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

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

- 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

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

Whirring noise, something loose in transmission - many cases of this but no recall or recourse to fix a defect

NHTSA ODI 11732491

The car's transmission starts making noise at 81600 miles on odometer. I turned my car to Toyota certified repair shop to inspecting, Toyota technician told me that the car transmission has fail and needs to be replaced. Toyota is not responsible for replacement. It cost $14000 for the parts plus labors. I had this car for little more than 7 years, The car' transmission has not even reached 100000 miles it fails. Toyota usually making reliable car but this one fail miserably

NHTSA ODI 11714878

Transmission failure due to CVT bearing failure

NHTSA ODI 11712647

My 2018 CHR has a faulty bearing in its transmission. This is a common problem in this make and model. Toyota is quoting customers $13,000 to replace this part. My vehicle started experiencing a noise and when taken to dealership was told the transmission is going out at only 90,000 miles. This is a huge safety concern that they know this is an issue with this vehicle and no recall has been made. This car is a true lemon and customers are being put in danger by owning it with no recall.

NHTSA ODI 11710186

My front camera sensor light came on stating it was unavailable, then turned back on after a few minutes. About a week later on several occasions, the emergency brake notification came on when I was on the freeway with no vehicles in front of me to cause this. There has been an excessive whirring sound coming from the engine also. With these issues there have been no warning signs including check engine lights or other vehicle maintenance lights on. Reading complaints from other Toyota, CHR owners with similar issues, and stating they’ve had costly transmission failure brings a great deal of concern for my safety and those on the road.

NHTSA ODI 11708551

Transmission failure at under 100,000 miles

NHTSA ODI 11705909

The night of the incident November 16th, 2025, the transmission in my daughter's 2018 Toyota C-HR failed suddenly while the vehicle was in motion. The car lost the ability to accelerate and then became completely immobile. The failure occurred without warning and with no prior symptoms. She could not shift into drive or reverse. My daughter, a [XXX] college student was driving at the time, and the breakdown left her stranded in the dark on a roadway with limited visibility and no safe shoulder. She was in a semi-safe neighborhood. I called AAA as I am a premier member and it took 4 hours to get her car towed. This created a significant safety risk—both the danger of being struck by approaching vehicles and personal safety concerns associated with being stranded alone at night until almost midnight. I am several hours away (Canton, GA) and could not get to her safely. We specifically picked a reliable Toyota model to take to college so that this would not happen. The transmission and related components remain in the vehicle and are available for inspection upon request at my home. The car is not drivable and we are stuck with a costly repair. This appears to be a very common problem with this specific Toyota model even with low milage but no recall has been issues. After the vehicle was towed to Group 1 Toyota in Columbus, GA an inspection by the dealership was performed at a $200 cost to diagnose a transmission failure. A faulty CVT transmission that is not covered under any warranty and is $11,000 to repair. Attached is a report showing excellent condition of other car components. There were no warning lamps, messages, noises, or other symptoms leading up to the failure. The transmission malfunction occurred suddenly, with the first and only indication being the loss of power and inability to move the vehicle. Toyota addressed the issue by no longer using this type of transmission and discontinuing this model but will NOT offer a solution. Please help!! INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11701181

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 $1700 I have 6 kids and can’t afford to keep repairing a car that was made with soybean and thus attracts rodents. Why is toyota allowed to put products on the vehicle which are rodent attracted and cost consumers so much to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11701244

My transmission failed and I took it to the dealership. They recommended I replace the transmission that would cost 11,000. I have 120k miles driven in my car and regular get it maintenance. After looking online I saw that I was not alone with the Ch-r model. It is ridiculous that a repair would cost half of a brand new car. This is very anti consumer behaviors coercing car owners to buy new cars since repairing them is so expensive.

NHTSA ODI 11699085

I started experiencing a whirring noice coming from the engine of my 2018 Toyota CHR earlier this summer. I took it to a mechanic shop and was told that the noice was coming from the transmission. I had to take it to a transmission shop where they diagnosed the problem coming from my transmission. They quoted 13K & 15K. The Toyota dealer quoted 12K. I had just paid of the car and was ready to enjoy it. I’m disappointed that Toyota doesn’t have a recall for this problem. It is documented on several online forums and YouTube videos. For what it’s worth I’m documenting this problem. Thank you.

NHTSA ODI 11699287

The transmission on my 2018 Toyota C-HR has been malfunctioning, and there is a noticeable grinding or rattling noise coming from the front end while driving. The issue occurs consistently during driving. This problem puts my safety at risk because the vehicle hesitates to accelerate properly, and the noise suggests a potential mechanical failure that could lead to loss of control while driving. The issue has not yet been officially confirmed by the Toyota dealer, but I plan to have it inspected. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem started around 67,000 mileages in October, and there were no warning lights or dashboard messages before the issue began. The noise has gradually worsened over time.

NHTSA ODI 11697689

My 2018 Toyota, which has around 96,000 miles, is experiencing transmission failure. I recently had it inspected by an independent repair shop, and they confirmed the issue is caused by a bad bearing inside the transmission—a problem they mentioned is common for this model. The transmission makes a loud whining noise and could fail at any time, which puts my safety and the safety of others at risk since it could cause the car to lose power or stall in the middle of the road. There were no warning lights, messages, or signs before the issue started. I contacted Toyota about the problem, but they refused to cover the repair because the vehicle is out of warranty. However, given how new the car still is and that this issue is known to occur in similar models, I believe this is a safety hazard that Toyota should take responsibility for.

NHTSA ODI 11695457

I am writing to report a serious and potentially dangerous defect with my 2018 Toyota C-HR. Shortly after purchasing this vehicle, I began experiencing multiple issues related to the transmission. The car makes a persistent whining noise while accelerating, which was immediately concerning for a new vehicle. More alarmingly, the vehicle sometimes suddenly stops accelerating and begins to jerk unexpectedly while driving. This has happened on the road and creates a hazardous situation for myself and other drivers, as it can be difficult to maintain control of the vehicle, especially in traffic or at higher speeds. Despite owning the car for only a short period, I have been told that repairing these transmission issues will cost thousands of dollars, which is not normal for a relatively new vehicle. These problems are not only inconvenient but also pose a significant safety risk. I believe this may be a manufacturing defect affecting the transmission system. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter promptly to protect other consumers and ensure road safety. Thank you for your attention to this urgent issue.

NHTSA ODI 11687834

I have a blue/white 2018 C-HR made in Japan. I do regular maintenance on my car monthly with oil changes every 3k miles. I had this car for 3 years only. I bought it from a toyota dealership with only 25k miles with one owner. At 35k miles it was whining and shaking and I took it to toyota to be serviced they kept it for a day and they found nothing wrong. I thought nothing of it but since then my car had this low shake/rattle to it. I've changed sparks and coils thinking it was that. Finally, today at only 49,900 miles with no signs previously this cars transmission blows not allowing me to reverse or switch gears on me and the head gasket blew allowing water to mix with the oil basically totaling my car.

NHTSA ODI 11682543

My transmission is going out at 60 thousand miles

NHTSA ODI 11680034

Mi guagua tiene problemas con la transmisión. El fallo se manifiesta con un sonido extraño y fuerte que aparece al conducir. La transmisión defectuosa sigue instalada y está disponible para inspección si se solicita. Esta situación pone en riesgo mi seguridad y la de otros, ya que el daño podría empeorar y dejarme sin control del vehículo o inmovilizarlo por completo. Se ha evaluado la guagua y las indicaciones son problemas en la transmisión, los síntomas son constantes y fáciles de reproducir. No hubo luces de advertencia ni mensajes antes de que apareciera el fallo; el único síntoma previo fue un ligero ruido que con el tiempo se volvió más fuerte. La causa exacta es desconocida, pero sospecho que puede ser problemas en la transmisión.

NHTSA ODI 11679619

My transmission started failing 4 years after I bout it. And now it’s worse than ever

NHTSA ODI 11678574

Transmission went out more than once, the first time within warranty only a few years after the vehicle was on the market two years after getting it replaced it was no longer within warranty and they are refusing to repair it. I would have to pay $1200 if you look at the Toyota forum there are thousands and thousands and thousands of people with 2018 CHR who are having the same exact problem. The fact that the Corolla CVT engines are being recalled and other vehicles are being recalled except for the CHR is ridiculous. Please look into

NHTSA ODI 11668681

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine revved loudly while the transmission was stuck in low gear. The check engine, power steering, Forward Collision Avoidance, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that upon exceeding 25 MPH, the engine revved loudly to 4,000 RPM. The contact drove to the residence, where the vehicle was diagnosed by a mobile independent mechanic. The mechanic determined that the failure was related to the transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. Glen Burnie Transmissions was contacted, and the contact was informed that there were several similar vehicles at the location being repaired for the failure. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

NHTSA ODI 11648296

The transmission bearing has an internal failure making the vehicle jerk and noisy. When I drive the car it shakes / jerks A LOT. My safety is put at risk because the car can stall out. TOYOTA LET ME DRIVE MY CAR HOME FROM THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT AFTER FAILING TO FIX THE ISSUE. I currently cannot drive my car because I can stall out and crash! I had no warnings, no lights , no nothing telling me there was an issue ! It just started jerking when I was driving. I have been to the dealer I bought the car from and they did nothing to fix the issue. How can an issue like this not show up on my car dashboard!! ? I have video of the car jerking as well.

NHTSA ODI 11633776

Power train failed on my 3 year old car. It could've been catastrophic if it failed on the road. The CVT transmission is a mess. It's also caused undue financial burden on every CHR owner since the power train had continued to fail uncontrollably. This car was traded in since the transmission had failed. There should be a recall on every CVT that was manufactured in 2018. Every owner and previous owner should be compensated for the loss. After market and rebuilt power trains weren't available since the car was 3 years old. Almost $10k to replace this transmission. This car was taken to a Toyota dealer who assured me that is was "cupped tires". I'm confident that they knew what the problem was. By the time the power train failure was detected, the car was out of warranty. Thanks

NHTSA ODI 11581395