2020 Toyota C-HR Owner Complaints

I have a K114 CVT internal bearing defect. It is available for inspection upon request. Transmission issues are unsafe because it can cause sudden loss of acceleration, unexpected vehicle stalling in traffic, and delayed shifting or gear slippage. These sudden changes make my car behave unpredictably; risking rear-end collisions or loss of control. This puts myself, my passengers, and others at risk. I am unsure if the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle and/or component have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. However, the vehicle received Service in December 2025 for a transmission fluid replacement for maintenance and no issues were reported at the time. There were not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The issues first appeared in mid-June, around June 15, 2026, where I could hear a grinding noise when I drove. On July 1, I was driving home and experienced stalling while turning right at a stoplight. I took the car in for a diagnostic inquiry on 7/18/2026 and was notified I had a transmission issue. I took it for a second opinion, where it was confirmed it was transmission. I took it to Toyota and on 7/22/2026, they confirmed it was transmission issues requiring a full replacement with no financial assistance citing my warranty has ended and my service history is not thorough enough. Toyota has already extended the warranty for Canadian drivers due to this exact safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11752512

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

Had the car brand new since 2020 just started to hear noises took it to the dealership and they said the transmission needs to be replaced

NHTSA ID

11750469

Incident

Jun 12, 2026

Transmission bearing is going out. I hear a whine noise while driving. And took it to a Transmission shop and was told the Transmission bearing goes out alot on these types vehicle. And i just bought this car used 1 month ago.

NHTSA ID

11747331

Incident

Jun 29, 2026

My 2020 Toyota C-HR is exhibiting clear, escalating symptoms of the known K114 CVT internal bearing defect, creating an active safety hazard while driving. The transmission has not failed completely yet, but it regularly experiences high-pitched whining noise, sudden hesitation during acceleration, and loud grinding-like noise which gets louder and faster as I speed up. This behavior creates a significant safety risk because the vehicle unexpectedly fails to accelerate when merging onto the highway / hesitates unpredictably at busy intersections, exposing me to the risk of a rear-end collision. The car is less than 6 years old, and a mechanic/dealership has diagnosed it as an impending internal bearing failure. Toyota Canada has already acknowledged this exact flaw by extending the CVT warranty to 10 years. However, Toyota USA refuses to act, forcing American drivers to choose between operating an increasingly unpredictable, unsafe vehicle or paying $10,000+ out of pocket to replace a component with a known manufacturing defect. I am filing this to urge the NHTSA to investigate before this transmission suffers a complete, dangerous failure at highway speeds.

NHTSA ID

11746632

Incident

Jun 9, 2026

I purchased my Toyota CHR 2020 LE right off the lot in 2020. In 2023, I had to replace my first transmission, THANK GOD THAT ONE WAS UNDER WARRANT. It is now 2026 and I am again, having to replace my transmission. This is a real safety concern. Just in the beginning stage of failure my car is sluggish to accelerate and I live in Houston, TX! People will run you over here if you aren't careful. No to mention the highway robbery that is being committed for having to pay half the cost of my car for a new transmission that is absolute garbage. It is absolutely ridiculous that no one has done anything about this yet. You sell a vehicle you know is having these issues without disclosing them. Shame on everyone involved.

NHTSA ID

11743549

Incident

Jun 1, 2026

Started hearing a whining noise shortly after buying this car and found out it is an internal bearing failure inside the CVT transmission that is widely known in these vehicles to fail but there has been no recalls to correct the problem and could cost me money I don't have to get it fixed.

NHTSA ID

11743202

Incident

May 1, 2026

Transmission failure, sounds like there is a rattle inside of the transmission.

NHTSA ID

11741617

Incident

May 1, 2026

The motor mounts broke when it hit a pothole and that snapped the wiring harness which caused the transmission to shift. Toyota dealership says it needs a new CVT transmission replacement. The engine has shifting issues. My insurance adjusters believe that the transmission failure is due to wear and tear, but the car did not have issues before the pothole. There were and are no warning lights or messages prior to and after the incident. I got the engine wiring harness and motor mounts fixed and there was still a noise and lag while accelerating and they finally said it was the transmission the second time I brought it in and that wasn’t covered by insurance. I’ve only put 11,000 miles on it and I’m the second owner. I bought it from a Lithia Nissan of Clovis.

NHTSA ID

11738452

Incident

Mar 12, 2026

TO: CarMax Corporate Relations Attn: Jennifer Sheppard, AVP Customer Service Excellence 12800 Tuckahoe Creek Parkway Richmond, VA 23238 [XXX] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 RE: Vehicle: 2020 Toyota C-HR 4D Sport Utility VIN: [XXX] Subject: Formal Safety Complaint, Inspection Failure, and Demand for Buyback To the Representatives of CarMax Corporate and NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a severe safety incident and a gross failure of the CarMax Certified Quality Inspection process. The negligence displayed by the CarMax Orlando staff not only violated the terms of our purchase contract but actively endangered my life and the lives of others on the road. 1. Timeline of Events and Staff Negligence On 04/30/2026, I purchased the above-referenced vehicle from CarMax Orlando. Upon attempting a test drive, I was denied by sales consultant Boris Iniquez, who stated the vehicle could not be driven until it was cleaned. On 05/01/2026, I took delivery and immediately noticed the brakes were non-responsive and emitting a loud "air brake" sound. I returned to the dealership on 05/02/2026. Mr. Iniquez performed a ride-along, personally witnessed the brake malfunction, and was informed of my immediate need to drive 450 miles to Atlanta, GA, for my role as a Site Inspector. Rather than providing a safe loaner or grounded vehicle, Mr. Iniquez and the acting manager explicitly instructed me to drive the vehicle to Atlanta, asserting that the car had "passed all inspections." 2. Mechanical Safety Failure Upon reaching Atlanta, the vehicle's condition became untenable. On 05/07/2026, CarMax GA inspected the vehicle and found: - Total failure of all four brake pads. - Front rotors requiring immediate replacement. It is mathematically and mechanically impossible for a vehicle with metal-on-metal rotors and failing pads to have passed a legitimate 125+ INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (F

NHTSA ID

11737906

Incident

May 1, 2026

Transmission bearing failure. Whining noise started about 2 months ago and continually got worse before complete transmission failure.

NHTSA ID

11737332

Incident

May 12, 2026

My transmission is whining and the mechanic shop is stating that I need a new transmission. A common issue they are seeing within vehicles with the CVT transmission

NHTSA ID

11734284

Incident

Apr 27, 2026

While taking off in my 2020 Toyota C-HR on the highway, the CVT transmission suddenly failed, resulting in an immediate and significant loss of propulsion power. The vehicle did not fully shut off but lost the ability to maintain normal highway speed, requiring me to rapidly reduce speed and carefully maneuver the vehicle to safety in active traffic conditions. This created a serious safety risk due to unexpected loss of acceleration and potential inability to maintain highway speed in traffic. The failure occurred at approximately 117,700 miles and shortly after purchase. The vehicle had a documented history of regular maintenance performed at Toyota dealerships approximately every 3,000 miles. I was later informed by Toyota service personnel that the vehicle had previously been documented on 2/2/26 in the manufacturer’s internal system with a CVT fault and a recommendation for transmission replacement prior to my purchase, which was not disclosed in any public vehicle history reporting system. This raises a major safety concern that the transmission failure may be part of a broader pattern of CVT reliability issues affecting this model and drivetrain family. I am submitting this complaint due to the sudden loss of propulsion at highway speed, which presents a potential safety hazard to drivers and surrounding traffic. And deceptive practices of undisclosed known safety issues by Toyota of USA.

NHTSA ID

11733254

Incident

Apr 22, 2026

The contact's customer owns a 2020 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a grinding and whining sounds coming from the transmission. The contact diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the CVT transmission was failing and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 76,000.

NHTSA ID

11730875

Incident

Apr 1, 2026

Mileage

76,000 mi

CVT Transmission failure

NHTSA ID

11728427

Incident

Oct 11, 2025

Vehicle: 2020 Toyota C-HR Mileage: 77,980 miles About a year ago, when the vehicle had fewer than 60,000 miles, I began noticing unusual noises and that the vehicle was not always accelerating smoothly. The symptoms were initially intermittent but gradually became more noticeable over time. Meanwhile, there were no warning lights or signs displayed and I was so insured that Toyota produces very safe cars that I wasn't so aware it could be unsafe to drive it. Recently the vehicle developed a severe rattling noise while driving. And even now - no warning light appeared on my car screen. Toyota dealership service inspection indicated an internal transmission failure requiring full transmission replacement, with an estimated repair cost of approximately $15,000. The vehicle currently has only 77,980 miles. A major transmission failure at this mileage appears premature. I have also learned that other Toyota C-HR owners have reported similar CVT transmission issues. Because the transmission affects acceleration and drivability, I am concerned that this condition could potentially create a safety risk in traffic, particularly during merging or acceleration situations.

NHTSA ID

11723717

Incident

Feb 20, 2026

I have a 2020 Toyota C-HR with 95,000 miles. The transmission is making whining noises and needs to be replaced. This is a known defect that has been reported by an excessive amount of Toyota C-HR owners. In some regions, it was reported that Toyota extended the warranty on the CVT transmission for certain 2018–2019 models to 10 years or 193,000 km but they have not done this with the 2020 C-HR that has the exact same issue. [XXX] I am scared to drive the car because I don't want it to leave me stranded. The local Toyota dealer has given me a repair estimate of over $13,000 which is almost as much as the car is worth. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11721565

Incident

Mar 2, 2026

2020 CHR transmission failure. There were no lights no notice nothing appeared to warn me. The car started making a faint winding sound. Bought car brand new 2020 and Toyota Fred Anderson Raleigh diagnosed with internal transmission failure 2/28/26. The car is 20000 miles over warranty so they are telling me there’s no coverage for me and billed me 12000$ for a new transmission

NHTSA ID

11721153

Incident

Feb 28, 2026

ONLY AFTER 5YRS THE TRANS NEEDED TO BE REPLACE THERE SHOULD BE A WARRANTY FOR THIS TRANS THERE IS ONE FOR 2018 2019

NHTSA ID

11714049

Incident

Jan 3, 2026

Cvt transmission fails for no reason on a new car could be very dangerous for us and other on the road i think toyota should be responsible and resolve this issue

NHTSA ID

11711562

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

My transmission started making whining noises about 100000 miles I brought it in to get diagnosed and was confirmed that my transmission is going out and will cost 10000 dollars to replace the car made it to about 130000 miles and the transmission fully went out the car is sitting behind my house currently waiting for me to raise the money to fix it the car was used for daily commute to work and had regular maintenance and I don't beat on my vehicles so there was nothing done on my half to cause any damage to the transmission

NHTSA ID

11709934

Incident

Sep 10, 2025

Transmission failed days of buying the car used. Had less than 90,000 miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11709807

Incident

Sep 6, 2025

Trans is shot bearing went in it I understand they had problems with 2018-2019

NHTSA ID

11709734

Incident

Dec 30, 2025

Car is making a clunking/whirring noise that speeds up with acceleration and slows with deceleration. Also beginning to have a vibration. No warning lights on the dashboard. Dealer states an entire new transmission is needed, more than $11,000. This is a large financial burden. I see reports online that there is a known issue with the CVT transmissions in C-HRs causing failure, and Toyota Canada has extended warranties to cover the problem. Toyota USA has not yet. As this is a known problem with this part, please initiate a recall or encourage a warranty extension, something to address this so that transmissions are not failing on the road - most owners do not have this amount of money to cover a sudden, expensive repair/replacement like this.

NHTSA ID

11709596

Incident

Jan 7, 2026

Transmission issues before 120000 miles told by TOYOTA technician at maintenance.

NHTSA ID

11709476

Incident

Dec 2, 2025

Transmission appears to be shifting hard at times.

NHTSA ID

11709440

Incident

Jan 5, 2026