2021 Toyota Venza Equipped with Defective Windshield, Class Action Alleges

New to ClassAction.org? Read our Newswire Disclaimer

A proposed class action alleges the 2021 Toyota Venza comes equipped with a defective windshield that can crack, chip or fracture for seemingly no reason at all.

The 45-page complaint against Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. alleges the automaker knew as early as 2019 that the 2021 Venza was made with a windshield prone to cracking, chipping and/or fracturing yet “actively concealed” the problem from the public. Per the case, some Venza owners and lessees have reported that their windshield failed “for no reason at all,” while others have claimed that their windshield failed after only a slight impact or otherwise from “circumstances that would not cause a non-defective windshield to fail.” 

The suit alleges the Toyota Venza windshield defect stems from either deficient materials used to make the vehicle’s windshield itself and/or a deficiency in the overall structure of the cars. According to the lawsuit, Toyota has refused to repair or replace the defective Venza windshields under warranty, and required drivers to pay out of pocket to address the problem, even if it manifests right after an owner or lessee takes possession of their vehicle. 

Moreover, the replacement windshields provided by Toyota are also defective, the case alleges, which forces drivers to repeatedly pay money to address the same problem. One plaintiff in the suit, a Tucson, Arizona resident, claims to have had to replace her Toyota Venza windshield four times in less than a year. 

As the case tells it, the allegedly defective windshields in affected Toyota Venza vehicles pose an undoubtable safety risk. 

“The Windshield Defect poses an extreme safety hazard to drivers, passengers, and pedestrians because a spontaneously shattering or cracking windshield can impair the driver’s view, distract the driver, and result in dislodged glass that can injure drivers, passengers and pedestrians,” the complaint says, stressing that in many states it is illegal to operate a vehicle with a windshield cracked to the extent that it impairs a driver’s vision.

Further, the case relays that an intact windshield is critical in the event of an accident given it assists in transferring the force of a front-end collision down to a vehicle’s chassis, reducing the effect of the impact felt inside the car. When a windshield is cracked and subsequently shatters in a collision, vehicle occupants face a greater risk of injury, the suit states. More broadly, the case says, a vehicle’s windshield is a vital component of its safety restraint network, which includes airbags and seatbelts. 

“Each individual component of this network is dependent on the others functioning properly,” the suit reads. “Thus, if there is a compromise or weakness in just one aspect of the network, the likelihood of other parts not working properly is increased.” 

To that end, the case continues, a Toyota Venza windshield provides the support that a passenger-side airbag needs to deploy properly. If a windshield fails, the passenger-side airbag may be useless in a collision, the complaint says. 

The apparent windshield defect makes the 2021 Toyota Venza unfit for its intended purpose of providing consumers with safe and reliable transportation, the case argues. 

To date, Toyota has not recalled affected vehicles to repair the alleged windshield issue or offered consumers a suitable remedy or reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, the lawsuit says. 

The suit looks to represent all persons or entities in the U.S. who are current or former owners and/or lessees of a 2021 Toyota Venza. 

Get class action lawsuit news sent to your inbox – sign up for ClassAction.org’s free weekly newsletter here.