Is the Honda Passport more reliable than the Toyota Venza?

No. The Venza has a clear edge. Owners filed 9 complaints on the Venza and 548 on the Passport. The Passport's reports include engine stalling after idle stop, phantom braking and sudden transmission shifts into neutral. The Venza's reports are about headlight shadows and fuel tank fill.

Which has more recalls, the Passport or the Venza?

The Passport. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across its 8 model years, while the Venza has 5 across its 4 model years. The Passport has been on sale for more model years, so it has had more time to collect them, but the gap is still large.

Which costs less to repair, the Passport or the Venza?

The Venza, at $444 a year versus $521 for the Passport, about $385 less over five years. The Passport does have fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.3 a year against 0.5. Passport owners also report a few large bills, such as a $7,700 transmission repair.

What is the biggest problem with the Honda Passport?

Electrical complaints are the most common, at 123. Typically the engine fails to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light, leaving the SUV stuck until a jump start. Phantom braking from the collision system is the next most reported problem, and some reports involve crashes.

Which Passport and Venza model years should I avoid?

Avoid the 2019 and 2020 Passport, its weakest years. For the Venza, 2021 and 2023 are the weaker years, though its complaint counts are tiny. The 2022 and 2024 Venza are its strongest. The 2026 Passport is too new for a real complaint history.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza: Reliability Compared

Honda Passport

Good

More Reliable

Toyota Venza

Excellent

The Toyota Venza comes out clearly ahead of the Honda Passport on reliability. Owners filed far fewer complaints on the Venza, 0.2 per 10,000 sold versus 11.6. The Passport visits the shop less often, but its reported problems are more serious, including stalling and phantom braking.

How Do the Honda Passport and Toyota Venza Generations Compare?

Most used Passports you will find belong to the third generation, which ran from the 2019 model year through 2025. It got a facelift for 2022 and further model year changes in 2023 and 2024. A fourth generation began with the 2026 model year, which is too new to have a meaningful complaint history. Shoppers comparing the two will mostly be looking at third-generation Passports. Every Venza on this page comes from a single generation, the second, which started with the 2021 model year and ran through 2024. It had a refresh for 2023 and a carryover for 2024.

Verdict

The Toyota Venza is more reliable than the Honda Passport, scoring 80/100 vs 74/100.

A clear edge goes to the Venza, and the deciding factor is how few problems owners report. It has 9 complaints against 548 for the Passport, plus 5 recalls to the Passport's 29. The Passport's reports involve stalling, phantom braking and transmission failures, some tied to crashes. The Venza's involve headlight shadows and fuel tank fill. The Passport does make fewer unscheduled shop visits, but that does not offset the gap in serious problems.

Key Differences

1Toyota Venza costs $77 less per year to repair
2Toyota Venza has 24 fewer total recalls
3Toyota Venza has 11.4 fewer complaints per 10k sold

Category Scoreboard

1Honda Passport

—

4Toyota Venza

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair Frequency

Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza: Which Is More Reliable?

Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Honda Passport	Toyota Venza
Reliability Score	74/100	80/100
Years Tracked	8	4
Total Recalls	29	5
Complaints per 10k Sold	11.6	0.2
Annual Repair Cost	$521/yr	$444/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.5/yr
Year Wins	0	4

What Are the Common Problems With the Honda Passport and Toyota Venza?

Safety-critical systems dominate the Passport's record. The engine can stay off after Auto Idle Stop, leaving the SUV stuck in an intersection. Phantom braking can slam the brakes with nothing ahead. The transmission can drop into neutral on a highway, and front rotors can wear out within a few thousand miles. Crash-linked reports appear in electrical, forward collision avoidance, power train, brakes and engine. The Venza has two problem areas. Low beam headlights show dark shadows, and the fuel tank takes less than its rated 14.5 gallons while the gauge misleads. No crash-linked reports are listed for the Venza.

Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza common problem areas comparison
Component	Honda Passport	Toyota Venza
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	2.6Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	1.4Low	—None
POWER TRAIN	1.2Low	—None
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1.2Low	—None
SERVICE BRAKES	1Very Low	—None
ENGINE	0.7Very Low	—None
FUEL SYSTEM	0.5Very Low	—None
STRUCTURE	0.2Very Low	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	0.2Very Low	—None
AIR BAGS	0.2Very Low	—None
STEERING	0.1Very Low	—None
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.1Very Low	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	—None
TIRES	0.1Very Low	—None
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Honda Passport or Toyota Venza?

A $77 yearly gap favors the Venza, at $444 a year against $521 for the Passport. That adds up to about $385 over five years. The Passport goes to the shop less often, at 0.3 unscheduled visits a year to 0.5 for the Venza. The chance that a Venza repair is major is 10%. Passport owners report some big single bills, including a $7,700 transmission repair and camera replacements of $1,800 to $2,500, so one failure can outweigh the yearly average.

How Does Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza Reliability Compare by Year?

Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Honda Passport	Toyota Venza	Edge
2024	79/1001R / 12C	80/1002R / 0C	Toyota Venza
2023	75/1004R / 24C	80/1002R / 0C	Toyota Venza
2022	74/1003R / 45C	80/1000R / 2C	Toyota Venza
2021	68/1005R / 119C	79/1001R / 7C	Toyota Venza

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Honda Passport scored 79/100 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 Honda Passport vs the Toyota Venza?

Pick the Venza if you want the lowest chance of a nasty surprise. Its complaint record is thin, and the problems owners describe are annoyances, not breakdowns. Target 2022 or 2024, its strongest years, and look harder at 2021 and 2023. Test the low beams at night, and expect a real-world range shorter than the rated tank suggests. Pick the Passport only if you need what it offers and accept the added risk. It makes fewer unscheduled shop visits, which helps if you hate time at the dealer. Avoid 2019 and 2020, its weakest years. The 2025 and 2026 models stand out as strongest, but they are newer and have had less time to collect complaints, so do not read that as proof. On any Passport, check that the engine restarts reliably after idle stop, and watch for brake warnings and camera faults on a long test drive. Owners quoted $1,800 to $2,500 for a front camera replacement.

Honda Passport vs Toyota Venza: Common Questions

Is the Honda Passport more reliable than the Toyota Venza?: No. The Venza has a clear edge. Owners filed 9 complaints on the Venza and 548 on the Passport. The Passport's reports include engine stalling after idle stop, phantom braking and sudden transmission shifts into neutral. The Venza's reports are about headlight shadows and fuel tank fill.
Which has more recalls, the Passport or the Venza?: The Passport. Federal recall records show 29 recalls across its 8 model years, while the Venza has 5 across its 4 model years. The Passport has been on sale for more model years, so it has had more time to collect them, but the gap is still large.
Which costs less to repair, the Passport or the Venza?: The Venza, at $444 a year versus $521 for the Passport, about $385 less over five years. The Passport does have fewer unscheduled shop visits, at 0.3 a year against 0.5. Passport owners also report a few large bills, such as a $7,700 transmission repair.
What is the biggest problem with the Honda Passport?: Electrical complaints are the most common, at 123. Typically the engine fails to restart after Auto Idle Stop shuts it off at a light, leaving the SUV stuck until a jump start. Phantom braking from the collision system is the next most reported problem, and some reports involve crashes.
Which Passport and Venza model years should I avoid?: Avoid the 2019 and 2020 Passport, its weakest years. For the Venza, 2021 and 2023 are the weaker years, though its complaint counts are tiny. The 2022 and 2024 Venza are its strongest. The 2026 Passport is too new for a real complaint history.

More Honda Passport comparisons

Honda Passport vs Ford Explorer reliability Honda Passport vs Toyota 4Runner reliability Honda Passport vs Jeep Grand Cherokee reliability Honda Passport vs Subaru Outback reliability Honda Passport reliability by year Honda Passport years to avoid

More Toyota Venza comparisons

Toyota Venza vs Lexus RX reliability Toyota Venza vs Hyundai Santa Fe reliability Toyota Venza vs Ford Explorer reliability Toyota Venza vs Kia Telluride reliability Toyota Venza reliability by year Toyota Venza years to avoid

Decided between Honda Passport and Toyota Venza? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

Look Up a VIN →

How we score the Honda Passport 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.

See incorrect data? Report an issue