2019 Toyota C-HR Owner Complaints

At 70,000 miles I was just told my transmission id failing. After much research I am finding that this is a common issue with the Toyota CHR and CVT transmissions. Apparently Toyota is aware of this issue but has not issued a recall. I waited to buy this car for years and thought it would be my last car ever. I'm [XXX] and thought a Toyota would last. I just paid it off. You know and I know a transmission should last longer than this. I am so frustrated. Toyota needs to fix this without charge or at least at minimal costs. I am going to tell everyone I know to not buy Toyota anymore if this isn't recalled or fixed. I'm also going to write our President. Donald Trump needs to get involved. Thousands of people are affected. Go look just on Reddit. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11756287

Incident

Aug 10, 2026

While driving my vehicle, it is a consistent clicking loud noise. I had the vehicle checked out twice and both places said the same thing as it is explained down below: Transmission Replacement (Automatic): SEVERE INTERNAL TRANSMISSION NOISE- NOISE LOUDER W/ SPEED. NEED TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY- DO NOT RECOMMEND DRIVING VEHICLE MAY BE CATASTROPHIC AND COME APART This statement is from the Toyota dealership.

NHTSA ID

11754044

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

No warning lights, only noticed a new noise like a whirring sound that matches car speed, not acceleration. Had the car looked at and determined it was likely the same CVT transmission bearing failure most CHR owners are experiencing. Toyota is no help and estimates for repair are $6k to $10k from private transmission repair places. Now we have a dud of a car that we still owe money on that isn't even worth the price to repair it.

NHTSA ID

11753623

Incident

Jul 27, 2026

The transmission started having issues once the car hit 100k miles, it is unbelievable that Toyota is not willing to help me with this matter! Toyotas are supposed to be reliable!

NHTSA ID

11752558

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

Noise from front left axel began on XXX. Taken to local garage for diagnostic on XXX at approximately 149,000 miles. Was informed that it likely was the transmission. This was confirmed when taken to Toyota dealership on XXX. National recall was issued in [XXX] by Toyota for the known transmission failure that occurs in the CH-r CVT transmission. No other issues or alerts had occurred prior to the transmission failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11748913

Incident

May 26, 2026

2019 C-HR is experiencing transmission failure due to a faulty joint. Metal shavings flow into the fluid. Am being told I will need to replace the entire transmission. Toyota is fully aware of the issue with the failures occurring between 75,000 & 120,000 miles. My vehicle is at 107,000. Perfect maintenance record, never missed a service & all work done at the dealership where it was purchased. Research shows Toyota Canada acknowledged the issue & extended the warranty to cover it's customers. Toyota USA refuses to do the same. Estimate out of pocket for this known defect is $9900.00

NHTSA ID

11747544

Incident

Jun 19, 2026

The CVT transmission failed at approximately 60,000 miles. The vehicle was fully maintained by Toyota dealerships. The failure of the transmission bearing will cause the car to lose power and could fail while driving, creating a risk of being stranded in traffic or being unable to accelerate to avoid a collision. Toyota Canada has extended the warranty for this same transmission issue up to 119,924 Miles (193,000 KM) and 10 years on comparable Toyota C-HR vehicles, but Toyota USA has refused to provide the same coverage.” See comments at Toyota Forum [XXX] Please see below Toyota Canada announcement: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11746996

Incident

Jun 24, 2026

Transmission is making metallic type noise from below. Had rotors ,brakes,cv axles replaced thinking those were the culprits until reputable automotive repair informed me that noise was from Toyota cv transmission. And a repair or replacement would be around $10k I researched and found many Toyotas in the United States have same problem and Canadian residents with same issue have been granted an extended warranty to resolve this issue. I live in Texas. This is my wife’s car that is sitting in driveway with no answers or help from Toyota. Thank you for your time. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11746732

Incident

Sep 3, 2025

Before 2024, my friend heard a noise coming from my car, he wasn’t sure what it was and I couldn’t hear it. December 2024, I took my car in to the Toyota dealership for the 100,000 mile transmission service (~107,000 miles) but I didn’t mention the sound because I didn’t hear it. The dealership didn’t find any issues. My friend could still hear the sound but we thought that the service done ruled out the transmission. 18 months and 36,000 miles later a louder noise started. I took the car in with the transmission failing. With the maintenance done, this transmission should have lasted to 200,000 miles. Since I had the maintenance done, I was confident driving it thinking that the transmission wouldn’t fail while I was driving. There was either an issue with the part or the service that was there at 107,000 miles that was not addressed that could have led to the car failing on the highway and risking the safety of myself and other drivers. The dealership has confirmed that the transmission has broken at 36,000 miles past their service. There were no warning lights that appeared, no difficulty driving, just noises.

NHTSA ID

11745946

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that the vehicle occasionally failed to start. On another occasion, there was a tire blowout while driving 70 MPH. The contact replaced the battery, and the instrument panel displayed several warning lights, including the Check Engine, Lane Assist, and Forward Collision. After an initial dealer inspection, the diagnostic test was inconclusive. The contact drove the vehicle off the lot, and the warning lights returned immediately afterwards, and the vehicle was taken back to the dealer for additional diagnostic tests. The dealer subsequently identified a failure with the valve lift controller and an inoperable housing sub-assembly. The parts were replaced. The manufacturer had not yet been notified of the failures. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

NHTSA ID

11744112

Incident

Feb 10, 2026

Mileage

96,000 mi

The vehicle experienced a sudden and catastrophic internal failure of its Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) at 139,000 miles. While driving, a heavy grinding noise began coming from the vehicle during acceleration. A certified technician at a Toyota dealership inspected the vehicle and officially diagnosed it with an internal center differential grind and noted that the transmission fluid was burnt and filled with metal flakes. The dealership stated the entire transmission must be replaced at a cost of over $10,000. Toyota explicitly markets and describes this CVT transmission fluid as 'lifetime' fluid with no standard required maintenance, leading consumers to believe the unit is sealed and durable. However, this internal bearing/differential disintegration is a known material manufacturing defect affecting 2018-2022 Toyota C-HR models. This is a severe safety hazard as a sudden internal transmission failure can cause an immediate loss of vehicle propulsion while driving at high speeds in traffic, increasing the risk of a crash. This should not be happening at all at this mileage

NHTSA ID

11743556

Incident

Jun 11, 2026

The vehicle's CVT transmission has failed, confirmed by Dublin Toyota (Dublin, CA) on June 9, 2026. The dealership has quoted $12,477 to replace the transmission, bringing the total repair estimate to over $15,000 — exceeding the vehicle's current market value. The dealership documented the following diagnostic trouble codes: P075B, P0741, and P2757. These codes are listed together in Toyota's own C-HR service manual as indicators of Torque Converter Clutch Circuit failure within the CVT system, confirming internal mechanical failure of the transmission. These are not minor or maintenance-related codes — they indicate a fundamental failure of the CVT's internal components. This is a known, widespread defect affecting 2018–2020 Toyota C-HR vehicles. Hundreds of owners have reported identical CVT bearing failures, often with no warning lights or prior symptoms, at mileages ranging from 38,000 to 140,000 miles. Toyota has acknowledged CVT issues on this model previously — issuing a software service campaign (Special Service Campaign J0D) for CVT programming defects — yet has refused to issue a recall or extended warranty for the underlying mechanical bearing failures now presenting across the fleet. Notably, Toyota Canada has extended warranty coverage for identical CVT failures on the same model years, while Toyota USA has declined to offer comparable relief to American owners facing the same defect. This defect represents a significant safety hazard, as CVT failure can result in sudden loss of propulsion while driving at highway speeds. Requested Action: Formal NHTSA investigation into CVT transmission bearing failures in 2018–2020 Toyota C-HR vehicles, and consideration of a recall or extended warranty campaign consistent with what Toyota Canada has already provided.

NHTSA ID

11743345

Incident

Jun 9, 2026

Transmission, and I did requested an inspection and they are trying to charge me $10,000 USD to fix it. A failed transmission in a car can put you and other people at risk because it affects your ability to control the vehicle's speed and movement. I took my car to one of my trusted mechanic and he confirmed that transmission was on failure because the humming noise of it and because transmission on this type of cars (Toyota CHR 2019) had that type of issues. Nobody has inspected my car but my mechanic. No prior symptoms of the problem or warnings on my car, I noticed it was something wrong with my car just for the humming noise of the transmission.

NHTSA ID

11742083

Incident

May 15, 2026

Transmission Failure

NHTSA ID

11741886

Incident

May 16, 2026

The component or system failed is the CVT transmission. The safety of the vehicle is very risky because when you drive it; it gets ready to cut off. The transmission has been confirmed that it is the problem by the independent service center. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected by a transmission company. There were no warning signs or symptoms of the problem.

NHTSA ID

11740258

Incident

Mar 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was sputtering while driving after 20 minutes of driving. Their vehicle failed to accelerate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there was no recall coverage. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was due to the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. An independent mechanic was contacted, who determined the failure was due to the fuel pump. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred him to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.

NHTSA ID

11739343

Incident

May 18, 2026

Mileage

39,000 mi

My car is making a whistling noise and my mechanic said it is the start of transmission issues.

NHTSA ID

11739009

Incident

May 14, 2026

No warnings lights given. My car has been serviced three times in the past year of owning it. Yesterday I was informed my entire transmission needs to be replaced as it failed its inspection. My car was last seen by Toyota in September and I paid a little under 2k each visit to keep my car running perfectly. This visit I was quoted over 9k to replace the transmission. I have never had preexisting issues with it. This CVT transmission is known to fail prematurely and there needs to be a recall and compensation made for those who have faced the same issues. My car is only at 125k miles and I have spent about 20k purchasing and servicing this vehicle in the last year alone. I travel out of state frequently with my children to visit my relative who is in active chemotherapy. If my transmission were to die in the middle of Donners Pass I would be left stranded with my two young children. This is my daily driver and I can’t imagine what would happen if my car completely shut down in the middle of traffic or out of state as I was given certainty that my car ran perfectly until this just recently happened. I no longer have an operable vehicle regardless of the care and money put into it unless I spent another 10k on full transmission replacement.

NHTSA ID

11738274

Incident

May 15, 2026

While traveling South on [XXX] toward [XXX] , the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic internal failure of the CVT transmission. This resulted in an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power while in motion on a busy roadway. My husband (who was driving at the time) was forced to manually push the vehicle off the road with the assistance of a police officer to avoid a collision. A subsequent diagnosis at a local shop (Hot Rod Scott's LLC) who removed the transmission fluid in order to refill it and found the transmission had fallen apart. He did not return the old fluid and returned the plate of the transmission with all the pieces in the bottom and an authorized Toyota dealership in Chippewa Falls confirmed the transmission failed internally. This is a widely documented manufacturing defect in 2018–2022 C-HR models (K114 CVT). Toyota has acknowledged a bearing defect in other markets, such as Canada, by extending the warranty to 10 years/193,000 km, yet US consumers are being denied similar protection for the same defective part. This failure presents an unreasonable safety risk due to the unpredictable loss of propulsion in traffic. I am requesting a formal investigation into this systemic defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11734953

Incident

Mar 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at faster speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating, with an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.

NHTSA ID

11734547

Incident

Apr 5, 2026

Mileage

87,000 mi

Severe structural corrosion was discovered on a low-mileage 2019 compact SUV affecting critical suspension components, including the front subframe, lower control arm mounting points, and structural attachment areas. The issue was identified during inspection at a dealership. The technician documented that suspension components were severely rusted, subframe bolts were rusted and cracking, and lower control arms were deteriorating due to corrosion. The technician advised that the vehicle should not be driven and recommended towing for further structural inspection. These components are part of the load-bearing suspension system and may pose a safety risk if failure occurs. This level of corrosion is unusual given the vehicle has approximately 27,000 miles and has been operated in a region without exposure to road salt or severe winter conditions. Independent mechanics who inspected the vehicle also expressed concern about the severity of the corrosion. The problem was confirmed by both a dealership and an independent repair facility. The vehicle was not inspected directly by the manufacturer. No warning lights or messages were present prior to discovery of the issue. Photographic evidence shows rust perforation, material loss, and metal delamination along structural seams, indicating corrosion progressing internally. This condition may compromise suspension mounting integrity and increase the risk of failure while driving. The affected components were repaired and are available for inspection upon reque

NHTSA ID

11733799

Incident

Jul 26, 2025

The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was associated with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission might lock and that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 130,001.

NHTSA ID

11733318

Incident

Mar 29, 2026

Mileage

130,001 mi

Transmitted failed, this car is national wide scam, there are thousands of people with the same problem

NHTSA ID

11731760

Incident

Apr 16, 2026

Transmission failure, parking brake won’t release, most if not all driver assist features don’t work. Car is undriveable at 110,000 miles.

NHTSA ID

11726236

Incident

Mar 21, 2026

Just like thousands of others with Toyota CHR 2018-2020, our transmissions give out before the suggested mileage for service, and Toyota is not replacing them for free and charging us $13,000 per transmission replacement. We are thousands of complaints. It can't be just us, clearly this car's transmission is defective and needs to be replaced for free.

NHTSA ID

11726179

Incident

Mar 31, 2025