2009 Toyota Venza Seats

Hello, I issue this complaint because my 2009 Venza interior started smelling like smoke. It went on for a bit thinking it may be something outside the vehicle. I then realized the smell was coming from the seat I was sitting on. I've read online about this problem and its seems this is a problem many owners of this vehicle have experienced. It seems to me this should be a safety hazard. Thank You [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

THE SEAT HEATERS IN THE VEHICLE DON'T WORK LIKE THEY SHOULD. SOMETIMES THERE IS A BURNING SMELL TO THEM. THE DRIVERS SIDE ONE WENT OUT COMPLETELY ABOUT 2 YEARS AGO AND WE HAD IT FIXED NOW THE PASSENGER ONE ISN'T WORKING AT ALL. THE DRIVERS SIDE SEAT HEATER GETS PRETTY HOT TOO AND HAS TO BE SHUT OFF.

MY FRONT SEAT HEATING SYSTEM HAS NOT BEEN WORKING SINCE LAST YEAR. I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THERE IS A RECALL ON TOYOTA VENZA 2009 FOR FRONT SEAT HEATING ISSUES UNTIL NOW. I HAVE NEVER TAKEN IT TO ANY DEALERSHIP TO RECTIFY OR DISCONNECT THE HEATING ELEMENTS. I BELIEVE THIS MIGHT STILL BE A SAFETY ISSUE TO MY VEHICLE. WHAT STEPS SHOULD I TAKE?

THE DRIVER HEATED SEAT NO LONGER WORKS, AT ALL. I PURCHASED IT USED WITH 46K MILES AND IT WORKED FOR ONE WINTER (2014) BUT NO LONGER. THE LIGHT FOR THE HEATER COMES ON BUT THERE IS NO HEAT EMITTED. THERE ARE MULTIPLE RECALLS FOR THIS AVAILABLE BUT NONE FOR MY VIN #. DEALER ESTIMATED $1200+ TO FIX SOMETHING THAT IS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR MY YEAR AND MODEL.

VEHICLE IS 9 YEARS OLD, BUT WITH ONLY 56,135 MILES AND VERY WELL MAINTAINED. DRIVEN BY A SMALL FEMALE, WHICH IS RELEVANT. EXPERIENCED AN ACRID, BURNING SMELL WHICH CAUSED GAGGING AND COUGHING. NO SMOKE VISIBLE. DEALER FOUND PROBLEMS WITH HEATED SEATS, WIRING AND CONNECTORS. ENTIRE HEATED SEAT SYSTEM NEEDS REPLACED AT COST OF $1130.30 FOR EACH SEAT. MANY COMPLAINTS OF THIS ISSUE ONLINE. THERE IS NO WAY THAT A SMALL FRAMED FEMALE'S WEIGHT CAUSED DAMAGE TO THE WIRING WITHIN THE SEAT HEATERS. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MANUFACTURING DEFECT AND SHOULD BE COVERED BY TOYOTA REGARDLESS OF THE MILEAGE, DUE TO THIS BEING A SAFETY HAZARD. COULD EASILY CAUSE A CATASTROPHIC FIRE.

HEATED SEAT TEMPERATURE CONTROLLER (#875010T010) FAILS RESULTING IN HEATED SEAT FAILURE. IN OUR CASE, THE CONTROLLER FAILED MELTING THE WIRE HARNESS PLUG TO THE CONTROLLER. THIS COULD HAVE STARTED THE SEAT ON FIRE WITH OUR 17 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER DRIVING THE VEHICLE. TOYOTA HAS DISCONTINUED THIS PART FOR 2009-2014 VENZA'S AND HAS NOT OFFERED A REPLACEMENT.

WHEN DRIVER-SIDE SEAT WARMER IS ACTIVATED THERE IS A STRONG WIRE BURNING SMELL THAT FILLS THE VEHICLE. I NOTICED THAT SEVERAL OTHER MODELS, AROUND THE SAME YEAR, WERE RECALLED FOR THE SAME ISSUE. IT APPEARS THE 2009 VENZA ALSO HAS THE SAME ISSUE AND SHOULD BE INCLUDED IN THE RECALL.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. WHEN THE CONTACT ACTIVATED THE SEAT HEATER, A BURNING ODOR AND SMOKE WERE DETECTED UNDER THE SEAT. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS A FAULTY HEATING ELEMENT AND WIRING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED FOR THE SAME FAILURE THREE YEARS AGO UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 14V743000 (SEATS). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.

SEAT HEATER OR DRIVER SIDE HEATS UP TOO HOT AND TOO FAST. SMELLS LIKE WIRES ARE BURNING. BROUGHT TO DEALER THEY ARE PUSHING US TO INSTALL A NEW SEAT FOR $5200.00. AND CHARGED US $112.00 FOR DIAGNOSTICS. AND DID NOT DISABLE THE HEATER. THEY LEFT IT IN AN UNSAFE CONDITION. CAR WAS TURNED ON IN PARK ALSO HAPPENS WHILE DRIVING. (ANSWERED NO FIRE BELOW BUT YOU COULD SMELL THE WIRE OR SOMETHING BURNING).

AS WITH CERTAIN 2009 VENZAS MANUFACTURED IN THE SOUTHEASTERN USA, I HAVE ONE I WAS TOLD WAS MANUFACTURED IN THE GULF STATES, WHERE THE DRIVER'S SEAT HEATER WIRING HAS ALSO BEEN DAMAGED. UNLIKE SOUTHEAST TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS, LLC (SET), THERE HAS BEEN NO OTHER RECALL BY GULF STATES TOYOTA DISTRIBUTORS (GST), AND IT'S QUITE CONCERNING. I'M FINDING SEVERAL PEOPLE OWNING VENZA'S WHO ARE HAVING A SIMILAR ISSUE. "THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE COMPRESSION OF THE SEAT CUSHION WHICH MAY DAMAGE THE SEAT HEATER WIRING. CONSEQUENCE: DAMAGE TO THE SEAT HEATER WIRING COULD CAUSE THE WIRES TO SHORT, INCREASING THE RISK OF THE SEAT BURNING AND CAUSING PERSONAL INJURY TO THE OCCUPANT."

THE HEATED LEATHER FACTORY INSTALLED SEATS IN OUR 2009 TOYOTA VENZA START TO SMELL LIKE ELECTRIC WIRES MELTING AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES AFTER TURNING THEM ON. I HAVE CALLED MY TOYOTA DEALER AND TOYOTA CORPORATION AND THEY SAID THERE IS NO RECALL ON MY MODEL AND VIN. I HAVE 140,000 MILES ONLY CAR AND THEY ARE TELLING ME TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALER TO GET A DIAGNOSIS WHICH I WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR SINCE I AM OUT OF THE WARRANTY PERIODS THERE IS A RECALL ON AFTER MARKET COMPONENTS WITH THIS SAME ISSUE BUT MINE IS FACTORY INSTALL. HOW DO I GET THIS PLACED ON A RECALL LIST. I AM AFRAID MY SEATS WILL CATCH ON FIRE IF THIS IS NOT REPAIRED. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER SEAT CUSHION WAS LACKING SUPPORT AND WOULD CAUSE DIFFICULTY WHEN ATTEMPTING TO REACH AND MANEUVER THE PEDALS. THE VEHICLE WAS INSPECTED BY A DEALER AND ADVISED THE CONTACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO CONTACTED AND ADVISED THE CONTACT TO PURCHASE ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000.

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2009 TOYOTA VENZA. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD RESTS ON BOTH FRONT SEATS WERE MOVED UP TOO CLOSE TO THE WINDSHIELD. THE HEAD RESTS MAKE THE OCCUPANTS HEADS BEND DOWN, WHICH MAKES DRIVING UNCOMFORTABLE. THE TOYOTA MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY MOVED THE HEAD RESTS FOR SAFETY PURPOSE IN NEW VEHICLES. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE HEAD RESTS POSE AN ISSUE FOR THOSE WHO ARE TALLER THAN FIVE FEET. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 400 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 800. UPDATED 8/28/09 *CN UPDATED 09/09/09*JB