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2018 Toyota C-hr
Solid pick. The complaint record is strong for its age. It does carry safety recalls, so confirm every one shows "remedy completed" on the VIN before money changes hands.
293 owner complaints · 1 recalls · data verified July 15, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Complaints are still coming in strong late in this car's life, a chronic-problem pattern, not early teething.
Transmission & drivetrain problems dominate (65% of complaints, typically reported near 80k miles).
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
5/5 overall
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating · 2018 Toyota C-HR 5 HB FWD
Rollover risk in a single-vehicle crash: 14%
No open NHTSA defect investigations on file.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2018 Toyota C-hr, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Brakes (20) · Driver assistance (17) · Airbags (5)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Transmission & drivetrain
65%190 complaints · typically near 80k mi · 121 in the last 2 years
“I experienced a sudden transmission failure on roadway. This is a severe safety hazard. I lost all powertrain to my car while in motion. I had to coast the car onto si…”
Engine
13%37 complaints · typically near 82k mi · 24 in the last 2 years
“- Transmission Bearing is failing. Which is common in this make and model from what I can look up. - My safety is at risk because at any given moment my transmission c…”
Electrical system
9%26 complaints · typically near 18k mi · 7 in the last 2 years
“Within the last 12 months, rodents have crawled into the engine chewing the wires due to being made o soybean. The first repair was $3000 and the second repair was $17…”
Brakes
7%20 complaints · 4 in the last 2 years
“I’m driving my car and all lights turn on dashcam and RPMs start going down really fast and unable to apply more gas/speed. This happened 3 times in the past year”
Recalls (1)
Safety recall repairs are free at the brand’s franchised dealers. Before buying, run the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and make the seller show the work was done.
Parking Brake · 17V717000
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."
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."
Fix: 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.
Before you hand over money
Verify the recall work was done
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2018 Toyota C-HR beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2018? See how every C-hr model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2018 Toyota C-hr against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.