Toyota C-HR problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
527 owner complaints analyzed
6 distinct recall campaigns
39,715 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2018 to 2026 model years. Data snapshot: . 90 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Power Train is the most frequently named component, appearing in 326 of 527 complaints (61.9%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Transmission and shifting | 388 | 73.6% |
| Braking behavior | 36 | 6.8% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 31 | 5.9% |
| Engine operation | 19 | 3.6% |
| Steering behavior | 9 | 1.7% |
| Fuel system concerns | 3 | 0.6% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Power Train | 326 |
| Unknown Or Other | 89 |
| Engine | 54 |
| Electrical System | 49 |
| Service Brakes | 28 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 15 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 12 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 |
Power Train: 326; Unknown Or Other: 89; Engine: 54; Electrical System: 49; Service Brakes: 28; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 15; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 12; Vehicle Speed Control: 11
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 33 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 16 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 11 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 23 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 6 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 33; 25,000 to 49,999: 16; 50,000 to 74,999: 11; 75,000 to 99,999: 23; 100,000 to 149,999: 6; 150,000 and above: 1
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (33). 437 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 13 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 19 |
| 2021 | 32 |
| 2022 | 43 |
| 2023 | 41 |
| 2024 | 36 |
| 2025 | 145 |
| 2026 | 190 |
2017: 2; 2018: 13; 2019: 6; 2020: 19; 2021: 32; 2022: 43; 2023: 41; 2024: 36; 2025: 145; 2026: 190
Pattern summary
Power Train leads the component reports. Transmission and shifting appears in 388 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 36 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 31 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11231277 · 2019-07-12 (July 12, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA C-HR. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 70 MPH, A HUMMING SOUND WAS HEARD FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO OXNARD MITSUBISHI [phone removed], LOCATED AT 1345 N OXNARD BLVD, OXNARD, CA 93030), BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED TO CALL A TOYOTA DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VENTURA TOYOTA [phone removed], LOCATED AT 6360 AUTO CENTER DR, VENTURA, CA 93003) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HUMMING NOISE WAS FROM THE TRANSMISSION AND THERE WAS FLUID I…
Owner-reported narrative. 76,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11231277 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11329367 · 2020-06-17 (June 17, 2020)
TRANSMISSION FAIL REPLACEMENT MALFUNCTION, AND A THIRD TRANSMISSION AGAIN NEEDS TO BE REPLACED THE CAR HAS 80,000. REPAIR TECH NOTED HE HAS HAD MANY ISSUES WITH THE CVT TRANSMISSIONS. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 80,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11329367 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11074408 · 2018-02-23 (February 23, 2018)
THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. THE FOLLOWING ERROR MESSAGES APPEAR SIMULTANEOUSLY WHEN TRYING TO START THE VEHICLE "BRAKE OVERRIDE MALFUNCTION. VISIT YOUR DEALER", DRIVE-START CONTROL MALFUNCTION.VISIT YOUR DEALER", "ENGINE OIL PRESSURE LOW", "ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE HIGH. STOP IN A SAFE PLACE. SEE OWNER'S MANUAL". THE VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 5100 MILES. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS (AFTER A 35 MILES DRIVE) IN MY DRIVEWAY IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. TEMPERATURES WERE IN THE HIGH 40'S/LOW 50'S.
Owner-reported narrative. 5,096 miles reported. Look up ODI 11074408 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11234184 · 2019-07-23 (July 23, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 TOYOTA C-HR. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS BEING INSPECTED BY AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC, THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED AFTER THE REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO RON TONKIN TOYOTA (LOCATED AT 750 SE 122ND AVE, PORTLAND, OR 97233, [phone removed]), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT ASSOCIATED THE FAILURE WITH NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V717000 (PARKING BRAKE). THE MANUFACTU…
Owner-reported narrative. 82,607 miles reported. Look up ODI 11234184 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11031361 · 2017-10-02 (October 2, 2017)
DRIVERS SIDE DOOR ELECTRICALLY INTERMITANTLY WILL NOT UNLOCK USING ELECTRIC KEY. THIS HAS OCCURRED 14 TIMES SINCE MAY 31 2017 WHEN CAR WAS BOUGHT AND I HAVE A VIDEO THAT WAS SENT TO TOYOTA I ALSO HAVE WITNESSES AND HAVE HAD 3 VISITS TO THE DEALER AND TOYOTA WILL NOT REPLACE THE CAR OR PARTS BECAUSE THEY SAY IT WONT FAIL FOR THEM. THIS CAR ALSO HAS JUST GOTTEN 3 RECALLS FOR OTHER ITEMS AND I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. I NEED ANY HELP THAT I CAN GET AS THIS IS ELECTRICAL IF THERE IS A SHORT THEN THE CAR COULD GET ON FIRE. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN VAR…
Owner-reported narrative. 100 miles reported. Look up ODI 11031361 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11140015 · 2018-10-12 (October 12, 2018)
ELECTRICAL DEFAULT. WHEN RAINING VEHICLE STATES ERROR AND TO CLEAR FRONT SENSORS. FUEL LIGHT DOES NOT COME ON AND DROVE IT DOWN TO 8 MILES TO THE TANK. DOUBLE-BOG WHEN BEGINNING ACCELERATION FROM STOP. SHAKING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS HAD IT FOR 8 MONTHS NOW AND IT'S BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR 4 DAYS AND NO ONE HAS A CLUE AS TO WHAT IS GOING ON... VANDERGRIFF TOYOTA OF ARLINGTON DOES NOT PERFORM COURTESY CALLS AND HAVE LEFT ME IN THE DARK UNTIL I HAD TO MARCH UP THERE AND DEMAND ANSWERS. THIS IS MY FIRST TOYOTA AND WILL LIKELY BE MY LAST. I SHOULD HAVE BOUG…
Owner-reported narrative. 10,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11140015 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11541744 · 2023-08-30 (August 30, 2023)
The final drive bearing within the continuously variable transmission is causing a whining noise. Diagnoses from the dealer is that the entire transmission needs to be replaced. This component transmits all engine torque to the wheels, and if failure occurs, it could cause overheating, slippage, jerking, or stalling putting the driver, passengers and all other persons on the road at risk. No indication of the failure was communicated by the vehicle via a light or message. I had to hear the noise, know it was a problem and bring it in to the dea…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11541744 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11544699 · 2023-09-15 (September 15, 2023)
General Defect with Transmission causing gear slippage at low RPMs from day one. Car can soft stutter to hard stutter going from idling position to soft press of accelerator. Hard transmission failure starting at 80K mi even with preventative maintenance. additional engine stalls randomly in middle of driving starting to appear with no error codes.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11544699 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11360234 · 2020-09-21 (September 21, 2020)
I PURCHASED THIS CAR ON JUNE 26TH 2018, THE CAR HAD BEEN WORKING JUST ABOUT FINE UNTIL APRIL 24TH 2020. I WAS RUNNING ERRANDS AND MY CAR HAD NOT SHOWN ANY SIGNS OR WARNINGS ABOUT NEEDING SERVICE OR THAT SOMETHING WAS WRONG. I TURNED ON MY CAR, I BACKED UP A LITTLE AND THE CAMERA MALFUNCTIONED AND I HEARD A WEIRD SOUND, THEN THE CAR TURNED OFF BY ITSELF AND THEN IT WOULDN'T TURN ON. I CALLED AAA AND THEY TRIED TO CHARGE THE BATTERY, IT WOULDN'T CHARGE AT ALL. MY CAR WAS TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP, THEY DEEMED THE BATTERY TO BE DEAD AND IT WAS R…
Owner-reported narrative. 21,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11360234 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11439793 · 2021-11-08 (November 8, 2021)
Electrical system malfunction. Abnormal voltage power steering low. These messages turned on after we felt the steering wheel become really heavy and making it hard to make the freeway entrance. The Toyota Ch-R shut down right before we merged onto the freeway. We were left on the blind spot of the freeway entrance in the night, so it left us quite vulnerable to an accident and possible death. The vehicle will be taken to Toyota dealership, since it still falls under the 60 month warranty.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11439793 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11405626 · 2021-03-30 (March 30, 2021)
I DID NOT NOTICE ANY ISSUES OR IRREGULARITIES WHILE DRIVING, BUT WHEN I STARTED MY CAR TO LEAVE ONE MORNING, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I IMMEDIATELY DROPPED IT OFF AT MY LOCAL TOYOTA DEALERSHIP. THE PROBLEM ENDED UP BEING A FAULTY FUEL PUMP VALVE WHICH NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, ALONG WITH A COMPLETE FUEL SYSTEM CLEANOUT. THIS IS AN EXPENSIVE REPAIR, WHICH UPON RESEARCHING THE ISSUE, I HAVE FOUND THAT THOUSANDS OF OTHER TOYOTA MODELS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR. I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THAT THEY LOOK INTO ADDING THE CH-R TO THAT LIST BECAUSE APPAREN…
Owner-reported narrative. 40,429 miles reported. Look up ODI 11405626 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11739343 · 2026-05-21 (May 21, 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 m…
Owner-reported narrative. 39,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 11739343 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 1 |
| 2019 | 3 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 1 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2026 | 1 |
2018: 1; 2019: 3; 2020: 1; 2021: 1; 2022: 0; 2026: 1