2021 Toyota C-HR Owner Complaints

It will not drive forward and only in reverse. There is a known bearing issue but unfortunately this is past the 60k and no recall.

NHTSA ID

11748849

Incident

Jan 1, 2025

On May 26, 2026 I was driving on the highway at around 50mph and the vehicle swerved to the right on its own causing me to swerve back and forth between two lanes for about 10 seconds. The wheel moved on its own causing me to use force to try to get the car back in control. Thankfully no one was next to me but if that had not been the case, it would have a caused a serious and life threatening accident. Had I been going any faster or on the regular streets, I am certain the vehicle would have flipped or ran off the road. It was EXTREMELY scary, especially as I am a mother and my baby is frequently in the car. I have contacted two separate Toyota dealerships neither one of them giving any concern to my safety or well-being and are charging me $100+ to run a diagnostics. I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle, I no longer believe that Toyota cares about their clients and will no longer be recommending Toyota for their lack of concern of their drivers safety. There were no warning messages or notifications before, during, or after the incident.

NHTSA ID

11740356

Incident

May 26, 2026

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota CH-R. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound that progressively became louder. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions for routine maintenance since the whining sound started, but the dealer had not advised the contact of a transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a goodwill assistance offer, which the contact declined. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

NHTSA ID

11740114

Incident

Nov 26, 2025

Mileage

60,000 mi

The car has developed a growl/whine from the transmission. A trip to the mechanic determined that it sounded as if a bearing inside the transmission is failing. A check online showed multiple complaints regarding the transmission failing with the same issues as my car, and what appeared to be a possible class action lawsuit being filed regarding this transmission issue. No recall is showing for the transmission from Toyota. Recommendation from the mechanic was to replace the transmission rather than repair it.

NHTSA ID

11736933

Incident

Mar 3, 2025

unusual noises, unexpected slipping, deacceleration. According to mechanics is a CVT bearing failure

NHTSA ID

11736839

Incident

Mar 2, 2026

The transmission has failed. Started making a whirring noise at 60000 and got worse from there. Toyota wants to charge 13k to fix issue.

NHTSA ID

11734414

Incident

Apr 13, 2026

My transmission went out on my 2021 C-HR. The problem is, Toyota continued making and selling the car after they knew there was an issue. The 2018 and 19 models had transmission recalls, but they failed to fix the issue and continued to let others purchase a vehicle that was going to fail.

NHTSA ID

11722990

Incident

Feb 6, 2026

I was told that the bearing was going out in the transmission. Toyota is charging $11,000 to replace it. Seems to be a common occurrence amongst these vehicles.

NHTSA ID

11719018

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

The transmission all of a sudden started making a whistling noise. Took it to the shop for them to tell me the transmission is bad and needs replaced.

NHTSA ID

11713945

Incident

Jan 14, 2026

Our family vehicle is barely 5 years old with a little over 100k miles driven and is already in need of a transmission. We invested in a Toyota because they are known for being reliable and efficient cars but now are expected to either pay 8-10k or use the C-HR as a paltry down payment of $2k for another car we would once again start paying down. This is not the product or experience we expect especially since the car was properly maintained at every step.

NHTSA ID

11708931

Incident

Jan 5, 2026

My 2021 CHR, that I purchased in March 2021 with 11 miles on it, started making a noise when driving in December 2025 so I took it in to Street Toyota in Amarillo, TX on 12-27-2025. It was confirmed that the automatic transaxle needed to be replaced and it would cost $15,653.58 to replace. The cost of my car brand new was $21,000.

NHTSA ID

11707465

Incident

Dec 1, 2025

Electrical failure of the transmission. No inciting incident. Confirmed by the dealership who has done all maintenance on the vehicle. Vehicle suddenly cannot go above 25mph and will not shift gears. Vehicle has approx 60k miles on it.

NHTSA ID

11706249

Incident

Dec 17, 2025

Bought car December 2024 with 54,557 miles and had it inspected at time of purchase; inspection was fine. Car started making odd noise last week, so I took it in for an oil change and they ran diagnostics and determined it needs the transmission replaced, having 67,764 miles. Mechanic told me this is a "known issue" that Toyota is aware of this and won't recall the affected cars. It's going to cost me $12k to fix. Toyota Canada has already acknowledged there is a problem with the cars.

NHTSA ID

11695928

Incident

Oct 24, 2025

Transmission went out at 40 thousand miles.this car has been serviced and maintaned as directed. No rough use what so every.

NHTSA ID

11691014

Incident

Sep 24, 2025

Original owner. Vehicle has internal failure of transaxle at exactly 60,000 miles. All routine services for the life of the car has been completed by a Toyota dealer.

NHTSA ID

11684835

Incident

Sep 3, 2025

Transmission failure. Required service visits always on time with no indication of any problems. After a noticeable change in the vehicle drive and noise from the engine, the vehicle was immediately brought to the dealer service center for inspection. The dealer confirmed transmission malfunction. The dealer refused to extend the warranty which would cover a good portion of the cost. Instead they suggested full out of pocket replacement or trade and buy. Despite all this, the monthly car payment is still my responsibility. Unfortunately being a one income household, I am unable to replace or buy a replacement vehicle. After some online investigation, the transmission issue is common and documented issues in the US and CAN. In my opinion, Toyota has done nothing to remedy the known transmission issues and has total disregard for the customer. At this point, all I need is a reliable car before I return to my job as a teacher's assistance..... before school is back in session. Thank you for your time and support. I look forward to hearing from you!

NHTSA ID

11668781

Incident

May 19, 2025

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the message "Service Vehicle Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 82,000.

NHTSA ID

11638283

Incident

Jan 22, 2025

Mileage

82,000 mi

On 09/12/2024 Ran over a small sharp object in the road and popped the rear drivers side tire and the tire sensor light came on. Two days later on 09/14/2024 we took the car to the dealership and had them change all four tires. We were told the mechanic found a broken off sensor in one of the tires. It was not in the blown out tire, it was in a tire that had no damage to the tire or rim. I talked to the service manager about how the sensor could have broken off the stem in side the tire. He said the mechanic was sure he didn't break the sensor off the stem when changing the tire, that it happens, the sensor can break off the stem and he has seen this before. I asked if they had saved the defected part and he said that he didn't have it and the mechanic had probably thrown it out in the trash. I asked if the manufacturer knows that sensors are just breaking off in side tires. He said he didn't see any recalls for sensors at this time. I would think the manufacturer would want to see the defected TPMS to determine why the TPMS broke off the stem and if a recall is necessary. At this point I'm feeling uneasy about having three other original TPMS's that can break off at any time and having an unbalanced tire situation. I would like to know if this is a safety issue, having a TPMS break off and leaving a tire unbalanced, especially in a front tire when going up to 85 miles an hour on some roads in this country?

NHTSA ID

11617415

Incident

Sep 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, while depressing the brake pedal the failed to stop and the vehicle and crashed into a brick mailbox. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. No air bags deployed, and the front driver side seat belt failed to retract. The contact sustained injuries on his neck and back and sought medical attention at a nearby hospital. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed impound lot. The contact was informed by the impound lot, that the cause of the brake failure was due to the bolt being loose on the A-frame. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the front passenger air bag wire harness and the Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.

NHTSA ID

11541450

Incident

Jul 21, 2023

Mileage

32,000 mi

For several weeks my car was calling 911 on its own. I took it to the dealer and they originally took a plastic cover off of the Toyota Saftey Connect System. But the car continued to call 911. So I took it back again and they decided to disconnect the system is what I was told. After that for the past 2 weeks the system has been turning off audio and stating there was a connection failure. The dealer said don't worry about that when I contacted them once more. Yesterday evening the car call emergency services again and this time since the dealer had disconnected my microphone I couldn't answer them back. I was close to the dealer and went there immediately. As sirens were blaring heading to where the car was pin pointed to be I was able to get on the phone with Toyota Saftey Connect. They informed me the airbags were showing as being deployed. I was told not to get back in the car because they could deploy at any moment. The car is at the dealership now for the 3rd time for this issue. The dealership is saying they know of no issues with these cars. That is a lie.

NHTSA ID

11540253

Incident

Aug 22, 2023

The contact owned a 2021 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, she collided with a deer attempting to cross the freeway. The contact stated that the collision was the result of the pre-collision avoidance system failing to activate. Both driver-side and passenger-side air bags were deployed. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed from the scene to a tow yard, where it remained. The contact reported that two individuals were treated for injuries following the accident. The driver sustained whiplash, two herniated discs, a torn meniscus, and a torn retina. The passenger sustained whiplash and various other unspecified injuries. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired and was deemed a total loss as a result of the collision. After investigating the issue, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V107000 (Forward Collision Avoidance). The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 30,000.

NHTSA ID

11526793

Incident

Dec 12, 2022

Mileage

30,000 mi

My Chr Toyota 2021 has many issues, seat belt lock I have a pair of scissors just in case, usb don't work correctly, windshield wipers gets stuck right in the middle, brakes noise, back seat rug detaching from the floor, radio, Bluetooth, front seats move forward by it self creating a safety hazard condition, I am afraid of my driver seat move forward and get me against the steering wheel and kill me, etc. I raised a complaint to Toyota Headquarters and they prepared everything for a Lemon Law , last Monday June 5th we have a mediation with Ndcs and Toyota, and my case was denied because at any given time that I have taking my vehicle to South Dade Toyota in Homestead the service dept. Manager [XXX] refused to document the issues and only offer car wash. Since my paper work from the Dealer is limited they denied my case don't taking in consideration my and my family safety. My vehicle was at the dealer order by Toyota Headquarters were the Dealer offer me a car loaner for them to keep my Chr and try to repair , next day around 11.30 am I received a phone call from the Dealer and [XXX] that they couldn't find none of my complaints and in all the time the car was there they only drove 2 miles. Same situation I have to ask [XXX] for the copies of the " services that never was done" I was at the Dealer and someone there told me that since Chr has been a bad and wrong way manufactured the CHR HAS BEEN DISCOUNTINUED. I can't force this employees to give me complaints visit documents, and this is the reason why they have denied my complaint . Please guide me, appreciated you [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

NHTSA ID

11526384

Incident

Jun 5, 2023

this 21 chr has developed low idell at a signal light just like my 2019 corolla and the dealership said nothing was wrong with it after 4 visits, now it has a recall on it and i know longer have it after it died at a signal light.does the 21 chr have the same low pressure fuel pump.

NHTSA ID

11518461

Incident

Feb 13, 2023

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that upon having the windshield replaced, the technician was unable to connect the LTA, RTA, and the pre-collision system. The contact stated that the LTA, RTA, and Pre-Collision system intermittently illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the system needed to be recalibrated. The contact was then informed that the vehicle was repaired; however, after the contact retrieved the vehicle, the warning lights failed to operate as designed. The dealer was then notified, and the contact was informed that the failure could potentially be due to the windshield. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 27,529.

NHTSA ID

11503444

Incident

Jan 19, 2023

Mileage

27,529 mi

Hood latch keeps coming unlocked and is only noticeableat highway speed. Drivers seat belt lockes up when tension feature is not necessary. Both problems may cause an accident wich may cause serious injuryor death apon impact.

NHTSA ID

11489446

Incident

Oct 16, 2022