shutting off, gauge went to full. The tank could not have been full the gauge only read 1/3 before filling and the vehicle had been driven 357 miles since last fill up. This means the gas mileage was 55.12 mpg this time.

The gas gauge on this 2021 Toyota Venza cannot be trusted, it seems to be a guessing game as to how much gas is really in the fuel tank.

 

I talked to one person at the local toyota service center and was told that the gas tank was the same part number as the ones being replaced on the Rav4 Hybrids for the problem of the tanks not filling properly and the gas gauge not operating properly, but nothing can be done until Toyota finds that there is a problem and sends out instructions (TSB) to repair or replace the defective parts. The 2021 Rav 4 Hybrid has been added to the list for replacement of the defective parts, and my 2021 Venza Hybrid Limited should be added to the list for repair also.

 

After spending over $43,000 for a new vehicle this should not be a problem customers should have to be concerned about. The other problem is due to the gauge and tank problem the miles remaining display is always wrong.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Update to above problem - Took Venza to local dealer for problem, The battery was disconnected, a memory dump was done and a hard reset was done to Venza for a possible software glitch which may be the cause of problem. Told to wait and see if this takes care of the problem

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On 4/5/2021 at 11:04 AM, BradGK said:

Update to above problem - Took Venza to local dealer for problem, The battery was disconnected, a memory dump was done and a hard reset was done to Venza for a possible software glitch which may be the cause of problem. Told to wait and see if this takes care of the problem


Hi! Did it fix rhe issue?

I Think I having issues with mine too. Got the Venza XLE for 2 weeks and had driven 505 miles. I had only filled up gas once. This afternoon after a long drive to upstate NY, gas gauge read below 3/4 but tonight I decided to grab some snacks, I notice that gas gauge read full which is puzzling because that shouldn’t even happen. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Toyota advertises the Venza has a 14.5 gallon fuel tank and depending on mpg you can travel 535 to 580 miles per tank (Highway vs city).

Per the Toyota manual the fuel light will come on with approximately 2.2 gallons left in the tank. In my Venza that occurs at 47 miles to empty (DTE).  I consistently drive it down to 8 DTE and when I fill up It never takes more than 11.7 gallons. Toyota claims the difference is a reserve in order to prevent the driver from running out of gas and damaging the hybrid system. This reserve is not mentioned in any documentation, website, etc… and is not disclosed by any sales people I’ve ever talked to about the 2021 Venza. 

The Venza MPG was one of the reasons I purchased this vehicle. Another was the miles per tank. Toyota cannot tell me how much of that reserve 3 gallons can be used. I’m just told that if I run out of fuel and damage the hybrid system it most likely will not be covered under warranty. 

If you’re buying this vehicle because you like the 535 to 580 miles per tank - it may be possible but you will have to ignore what your gas gauge, fuel light, and DTE is telling you and you do so at your own risk.

Buyer beware

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  • 1 month later...

I have the same problem.  Drove 767 miles and when I got 35 miles left to empty, stop to top it off and only was able to put in 10 gallons.  Every time I fill it up it only gives me a range of 430 miles to empty.  Toyota says 565 mile range.  Hope they send a Service bulletin just like the Rav 4.

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I think I am having the same issue.  I DROVE ABOUT 250 MILES. Gagne said I had a quarter of a tank left.  Surprisingly, it shut off at 8 gallons.  I Thought that was a lot of gas for 250 miles, since it said I was getting 41.3 mpg.  I topped it off, it took another two gallons, still not sure it is full.  Gague said it is.  The dealer filled it, so this is its first tank.  I have no idea of how to verify mileage.  Dealer would stop fueling at first shutoff.  That could be 2 to 3vgaklons short.  Estimated range of 463 miles.  Something is screwey.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Purchased a Venza Limited on May 21. Filled the tank 3 times averaging 10.2 gallons a fill up on about 415 miles. Always run it down to 30 miles left until empty. I took the car into the dealer today. Everything was checked; fuel system and gauge and it came out as DESIGNED? Tech said at empty or when the fuel gauge light comes on, you have approximately 4 gallons left in the tank? Toyota doesn’t say this anywhere in the Owners manual or online. I really don’t know who to trust and am not happy about this as you read about similar problems with the new RAV 4 Hybrid. I’m driving the car across country in 3 weeks and don’t want to fill up every 375-400 miles but it looks like that’s the plan for now until Toyota receives enough complaints and issues a TSB for a fix, computer update or fuel tank replacement. Having the car for  less than 2 months, spending over 43K+ and having this issue is giving me buyers remorse. I compared many vehicles in this price range and went with the Venza for the mileage, comfort and Toyota quality. Could have been wrong. 

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Well if you are getting 40 MPG, which is St rating, then you are able to go 460 miles on 14 gallons.  Have you run it down to near empty to find out where you actually run out of gas.  The argument is either the estimate is wrong, the gage is wrong or the fuel capacity is wrong, right?  SO the tech says the light comes on with 4 gallons, and the estimate isc30 miles when the light comes on?

 

I do a touch better.  I take 9.5 gallons at 1/4 full, and get about 415 miles.  So gage seems fine, but I have never taken the gage to 10% full.

 

A mystery.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Follow up on this issue. Drove 455 miles on last tank which included city and highway. The fuel light came on with 30 miles or so saying low fuel, etc. I drove it down to 9 miles left to empty(I won’t run it past 0 miles to empty as it may do harm to the hybrid system according to the Toyota tech. At fill up, it took 11.4 gallons (filled to the first click/stop)which means it had 3.1 gallons left in reserve. Playing it safe on highway driving averaging 37 mpg, the distance range is about 400-415 miles before fill up(37x11= 407 miles). I’ve owned 16 cars in my lifetime; American, Japanese and Korean. This is the first time a situation like this has occurred. I say this isn’t right and Toyota has to recall the Venza like they did for the 2019-2021 RAV 4 hybrid. It only makes sense as they both are built on the same platform. 

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I own a limited Venza. I cannot get more than 7.5 gallons in the tank, unless I start pushing manually the pump.... I overfilled a couple of times and takes 10 mins to go this route. 

Seems to me there are two problems: One with the gauge /metering system not calibrated to measure accurately the gas volume in the tank, and the other with the tank not allowing gas in at pump pressure.

Toyota built the Venza on the same frame and structure of the rav4, are we going to have to wait 2 years before venza owners are given the repair solution we shouldn't need?? 

Edited by Carlyle070
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I filled the tank when the gage was just above half.  It took 6.3 gallons and calculated mileage was exactly 40 MPG.

That is actually right since the half point is 7 gallons.  I have gone 468 miles on a single tank and filled with about 12 gallons, but I do put in about a gallon after the auto shut-off.

Still figuring it out.  I have a couple of other lesser issues with the drivers seat adjustment and the predicted course lines when backing up.  Dealer issue, just cantvget back in.

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FYI, I’ve looked at UTube videos of Toyota Master technicians. They all say NEVER to overfill the gas tank as it can do harm to the hybrid system. They say fill to the first click and stop. I’m sure that if enough Venza owners complain, Toyota in time, will be forced to recall, just like the RAV 4 hybrids. 

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  • 1 month later...

I purchased a 2021 Venza Limited 4/30/21.  I'm happy with it except for this problem.

My "Low on Fuel" indicator comes on, and the gauge says I have "24 miles to empty".  I fill it up, and it only takes 10.2 gallons.

This has been a consistent problem since my purchase.

Either the "Low on Fuel" and miles to empty indicators are not accurate, or the vehicle does not have the 14.5 gallon gas tank that it is supposed to have.

I just called Toyota headquarters and opened a case.  The next step will be to take the vehicle to my local dealer.

I would encourage others who are experiencing the same problem to open cases also.  The number to call is 800-331-4331.

 

 

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I received a call from the Service Director at my local Toyota dealer.  He had reached out to Regional representatives who said this was a known problem, and Toyota was developing a fix.   They didn't provide details or a timeline.  The Service Director said it "could be weeks, or months", and advised me to check back with him.

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The Service Director called me back & said the "known problem" was for a different model vehicle, not the 2021 Venza.  He wants me to take my vehicle to the dealership when I have a "Low on Fuel" indicator, and a Regional Specialist will take a look.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello I have a Venza 2021 my gas meter said 75 miles when I put gas i put $30.00 dollars but when I was putting gas the kept pumping it out... Like it was full but when I finished pump in it... And when I turned on my car it kept saying 75 miles... And when I parked couple miles away suddenly it went up to 330 miles...   Why does it do that it never did ..

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FWIW, after reading this thread up to Sept 27th, many owners are doing two things they should avoid and if there is a problem with the tank or its fill neck design, hopefully Toyota will address it before I buy one of your cars as a pre-owned. 🙂

If you nurse more gas in after first shut-off, you risk contaminating the charcoal cannister (an emission device) with raw gas. Warranty is unlikely to cover repair costs. 

And the other very expensive bad habit is running your car low on gas on a regular basis. Electric fuel pumps are situated in the bottom of the tank and are integral to the fuel pump assembly which consists of the pump, a fuel filter, its assorted info sending unit assemblies which send measurements to your fuel gauge, and assorted mileage computers, and the steel mounting bracketry that supports it all. The pump is designed to be lubricated and cooled by the gasoline itself. If you regularly run your tank low, you risk both those conditions as you brake and accelerate and go over bumps, but you also risk pump cavitation, another condition which is easily avoided by refueling sooner rather than later after your low fuel light comes on. Most manufacturers build in a conservative safe-guard of remaining fuel quantity when the light is first triggered for all the reasons above and especially to avoid the very unsafe condition of actually running out of fuel at the worst possible moment.

Lastly, a significant detail that is rarely known and basically never discussed till now, is that when a manufacturer (all of them) specifies a fuel capacity of any gas tank, it is the actual volume of the tank, prior to the volume that the entire fuel pump assembly uses up, which in some cases can be more than a 1/3 of a gallon. This uncalculated volume is of more significance when the tanks are smaller like that used on a motorcycle, but after reading this thread, I think more than a few of you will appreciate this rarely known detail. Sometimes tanks can have unusual formed shapes to fit around axles, suspension components, batteries etc, even with structural agendas in mind to increase crash and fire protection. In some cases this can lead to air pockets that fool you into thinking your tank is full. This can be exagerated by gas stations that may not be entirely level where you refuel.

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 9/10/2021 at 2:22 PM, Kipp said:

The Service Director called me back & said the "known problem" was for a different model vehicle, not the 2021 Venza.  He wants me to take my vehicle to the dealership when I have a "Low on Fuel" indicator, and a Regional Specialist will take a look.

The dealership scheduled an inspection by a regional specialist.  Upon arrival at the dealership 9/30/21, the low on fuel indicator was on, and the display said "16 miles to empty".

The regional specialist called a few hours later and stated the following:

  • They pumped 2.75 gallons of gas from the tank, "as much as the fuel pump would pump out".  He stated that there could have been as much an another gallon remaining,  in the tank after the pumping.
  • They then added 13.43 gallons to the tank.
  • The "vehicle is operating properly at this time".
  • The "miles to empty" reading is an estimate based upon previous tanks of gas.
  • He was going to present his findings to Toyota headquarters.  He did agree that adjustments should be made to the "miles to empty" reading (i.e. it shouldn't display "16 miles to empty" when there are at least 3 gallons of gas remaining.
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I have noticed this issue.  I commute between 415-420 miles a week.  I can barely make it on a tank of gas.  I filled up yesterday with 6 miles to empty and the tank took 12.1 gallons.  That’s the most it’s ever taken.  Usually shuts off around 11.4 gallons. 

Its frustrating because I bought this car thinking I could go the full week without having to fill up.  Now I have to baby it and worry about running out of gas before the weekend…though I do understand there is a reserve.  I can forget about driving anywhere on my lunch breaks or I will have to fill up at some point during the week which is an inconvenience.  

420 miles is nowhere close to the stated 580 mile range of the car.  I traded in my Lexus ES hybrid for this.  It has the same hybrid system, with the same stated range.  I would average over 500 miles of range easily.  By the weekend I would still have 80 to 100 miles of range left.

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  • 1 month later...

My 2021 Toyota Venza has the exact problem all of you are talking about. I literally just got this vehicle 3 weeks ago for two reasons - one it had a bigger gas tank than my 2018 RAV4, two it is hybrid and gets better fuel mileage. Well… seeing that Toyota is saying I can travel 580 miles on one tank, I am no where near that. 
 

My car is at the dealership for “testing” right now so I will see what they say. But I can say I am not happy! Toyota issue a recall and get this fixed ASAP. This is the fifth Toyota vehicle I have owned and am disappointed with the gas tank issue I am having. 

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