Last updated: 2026-10-10
Ford Explorer vs Toyota Venza: Reliability Compared
Ford Explorer
Toyota Venza
Reliability favors the Toyota Venza by a wide margin over the Ford Explorer. Owners filed just 9 complaints on the Venza against 2,694 on the Explorer. Transmission, electrical, and engine failures decide it, and the Venza also costs less to repair each year.
How Do the Ford Explorer and Toyota Venza Generations Compare?
Verdict
The Toyota Venza is more reliable than the Ford Explorer, scoring 80/100 vs 67/100.
A large gap separates these two, and it favors the Venza. Owners filed only 9 complaints on it, against 2,694 on the Explorer. The Venza's issues are a headlight shadow effect and a fuel tank that fills short. The Explorer's are harsh shifting, sudden power loss, and engine failures with quotes up to $12,000. The Venza also costs less to repair each year and has a lower chance of a major repair.
Key Differences
- 1Toyota Venza costs $288 less per year to repair
- 2Toyota Venza has 112 fewer total recalls
- 3Toyota Venza scores 13 points higher in reliability
Category Scoreboard
Ford Explorer vs Toyota Venza: Which Is More Reliable?
| Metric | Ford Explorer | Toyota Venza |
|---|---|---|
| Reliability Score | 67/100 | 80/100 |
| Years Tracked | 9 | 4 |
| Total Recalls | 117 | 5 |
| Complaints per 10k Sold | 6.8 | 0.2 |
| Annual Repair Cost | $732/yr | $444/yr |
| Repair Frequency | 0.2/yr | 0.5/yr |
| Major Repair Risk | 14% | 10% |
| Safety RatingNHTSA overall | 2026 NHTSA | 2024 NHTSA |
| Frontal | ||
| Side | ||
| Rollover | ||
| Year Wins | 0 | 4 |
What Are the Common Problems With the Ford Explorer and Toyota Venza?
Serious mechanical and electrical faults dominate the Explorer's file. Shifting slams, skips gears, or drops to first at speed. Cars stall or lose all power, sometimes traced to a wiring harness or ground wire. Engines fail with metal in the oil or broken timing chains. Every Explorer problem area has crash-linked reports, with the most in the power train and the electrical system. Venza complaints are mild by comparison: shadows in the low beams, and a tank that takes less fuel than rated while the gauge misleads. The data lists no crash-linked reports for the Venza.
| Component | Ford Explorer | Toyota Venza |
|---|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 1.6Low | —None |
| STRUCTURE | 1.1Low | —None |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1.1Low | —None |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 0.7Very Low | —None |
| ENGINE | 0.4Very Low | —None |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| STEERING | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 0.2Very Low | —None |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| SEATS | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| SUSPENSION | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| AIR BAGS | 0.1Very Low | —None |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | —None | —None |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | —None | —None |
| VISIBILITY | —None | —None |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | —None | —None |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | —None | —None |
| SEAT BELTS | —None | —None |
Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.
Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Ford Explorer or Toyota Venza?
How Does Ford Explorer vs Toyota Venza Reliability Compare by Year?
| Year | Ford Explorer | Toyota Venza | Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 73/1006R / 14C | 80/1002R / 0C | Toyota Venza |
| 2023 | 71/10012R / 84C | 80/1002R / 0C | Toyota Venza |
| 2022 | 65/10021R / 208C | 80/1000R / 2C | Toyota Venza |
| 2021 | 62/10022R / 354C | 79/1001R / 7C | Toyota Venza |
Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Ford Explorer scored 73/100 and the 2024 Toyota Venza scored 80/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.
Who Should Buy the Ford Explorer vs the Toyota Venza?
Ford Explorer vs Toyota Venza: Common Questions
- Is the Ford Explorer more reliable than the Toyota Venza?
- No. The Venza is much more reliable. It has an excellent standing and just 9 owner complaints, while the Explorer has a good standing and 2,694 complaints. Explorer drivers report harsh shifting, sudden power loss, and engine failures. Venza drivers mostly report headlight shadows and a fuel tank that fills short.
- Which has more recalls, the Explorer or the Venza?
- The Explorer has far more. Federal recall records show 117 recalls across its 9 model years, against 5 across the Venza's 4 model years. The Explorer has more model years in the data, so it had more time to collect them. Even so, the gap is wide.
- Which is cheaper to repair, the Venza or the Explorer?
- The Venza. Independent repair-cost data puts it near $444 a year, against $732 for the Explorer. Over five years that is about $1,440 less. A Venza repair is also less likely to be major, at 10% versus 14%, though it visits the shop more often.
- What is wrong with the Venza fuel tank?
- Owners say it takes less than the rated 14.5 gallons, and the gauge can mislead. One owner reports only about 11 gallons going in when the gauge read empty. A dealer confirmed the low fill but called it normal, citing a reserve. Plan for a shorter real-world range.
- Which Explorer years should I avoid?
- Avoid 2020 and 2021, the weakest years in the data. Complaints across the Explorer cover shifting faults, stalling, and engine failures. The 2024 and 2025 years rate best, but they are recent and have had less time to collect complaints, so check any car carefully, including rear camera repair status.
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Decided between Ford Explorer and Toyota Venza? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.
How we score the Ford Explorer and Toyota Venza
Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.
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