2018 Toyota C-HR Complaint Log

Transmission issue per car dealer

When you give the car gas the car starts to rumble. Sounds like gears slipping or grinding. Brought car to Price LeBlanc Toyota in Baton Rouge, LA where car was purchased and service department stated nothing was wrong and that noise had stopped. When driving car home noise was worst than when brought to service department stated.

The transmission in this specific car model for not only me, but others as well always have problems and go out at any time. Dealership won’t help with me having my warranty go out even tho it’s a notorious problem. Typically costs over 10k in in repairs of replacing the transmission that will eventually go out again.

It’s the transmission failure, most owners have complained about the same issues and Toyota ain’t doing nothing about it

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

On 3/31/2026, SUDDEN Power train failure occurred with 122k miles.

The CVT transmission failed on my 2018 Toyota C-HR, which I purchased in 2022. The vehicle stalled in the middle of traffic on a day with elevated temperatures while my special needs child was a passenger, creating an immediately life-threatening situation. The car showed no signs of any issue prior to this failure. I attempted to have the vehicle inspected multiple times before the failure occurred, but this defect is not detectable without a deep diagnostic inspection and by the time that level of inspection is needed, the transmission is already in the process of failing. There are no warning lights or symptoms until complete failure occurs. When I contacted Toyota, the representative acted as though this was an isolated issue and not a known defect. This is false. This is a viral, widespread problem that the vast majority of 2018 Toyota C-HR owners are experiencing and actively reporting across forums, consumer complaint sites, and to NHTSA itself. Toyota is fully aware of this defect. Upon seeking an independent inspection, the mechanic showed me the same transmission from another vehicle of the same make and compared it to mine, explaining that the C-HR uses a larger CVT transmission, making a used replacement approximately $6,000 alone and advised that given the repair cost relative to the car’s value, purchasing a new vehicle may be the only realistic option. I am now completely without transportation due to what is clearly a premature manufacturing defect on a 7-year-old vehicle, causing severe financial hardship. Notably, Toyota Canada has already issued a recall and extended the warranty to 10 years/100,000 miles for this exact same defect on the same model. U.S. owners are being denied the same protection and quoted $10,000–$14,000 for a known manufacturing defect. I am requesting NHTSA investigate and issue a U.S. recall for all affected 2018 Toyota C-HR vehicles immediately.

The 2018 Toyota C-HR has a known continuously variable transmission (CVT) defect. Toyota should extend its powertrain warranty to cover failures of the continuously variable transmission (CVT) on the model.

Complete transmission failure.

My transmission broke down, There have been multiple reports of CVT transmission failures. Toyota experimented with a new transmission in the 2017-2020 CH-r models. No disclosures were attached. Replacements are the only option for this repair. Toyota is charging between $10,000-$14,000 for parts and labor.

Transmission creating a very load whining sound and feels wrong. It sounds like it’s going to blow up. Mechanic said it’s a known issue that can’t be repaired and no recall has been issued. The car is necessary for college and I’m concerned about the safety of driving it with the potential of total transmission failure.

Bearing in transmission failed. Need to replace the whole transmission. Car is 8 years old and has 59,000 miles

Transmission completely gave up. Took it to be looked at and the people who service my car regularly were incredibly confused. No service light. No warnings. Nothing other than a rattling sound when I accelerated was the indicator. I searched online and this model has recalls outside the U.S. for the SAME reason but recalls are not available here in the U.S. so many customers are suffering because of this car. I too cannot afford to replace it & I barely had it for 4 years so it wasn’t even completely paid off once it died. I have a commute on the interstate of 30 minutes to and from work every day. I’m so relieved I took it to be checked before I put myself in danger on the road. It had absolutely NO warning to let me know that it was having transmission issues. Not even a check engine service light or error. My service area didn’t even notice anything wrong when I had my oil changed 2 months before I made them check the noise. It has been inspected by 2 local repair businesses. The only symptom I had was a very light rattling noise. I thought it was the plastic cover underneath my vehicle. If I didn’t go for that reason, I don’t know what would’ve happened to me. They had to bring in a seasoned repair man to find out the culprit in the end & I received the bad news before they closed up shop

On February 6, 2026 the transmission in my 2018 Toyota CHR began to malfunction while on interstate 90. IF the transmission had completely failed on a major highway it could have impacted my safety as well as anyone travelling in proximity to me. When I was able to get off the thru-way there was considerable screaming and clunking from the front end. Two auto repair businesses confirmed that it was the tranmission. The vehicle is available for inspection. No indication prior to the event. I had taken the vehicle to a local dealer in December to have the transmission serviced and was told by their service department that it was not necessary unless there were warning lights on or if the car was not operating in a normal manner.

Purchased my car, kept up with regular maintenance. Toyota and another mechanic confirm that I need to replace my transmission at 130k miles. It will cost me 12k. This is a known issue from Toyota because of a defective bearing. Yet I as the consumer must foot the bill. This needs to be recalled as it’s a common failure among over 4 years of this cars model. Toyota of Canada has recalled and issued a warranty extension on all 2018 and 2019 models which replaced this issue FREE OF CHARGE. Toyota US is charging me 12 thousand dollars. Needs a recall

TRANSMISSION FAILURE AT ONLY 74,000 MILES. VERY DISAPPOINTED TO FIND OUT THAT THEY ONLY HAVE A SPECIAL COVERAGE AVAILABLE IN CANADA FOR THIS ISSUE AND NOT THE UNITED STATES.

The wheel bearings inside of the transmission of the 2018 CHR and newer models commonly fail and seize up causing the vehicle to lock up and create a dangerous situation while driving. In Canada the highway safety has recalled the Transmissions and had them repaired unlike in the United States. The wheel bearings in my 2018 CHR CVT transmission or seizing up and causing damage to the engine which could result in severe safety risks while driving possibly leading to accident or loss of life. Out of fear of safety after I was told by Toyota that this was the issue that was reported Nationwide and that the country of Canada recalled the transmission out of safety concerns for the public I decided to park the vehicle and not drive it anymore for fear of safety for my family.

Vehicle has a cvt transmission and has faulty bearings. Started making a dragging rough noise. Needs a whole new transmission.

Transmission failing, I’ve read this is extremely common on these cars. In Canada they have issued a recall on these vehicles. It’s been making noise for quite a while, it recently started getting. Loud grinding squeaky sounds.

Transmission failure due to CVT bearing failure

I left my apartment on my way to school when my vehicle suddenly stopped in the middle of the road. I was on a three lane, one way street and I was stuck in the middle. My vehicle could not move forward or backward despite the engine still running and being gear. It was a really busy time of day and I sat there for about 3 hours, still in the middle of the street, waiting for a tow. A police officer had to sit behind me with his lights on and cones out to prevent other drivers from colliding with me. No warning lights came up on my dash prior to or during the incident. The repair shop diagnosed it to need a new transmission and torque converter costing roughly $16k to fix. My vehicle is under 100k miles and I have seen others complain about the same issue. Toyota Canada has issued an extended warranty on these same vehicles because this is a known issue however, the same cannot be said for the US. My car is currently still in the shop as I am still trying to figure out how I’m going to get it repaired.

Yes, Toyota has extended the warranty for the Continuous Variable Transmission (CVT) on certain C-HR models (specifically 2018-2019) in Canada and potentially the US due to widespread reports of a defective bearing, covering failures up to 10 years or 193,000 km (around 120,000 miles) and offering refunds for past repairs, a move prompted by consumer advocacy, though US action often lags Canada's. Details of the Extension (Canada-focused, but relevant for US): Models Affected: Primarily 2018 and 2019 Toyota C-HRs, with investigations extending to 2018-2022 models. The Problem: A faulty bearing inside the CVT can fail, leading to very expensive ($10,000-$15,000) transmission replacements, notes the Automobile Protection Association (APA). New Coverage: Up to 10 years or 193,000 km (about 120,000 miles) from the original purchase date, with some reports mentioning no mileage cap until September 2026. Reimbursement: The program also provides refunds for owners who paid out-of-pocket for repairs before the extension was announced.

Transaxle assembly, consistent with a possible differential bearing fault no transmission fault I have been quoted of price range $5,000 to $11,000 and have read that for 2018-2019 there have been issues but why is my vehicle not included. I was told by Toyota my vehicle not included in the extended warranty

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.

Transmission bearings

CVT is making a Whining noise when driving. Cold it when it's heard the most but always there. Seeing posts that the CVT has and is having a bearing issue.

CVT Transmission making Whining noise and shifting hard while driving. After extensive research I have discovered this is a common problem with the 2018 CH-R. Extended warranty of 10 years or 150,000 mi available for Canada, but not US. I have been a loyal Toyota owner for over 20 years, owning 5 different Toyotas, and even encouraged my kids to purchase Toyota due to longevity, reliability, and durability of the products. Our family has owned over 15 Toyota vehicles. Due to Toyotas refusal to take responsibility we will no longer give our business to this company and will tell everyone we know to NEVER purchase a Toyota

When I was heading to work I started to hear a grinding sound. After my shift I drove my car to pickup my kids from school and the sound I was hearing was louder. It sounded like something was cracking as I was driving . I was worried that we were going to be stranded in the middle of the road. I drove as slow as possible till we made it home. So, the very next morning I took it to a mechanic shop. I did not have any warning symbols or messages to alert of any issue. I was told their was and internal failure within my transmission. They also mentioned it was a sealed transmission and the only solution was to replace it. They quoted me 11k to replace and program new transmission. My vehicle has 125k miles and was purchased when they first released in 2017. I purchased a Toyota because they have a reputable name so I thought. Now I see many people have been having trouble with this CVT transmission around the same mileage or earlier. My registration is due this month and cant renew it do my vehicle being undrivable. I'm stuck without a car and I'm not able to afford to repair or purchase another vehicle. Something has to be done with these CVT transmissions. My wife's Highlander has the same type of transmission and I'm worried that it potentially will have the same issue down the line.

The CTV transmission failed with a check engine light and multiple error codes including front end collision warning failure and Electronic brakes failure. The car had supposedly passed a 125 pt inspection less than 5000 miles before this. In addition, the fluid had been replaced as recommended at about 60,000 miles.

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

Transmission failure at under 100,000 miles

I have a 2018 Toyota CHR with of course a CVT transmission. I am around 105k miles with normal maintenance and have had small issues but nothing crazy until now. I have been noticing a strange noise coming from my car and after replacing pretty much every moving part on the car (besides the transmission), the issue is a bearing coming from within the transmission. After doing further research through the NHTSA and other websites it seems like this is an inevitable problem with all models from this make within the year 2017-2022. This is extremely disappointing coming from a lifelong Toyota customer. There seems to be a recall for these units in other parts of North America but not the United States. I would not recommend this car or this company to anyone. Failures in this part exceed the value of the car as of 2026 and it is completely ridiculous that Toyota has not done anything. As a loyal Toyota customer you have lost my business and every time I see someone in this model CHR I can only feel bad for them knowing their car is most likely not going to make it 5 years or even to 100k miles. This is a great little car on the interior and exterior but is unfortunate that Toyota made the wrong decision mass producing and rushing the import of them into the United States with a Turkish made transmission. Not the Toyota quality that anyone expected.

I was told today, on 12/2/25, by the Toyota dealership that my 2018 Toyota C-HR has a prematurely defective bearing in the transmission, causing a loud noise while driving. This will ultimately cause catastrophic vehicle failure. This is a known issue and needs to be resolved by Toyota. The vehicle only has 118,000 miles on it and has been meticulously maintained. Please help the Toyota C-HR customers who have spent their hard-earned money on this vehicle.

The eCVT transmission failed causing the vehicle to stop at highway speed. No warnings. Only warning was a whining sound that could have been mistaken for highway noise. When taken to a dealer this was beyond repair. Since this was a "sealed" transmission, no maintenance was required or recommended by the dealer. I have only had this vehicle maintained by the dealer. Other Toyota C-HR owners have had the same problem.

I noticed a humming sound coming from my car about a month ago. After getting it looked at it is a transmission issue. The same issue many people are having with this model of car. It is drivable for now but for how long I don’t know.

The CVVT broke. The dealership said a part broke and agreed that it was a "known issue" with this vehicle. Toyota was contacted (Engagement Center) and insisted that it is not a known issue.

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.

I am writing to formally request warranty service for my Toyota CH-R 2018, VIN [XXX] , currently with 88,341 miles. Despite its relatively low mileage and consistent maintenance, the vehicle has developed a transmission issue attributed to a defective bearing inside the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). As you are aware, Toyota issued a warranty extension specifically covering transmission failures resulting from this defect. This extension applies for up to 10 years or 193,000 kilometers (approximately 120,000 miles), whichever comes first. My vehicle clearly falls within these parameters. Given the nature of the defect and Toyota’s acknowledgment of its impact, I respectfully request that your dealership initiate the appropriate warranty repair or replacement process without delay. I am prepared to bring the vehicle in for inspection and provide any additional documentation required. Please confirm receipt of this letter and advise on the next steps to resolve this matter promptly. I trust Toyota will stand behind its commitment to quality and customer satisfaction. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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)

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that there was an abnormal thumping sound coming from the vehicle while driving at undisclosed speeds. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that the transmission was faulty. The vehicle was taken to another unknown dealer, who informed the contact that the transmission was failing. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who confirmed the failure was due to the transmission. The manufacturer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 42,000.

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.

Faulty CVT transmission

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound that became louder during acceleration. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the bearings in the transmission had failed, causing the transmission failure. The dealer determined that the transmission needed to be replaced and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the vehicle had been recalled in Canada due to the same failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 82,960.

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.

When I place my car in park and take my foot off the brake occasionally it will still drive. This has happened several times but this last time it did damage to my garage door.

The issue I’m having with my vehicle is my transmission. When I drive it doesn’t want to shift smoothly, grinds and whines when accelerating and braking. The safety on my 17 MONTH OLD daughter is the main one that I transport around and this definitely puts her safety at risk as we could be driving down that posts higher speeds or up hill and loose momentum to go and could be struck by another vehicle. As we hope people pay attention accident death rates rising shows otherwise. The vehicle has been loosed at and diagnosed it’s my transmission and now CNA warranty is bending over backwards to NOT replace it when it is a known issue. There have been ZERO indication that an issue was happening and that puts me and my family at greater risk of injury or death due to negligence of Toyota not making a recall on the transmissions or being transparent about the issue.

The CVT transmission in my 2018 Toyota C-HR failed suddenly while driving. There were no warning lights, check engine indicators, or dashboard messages before the issue occurred. The only symptom was a sudden whining/whirring noise from the transmission area. The vehicle has been regularly maintained and serviced through ToyotaCare until the coverage expired in 2023. The failure happened on 11/02, and the car is currently available for inspection upon request. This failure created a potential safety risk because the car unexpectedly lost power and could not accelerate properly in traffic. The problem has been confirmed by a Toyota dealer (Toyota of Anaheim), who diagnosed it as an internal CVT transmission failure. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Toyota corporate, police, or insurance representatives. There were no warning lamps or messages before the failure , only the noise that began a month ago and it when i accelerate, I decided to take it in to the dealership to take a look at.

Same Problem as almost all 2018 chr has. Bad transmission

The issue is the bearing in my CVT transmission. I've been advised by three different shops/dealerships that this is the problem while being quoted $10k plus to replace the transmission. Through research, this is a known issue with the 2018-2022 Toyota CHRs. Thus making this vehicle heavily UNSAFE to drive and Toyota is not taking any accountability with this problem. There have been no warning lights of this issue. Only an intense grinding noise in the front end of the vehicle and "jumping/hopping" at times and brief moments where the vehicle will not move. It seems to only occur when the warranty is expired but something needs to be done about this as I know I am not the only person experiencing this problem. This not only is a severe safety issue but also should never have happened if Toyota took responsibility for putting faulty CVT transmissions in this vehicle. They need to cover the costs and make this right!!

I am reporting repeated transmission failures and unsafe driving behavior in my 2018 Toyota C-HR. The transmission was first replaced at approximately 89,000 miles under an extended warranty due to whining noises and slipping. Since then, I have returned to the dealership three separate times with the same symptoms. The dealer acknowledges the issue but has not performed any corrective repairs. The vehicle now exhibits the same failure symptoms again at 124,000 miles. These include whining noises when accelerating, hesitation to engage, and intermittent loss of power. This creates unsafe driving conditions, especially when merging or crossing intersections. Details and Pattern: Toyota Canada has publicly acknowledged a faulty bearing inside the CVT transmission for the 2018–2019 Toyota C-HR and extended the warranty to 10 years / 193,000 km. My vehicle has the same CVT transmission (K114) and was built in the same factory (Turkey). Toyota USA has not offered any comparable warranty extension or recall, despite identical vehicles experiencing the same failures. Numerous other U.S. owners have reported similar CVT failures to NHTSA and CarComplaints.com. This appears to be a widespread safety defect related to the transmission’s internal bearing or CVT assembly, which can cause loss of power and control while driving. Requested Action: I request that NHTSA investigate the 2018 Toyota C-HR CVT transmission for design or manufacturing defects, including bearing failure, and determine whether a U.S. recall or extended warranty campaign should be issued as Toyota Canada has already done.