RoadVitals

2018 Toyota C-HR

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
328
+3 complaints in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Nov 15, 2017
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
9
7 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 328 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2018 Toyota C-HR, most frequently naming the powertrain (other), engine and electrical categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 162 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

PARKING BRAKE

Nov 15, 2017
28,764 units potentially affected
The defect: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota CH-R vehicles. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not operate properly, possibly causing the parking brake not to disengage after it is applied or prevent it from being applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
The risk: If the EPB cannot be applied, there is an increased risk of a vehicle rollaway if the vehicle is parked on a hill without being placed into "Park."
The remedy: Toyota has notified owners, and dealers will update the programming of the skid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0W.
Toyota Motor Engineering & ManufacturingManufacturer number H0WView on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Filed Oct 22, 2026

I owned a 2018 toyota CHR just this year. I only had it for 9 months and the bearing in the transmission went bad. When it happened it wasn't covered under warrenty because this was a worldwide problem with these vehicle's. Well I didn't know what to do so I went ahead and traded in my vehicle and only got back 2750.00 in trade in. Mind you I soent almost 17,000.00 on the vehicle. A month later I get a letter in the mail saying I can bring in the vehicle that there is a warrenty on it. So now I am stuck in 400.00 payments every month. I have lost money over this and I would like to be reimebursed for what I have lost.(I have more documentation it wouldn't let me add all of it)

NHTSA ID
11773113
Incident
Aug 7, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle experienced transmission failure. The contact stated that the transmission was previously replaced in 2023 at 93,000 miles. Before the failure, there was a high-pitched whining sound while driving at approximately 30 MPH, and the transmission was shifting hard. The transmission became inoperable while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, and it was confirmed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by phone, and a case was opened; however, no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.

NHTSA ID
11772997
Incident
Oct 1, 2026
Mileage
147,000 mi
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 20, 2026

My first transmission went out at 54,000 miles now my second transmission went out at 148,000 miles. First one was whinnning between 20-40 mph would not shift correctly then second one is doing the same thing.

NHTSA ID
11772519
Incident
Sep 28, 2026
Engine
Filed Oct 13, 2026

Transmission bearing defect

NHTSA ID
11770849
Incident
Sep 1, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Oct 13, 2026

am filing this complaint regarding a transmission failure in my 2018 Toyota C-HR that left me stranded on the freeway and created a serious safety hazard. The vehicle experienced a transmission-related failure that caused it to lose its ability to operate properly while I was driving. As a result, I was left stranded on the freeway, exposed to passing traffic and at risk of being involved in a collision. A vehicle losing its ability to maintain normal operation on a busy freeway can create a dangerous situation for both the driver and other motorists. I am concerned that this transmission failure may represent a safety-related defect that could affect other owners of 2018 Toyota C-HR vehicles. A transmission should not fail in a manner that leaves a driver unexpectedly stranded in an active traffic environment. I request that NHTSA investigate whether transmission or continuously variable transmission (CVT) defects in the 2018 Toyota C-HR could cause sudden loss of power, loss of drive, or other dangerous failures while the vehicle is being operated. I believe this incident deserves attention because of the potential for serious injury or a collision. I am submitting this complaint so the incident can be documented and considered as part of any investigation into similar complaints involving this vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether further investigation or corrective action is warranted. Thank you for your attention to this vehicle safety concern.

NHTSA ID
11770728
Incident
Sep 10, 2026
Brakes
Filed Oct 5, 2026

Warning light comes on frequently saying EPB need service. This is a known recall for this car but for some reason my vin # is not on recall list.

NHTSA ID
11769066
Incident
Dec 31, 1969
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 30, 2026

Unknown, ​I recently received a Customer Support Program notice from Toyota regarding a known transmission noise affecting certain 2018 Toyota C-HR vehicles. My vehicle exhibits the exact symptoms described in the bulletin—specifically, a small plane-like engine sound when driving between 20 and 40 mph. ​On XXX, I brought my vehicle to Toyota of [XXX] for diagnosis and service under this program. However, the dealership returned the vehicle without performing any repairs, claiming that it is outside the program's coverage. Given that my vehicle's symptoms directly match the documented defect covered by Toyota's customer support initiative, I am requesting a re-evaluation of my vehicle's eligibility and a resolution to this transmission issue. P.S. I escalated this to Toyota Headquarters and I received same denial response. I replied As many owners on public forums and social media have noted, CVT reliability concerns are a well-documented challenge for this model. Given Toyota’s strong reputation for long-lasting vehicles, I was surprised to find that my specific serial number is currently excluded from your service program. Could you please clarify if Toyota will reimburse the costs if I have this repair performed by a private mechanic, as indicated at the bottom of your recent letter? I am currently documenting all related records for my files. My response was ignored. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11768200
Incident
Jul 1, 2026
Powertrain (other)
Filed Sep 24, 2026

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving 40 MPH, the transmission bearing failed, causing the vehicle to coast to a stop on a main road. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The contact associated the failure with Customer Support Program: 26TE06 that provided a free transmission replacement for certain 2018-2019 Toyota C-HR vehicles experiencing continuously variable transmission failures. The dealer was contacted and stated that the transmission serial number on the vehicle was not included in the Customer Support Program. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.

NHTSA ID
11766749
Incident
Aug 19, 2026
Mileage
105,000 mi

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

26TE06

POWER TRAIN

Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to an abnormal whine noise in the CVT.

26TE06_DL_pub_10.01.2026

POWER TRAIN

Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to an abnormal whine noise in the CVT.

26TE06

POWER TRAIN

Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to an abnormal whine noise in the CVT.

26TE06

POWER TRAIN

Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to an abnormal whine noise in the CVT.

26TE06

POWER TRAIN

Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience. Toyota is providing coverage for repairs related to an abnormal whine noise in the CVT.

T-SB-0048-26 Rev1

POWER TRAIN

Some 2018 – 2019 model year C-HR vehicles may exhibit a grinding and/or whining noise from the transaxle while accelerating from 15 – 30 mph and/or decelerating from 30 – 15 mph. An updated transaxle is available when the specified noise and serial number requirements are met.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Toyota C-HR by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000—
2026810—
2022300—
2021381054.8
2020661053.4
20191173061.7
2018Viewing3281053.8
2017000—

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.