What 293 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 Toyota C-hr

1) CVT transmission bearing failed. Currently available for inspection. 2) Loud humming noise while driving, louder with higher rpms. If continue driving would lose complete power of vehicle causing extreme safety risk at high speeds. 3) CVT transmission has been inspected by Toyota dealership. 4) There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Failure first appeared on July 7, 2026 and diagnosed on July 8, 2026. Note: Toyota has already officially extended the warranty on this exact part for 2018 C-HRs up to 120,000 miles in Canada due to defective bearings. This vehicle is in the exact failure window, unfortunately Canada's extension does not apply in the United States.

NHTSA ODI 11749610

A noise from under the hood kept getting louder. When I took it to the Toyota dealership for inspection, they determined that a bearing in the CVT transmission failed causing the transmission to need total replacement. I can not safely drive my car because the transmission could fail at any time. This issue has been widely reported for the 2018 Toyota C-HR and possibly other year models. There was no warning other than the whining noise that continued to get louder. I was quoted an estimate of $11,868 for repairs.

NHTSA ODI 11748486

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 side road at 4am on 6-15-26. Upon further investigation this car year 2018, make toyota and model ch-r, has premature K114 CVT transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11747335

I bought the car in May of 2021 with roughly 40,000 miles. It is now June of 2026 and I have roughly 111,000. Regularly maintenanced. My front sensor system went out last year, so I cannot use cruise control, auto brights, lane assist, emergency braking system, etc. It is a pretty penny to replace that. My transmission is now going out and I am faced with replacing the transmission or replacing the vehicle that I still owe money on- roughly $8,500. There are no warning signs other than the signs for my front sensor system not working. I have seen other complaints with the exact problems I am facing and I believe a recall is appropriate.

NHTSA ODI 11746975

The transmission is failing and it has been confirmed. When it is being driven it makes loud sounds that can be heard over the radio.

NHTSA ODI 11747000

Transmission went out at 103,000 miles. Transmission replacement is over 10,000. Known issue with vehicle and Toyota will not offer any support to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11746907

I was driving when the dashboard lights all turned on and started getting warning messages too. The gas pedal wasn't giving anymore and the car would not accelerate. Luckily I was able to roll into a parking lot where we waited almost 2 hours for a tow. The car fortunately was still running so we had the a/c on while waiting (important for later.) Had it taken to a collision center thinking a squirrel got in the engine... that happened a few months ago. They had it towed to Toyota who said there was no issue found and it was most likely a battery issue. No sir it didn't turn off after stalling on me for 2 hours which hello... battery! So he said he would check it again after I informed him I don't feel safe in it. Well next day I get told its the transmission with no warranty because it's just over 60,000 miles. Ridiculous! Oh and no mention of the battery now...

NHTSA ODI 11746692

I own a 2018 Toyota C-HR with approximately 117,600 miles. The vehicle has developed a transmission bearing failure, causing a loud whining/humming noise that increases with vehicle speed. I have been informed that the bearing inside the transmission is failing. This appears to be a premature transmission defect that could affect the safe operation and reliability of the vehicle. I am submitting this complaint because I believe other Toyota C-HR owners may be experiencing similar transmission bearing issues. The vehicle has been maintained regularly, and this type of major transmission failure should not occur under normal use. I request that NHTSA investigate potential transmission defects in the 2018 Toyota C-HR.

NHTSA ODI 11745761

I have taken my car to the dealership some I bought it. With less than 100K miles already has a faulty transmission. This failure was already recognized and in Canada. The dealer wants almost 14K to replace it. This is not fair. A less than 100k should not be having these problems.

NHTSA ODI 11745487

Transmission Failure. I purchased a 2018 model year Toyota CH-R new from a dealer and recently heard a clicking/grinding noise from some component of the powertrain. Inspection by an independent automotive repair shop and a Toyota dealership have advised the problem is a non-specific transmission issue (without removing and taking apart the transmission, the precise transmission component which is failing can not yet be determined). In conducting some research, it appears that the 2018 Toyota CH-Rs sold in North America were equipped with an automatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) which has since been shown to have a known transmission bearing defect primarily affecting the 2018-2020 model years. With the 2018 model year appearing to be the most problematic model year (41% of reports). Consequently, Toyota Canada has initiated an extended warranty for the CVT in this model for vehicles purchased in Canada which reportedly extends the warranty to 10 years and an unlimited number of miles for repairs made before September 2026. Unfortunately, Toyota within the United States does not appear to have provided this same consideration for a problem which Toyota would appear to admit is a known issue. It is unclear (to me) whether this matter would be considered a 'safety issue', although I would assume a seizing transmission while at highway speeds would certainly be a concern for the driver/passengers of that vehicle and possibly other drivers in proximity when this occurs; and this is a systemic issue in a specific make/model of vehicle. I am basing my information provided from the Canadian Automobile Protection Association (APA), found at www.apa.ca website (specific link to issue: [XXX]). Additional sites claiming the same or similar information can also be found online. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11745507

1. The Transmission Failed. It is currently at Toyota Of Elizabeth City. It has75,000 miles and it was determined the Transmission needs to be replaced, which after investigation is a known issue with this model. There estimate for replacing was nearly $12,800. 2. The vehicle was taken to the dealer when I heard a strange noise when driving. 3. The vehicle has been inspected and is currently at my local Toyota Dealer (Toyota Of Elizabeth City) 4. there were no light or warning other than a loud growling noise when driving. I have 5 Vehicles and all are Toyotas. I have stuck with them based on reliability. This is very upsetting and I would like Toyota assistance in resolving this issues.

NHTSA ODI 11745354

High-pitched whining or droning noise in the transmission area. internal bearing inside the K114 CVT

NHTSA ODI 11745370

- 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 can go out, from what the mechanic said is a faulty bearing Toyota has made in these cars before. - Yes, I saw a mechanic who stated this issue. - No, Toyota won’t do anything or give me an extended warranty on the transmission because of the faulty bearings unless you guys state that the car is recalled. - No signs or anything, the only way I knew something was wrong was because my car randomly started a “low growl” that got louder quickly

NHTSA ODI 11744592

CVT bearing failure started a little after 100,000 miles. Toyotas estimate for repair is $14,000 and the CVT is on national back order for at least 3 months. Toyota does not sell replacement parts so even if a transmission shop wanted to do the repair they couldn’t because parts are not available. This totaled our car that we bought new only 8 years ago.

NHTSA ODI 11743883

Sudden transmission failure. Seems to be a known issue with Toyota CHR 2018 onward. I own the 2018 model and there have been recalls in Canada regarding this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11743562

I noticed a whining sound coming from the vehicle. It would get louder as I accelerated. Took it into a mechanic he drove it, put it on the lift and said the noise was coming from the transmission. I took it to another shop and they quoted me $9,000. For a replacement. This is a problem that Toyota and other manufacturers know about. The CVT is unserviceable.

NHTSA ODI 11743091

UNKNOWN. Car has been making a humming noise for the last 4 years. I have taken it to multiple shops, and repair companies for inspection. Wheel bearings have been repaired 2x, ball joints, as well as sway bars. Tires have been replaced, breaks and rotors have been replaced. Noise still persisted. Noise has recently become louder, creating question when driving the car. Mechanic has determined that the noise is coming from inside the transmission. Upon inspection, the Internal Bearing has been failing. Due to Toyota's negligence, there is no official recall or plan to help car owners fix the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11742757

A bearing has gone bad in the CVT transmission with only 128000 miles on the vehicle. The repair cost over 10,000 dollars because the design of the transmission does not allow for the bearing to be replaced.

NHTSA ODI 11742835

There was a complete failure of the CVT transmission. It left my daughter completely stranded in a parking lot. The car was inspected at the local Toyota dealership and that is where the transmission failure was confirmed. There were no lamps or messages until my daughter tried to start the car again and every light on the dashboard lit up. Before that, there had been a slight whining sound but we were not sure what was causing it.

NHTSA ODI 11742060

Started making a clicking noise after crossing a railroad track and then all of a sudden jerked and stopped going forward. I’ve only had the car for a year and never been in an accident.

NHTSA ODI 11742194

Transmission bearing which caused entire transmission to fail.

NHTSA ODI 11741135

Car only had 80,000 miles and started humming or whining. Mechanic said these cars are bad about the cvt bearing going out but have to change whole transmission.

NHTSA ODI 11741028

The vehicle developed a loud whining noise coming from the transmission/final drive area while driving. The noise became progressively worse over time. A dealership/service center diagnosed the issue and confirmed that the transmission needs to be replaced due to failure in the final drive portion of the transmission. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.. The transmission issue creates a potential safety concern because worsening transmission failure could affect the vehicle’s ability to accelerate, maintain speed, or continue operating safely while driving. This car is only a 2018 model and has less than 85k miles. The abnormal whining noise was present prior to diagnosis and continued to worsen. The issue has been confirmed by a professional service center during a multi-point inspection and diagnostic evaluation. No crash or injury has occurred at this time.

NHTSA ODI 11738300

Car has started whining while driving. Mechanic says the whole transmission will need replaced due to cvt bearing failure. It only has 94392 miles on it.

NHTSA ODI 11737218

have a bad bearing in the transmission, which makes a whining noise when driving. Was notified that the transmission will go out at some point. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer. No warning lights have been triggered for the problem.

NHTSA ODI 11737068