NHTSA Owner Complaint Log
This page lists owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Toyota C-HR. Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA and do not by themselves prove a defect or defect rate.
Transmitted failed, this car is national wide scam, there are thousands of people with the same problem
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was associated with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission might lock and that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 130,001.
Transmission failure, parking brake won’t release, most if not all driver assist features don’t work. Car is undriveable at 110,000 miles.
CVT transmission bearing noise
Car started making high pitch noise when moving, it is the CVT transmission failing at 125k miles. Toyota describe the CVT fluid as lifetime and no recommended maintenance required.
Noticed a humming noise and took my vehicle in to Toyota lacrosse. They told me the transmission needs to be replaced at a cost of 10,000 dollars . No warning lights . No current safety issues .
The transmission went out of my 2019 Toyota CHR due to bearing failure
My 2019 Toyota CHR has only 82,000 mileage, and already required by the dealer to change the transmission which costs a lot
My cvt transmission carrier bearing has went bad in my vehicle. Not only have these bearings been one of the main conplaints, this vehicle has several recalls. And which the recall for the precondition system has went bad in mine months ago. I was driving home when suddenly my car got hard to drive n their were very loud noises. Got it looked at and was told it was that bearing. That u can not afford to even fix. I still owe 12k on this car. Ive inky had it for exactly 2 years with only 114k miles on it. Thr bearing should not be malfunctioning already. Toyota needs to fix it or replace the whole transmission cuz no shop will fix the bearing. They tell me I need to buy a new transmission
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the bearings were damaged and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The dealer advised the contact to stop driving the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
- My 20218 C-HR has a hard jerk noise when accelerating from a stop sign. Transmission of the car is malfunctioning, took the car to Toyota Fort Worth and the diagnosed the issue to be a noise coming from the transmission. - Car can suddenly stop while driving it on the freeway, this can cause a serious accident and to myself and others. - There is a TSB related to K71, meaning that the manufacturer is aware of the issue. It is a known issue to them. - No warning sign
A victim of the fault cvt transmissions. Known and recorded faulty transmissions but into these models and these year Toyotas. Dealership wants $12000 to change whole trans with no support.
I've completed all factory recommended changes/flushes, but at 140k miles, my transmission is failing. No indicator lights or signs have indicated an issue, but a transmission sound was the only indicator that something is wrong. The transmission issue was confirmed by an independent service center. This is a well known issue for the 2019 Toyota CHRs, but there is no recall for this. This car should have many more miles to go, but it's failing because of a known faulty build. Toyota has fixed the transmission issue in later models of the engine, but refuse to be held accountable for this failure.
At 125,000 miles it has been discovered that my CVT transmission is failing due to a transmission bearing issue. Quoted repair cost for $14,000 despite CVT transmission failure is common on my model. Toyota has only offered extended warranties to Canadian residence $14,000 is something I don’t have and face repossession for the failed transmission.
Transmission bearings failed
Transmission CVT failure of the 2019 Toyota CHR at 107,000 miles, was not inspected until there was an undeniable sound coming from the transmission and specific request was made for the source of the sound. There were no dashboard lights or warnings prior or even now that I’ve been told the transmission needs replaced and is in failure. Transmission failure has been inspected and confirmed by Toyota Dealership. As a consumer I was not forewarned transmission will require specialty maintenance in order to keep the vehicle in service especially at just 100k miles, no formal requirements were ever made concerning the transmission to maintain the functionality of this particular vehicle. The sound began emitting from the transmission about 2 to 3 weeks prior and due to the government shutdown as a federal employee I took my car to get serviced for the issue when it was feasible to do so. There is a Toyota CHR forum and multiple media outlets discussing the faulty CVT transmissions in the Toyota CHR costing upwards of 9000 -14000 in replacement with no warnings but solely based on driver intellect that something is functionally wrong with the vehicle. In my observations and experience the transmission issue simply equates to replacement rather than a repair issue.
Rubbing, grinding sound coming from Transmission
Car was under warranty until 100k miles. At 110k miles, transmission blew up. $12k minimum to replace, even with a used transmission. This needs to be a country-wide notification and Toyota needs to be held accountable. My transmission blew up at a stop light. If this had been on a major highway, the driver, passenger and outside drivers could have been seriously injured. Toyota should be replacing these free of charge and providing rentals. Canada already has a program in place to resolve this safety issue. Why don’t we have this in the states?
My transmission is messed up
Transmission is failing at 101,000 miles. Toyota will do nothing, they quoted me at $10,600 to replace it. This is an ongoing issue with all the CHR’s and as of September 25th they have extended the warranties in Canada due to all the transmission failures. On the APA website for Canada they are reporting that they have a defective bearing inside the transmission that fails over time. The APA also recorded over 60 reports of CVT transmission failures on the Toyota C-HR. The majority of complaints cluster in the 2018-2019 model years, but a significant number of failures affect 2020 models. The average mileage at the time a failure was reported is just 118,000 km.
The car started making weird noises and shaking. Took it to the dealership and the car has a bearing that’s bad on the Transmission. It is a known problem according to the technician who took a look at it. Multiple cars during the 2017-2019 che cars all have the same issues.
TRANSMISSION ISSUE WITH ECVT TRANSMISSION, CAR ONLY HAS 148,000+ MILES, TOYOTA REPAIR $11, 000 FOR REPAIR. THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE WITH THIS MODEL.
My 2019 Toyota CH-R started making a whoop whoop sound while in gear. i took it to the dealership about a week after the noise started, and they stated my transmission was "broken/breaking. It only has 107,000 miles on it. I am looking online, and this is a common problem with the K114 transmission.
I noticed the transmission was making a whirring noise, took it into the dealership and they gave me an estimate for a new transmission for $13k.
Severe structural corrosion was discovered on a low-mileage 2019 compact SUV affecting critical suspension components, including the front subframe, lower control arm mounting points, and structural attachment areas. The issue was identified during inspection at a dealership. The technician documented that suspension components were severely rusted, subframe bolts were rusted and cracking, and lower control arms were deteriorating due to corrosion. The technician advised that the vehicle should not be driven and recommended towing for further structural inspection. These components are part of the load-bearing suspension system and may pose a safety risk if failure occurs. This level of corrosion is unusual given the vehicle has approximately 27,000 miles and has been operated in a region without exposure to road salt or severe winter conditions. Independent mechanics who inspected the vehicle also expressed concern about the severity of the corrosion. The problem was confirmed by both a dealership and an independent repair facility. The vehicle was not inspected directly by the manufacturer. No warning lights or messages were present prior to discovery of the issue. Photographic evidence shows rust perforation, material loss, and metal delamination along structural seams, indicating corrosion progressing internally. This condition may compromise suspension mounting integrity and increase the risk of failure while driving. The affected components were repaired and are available for inspection upon reque
Vehicle had just over 100k miles on it and a grinding sound started in the front right side of the vehicle. After driving for another month the sound had become louder and a rattling could be heard under the car. Took the car to the dealer and they wanted $15,000 to replace the transmission. The CVT type transmission used on this vehicle and the 2018 model have had repeated reports of failure at as low as 20k miles.
Transmission issues
Transmission issues with this vehicle. The mechanic is quoting $10,000 for repair.
Took it to the mechanic because I heard grinding and they stated I need a whole new transmission. The transmission in the car is no good and made with faulty materials.
Bought a 2019 Toyota C-HR in 2021. Took it for regular oil changes, yearly inspection, etc. After only 4 years of owning the car and less than 80,000 miles put on the vehicle, I took the car to the mechanic for an oil change and to investigate a loud noise I was hearing when driving the car. Turns out the CVT transmission was irreparably damaged, requiring a whole new part to be bought. Had the car towed to a Toyota service center for the estimate and the piece cost $15,000. At that point why not get a new car? Car has been deemed undrivable until the transmission is fixed. No warning lights, or suggestion that anything was wrong beyond the sound. Have been told this is a specific problem to C-HR's made between 2017-2022 and that Toyota was possibly trialing a new CVT transmission in these vehicles without telling anyone.
Transmission system failing. Car is available for inspection. Daily commute to work in busy traffic, whining noise getting worse, car can breakdown and cause an accident. Confirmed by an independent service center and called 3 other independent service centers and no mechanic will touch the job. Said faulty transmission already. Inspected by service mechanic. Absolutely no Warning lights showing up on the car dashboard screen of the issue! Paperwork available upon request. Thank you
I have been told the transmission is going out. After researching, I have seen this is a common problem with this year make and model of the vehicle.This should not be happening in a car that is a 2019. It is a safety hazard and frankly, it should be recalled in America as I have seen it was recalled in Canada for the same issues. I have already done 2 transmission flushes on the vehicle, but now nothing seems to help.
My car is only six years old, so it shouldn't be giving me transmission problems. I always do my maintenance services on time. I'm not the first person to have the same issues with this car once it reaches a certain number of miles. I went to Toyota and they didn't even give me in option to fix it, they just said that I need to buy a new car. This car should be recalled because people don't buy a car just to last them a little while. On top of it, they can't even tell you exactly what's wrong with the transmission; they just know the means the transmission has a problem. You guys to go look at that because a lot of people are talking about that, and it's not safe.
Transmission failure at ~100K Miles
My car started making a loud whinning noise and I took it into the mechanic and they told me that my transmission is out. However Ive only had this car since January 2022. I have kept up with the oil changes and I've been told that Toyotas are great cars and I would have never imagined that I would have this issue. The transmission repairs can cost up to 6000-7000 in repairs and Im upside down on my loan because Ive used it as a work car and put a lot of miles on it. So I can't even trade it in. I also went past the 60/60000 mile warranty, which doesn't make any sense to me why I would have to pay out of pocket for repairs. Ive read several complaints about other people having the same issue with the car and Ive also researched information about the Toyota C-HR and they stopped making them in the USA due the so many issues and complaints. I hope that there is a way I can fix my car since I have no choice but to keep it. I hope that this doesn't happen to anyone else because this has affected my life in a very negative way. I can't even travel for my job now which has cost me to lose so much money. That's why I still haven't been able to get my car fixed.
I was hearing a noise and took my car in. There is a faulty bearing in the CVT transmission. They can not replace the bearing alone, but have to replace the entire CVT transmission, over 9,000.00 cost. I have taken very good care of my car. I have not missed an oil change, tire rotation and have even had brake work done - because of good ownership responsibility. When looking into the issues with my car I saw MANY others are having the same issue. After research I came across a Toyota Service Bulletin that shows toyota is aware of the defect and still continued to sell the car. Service Bulletin TSB002418 was placed before my purchase. This is a default by the manufacture, and they should honor their product and correct.
Transmission is slow to accelerate
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a squeaking sound coming from the rear suspension of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V710000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change. The contact made the dealer aware of the failure and the recall. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.
Component or system failed or malfunctioned: Pre-collision System Malfumcion. It is available for inspection upon request. Not sure how safety or the safety of others put at risk, The problem has not been reproduced, but has been confirmed by a dealer service center. The vehicle component has been inspected by the Dealership Service Department. There are warning lamps, messages to the failure, that first appeared serveral days ago.
Whining noise, i took the car to dealer and they said i have replace my transmission 12,000$
Just like thousands of others with Toyota CHR 2018-2020, our transmissions give out before the suggested mileage for service, and Toyota is not replacing them for free and charging us $13,000 per transmission replacement. We are thousands of complaints. It can't be just us, clearly this car's transmission is defective and needs to be replaced for free.
2019 Toyota CHR was inspected on 03/26/2025 at the dealership it was originally purchased at and was determined to have a failed CVT transmission at around 77,000 miles. Due to the cost of a total transmission replacement, the extended warranty agency Assurant, sent a third party inspector to the dealership 48 hours later to independently inspect and they came to the same determination. Warning Signs: The only warning sign was a whining noise from the car that only happened as speeds increased to 30+ mph. There were no other warning signs, symptoms or lamps/lights indicating there was a transmission failure. Safety: This puts the safety of myself and other's at risk because if the transmission would have failed while I was driving, I would have lost the ability to drive my vehicle, potentially in the middle of high traffic, putting myself and other's at risk of crash and/or injury. Additionally, a basic search of the internet can tell you that the general public and presumably Toyota is well aware of this issue and yet there is no recall issue, nor have they issued an extended warranty.
The Bridgestone AllSeason WeatherPeak 225/50R 18 tire tread was worn out at 15800 miles. Tires were rotated and alignment performed routinely at Firestone. Inflation was checked every two weeks. Many complaints for this issue by other customers. Early tread wear is dangerous and will cause accidents. How could this tire have a 700 tread rating and who is performing the test for the 700 tread rating?
About a year ago my car started to make a grinding noise when accelerating. I had taken it to the shop before to get inspection but was never notified about the problem until I had to report to them about the noise that I was hearing. It was then that they told me that my transmission was failing and would need to get it replaced soon. This is scary because for work I drive clients around and if tha transmission were ever to fail on me it could put them and myself at risk of a severe accident. I’m past my warranty and they had quoted me $10k for it which is way more than what I owe left on my car. It’s very unfortunate because I had planned to keep this car for the long term but now it’s looking like I will have to sell it. I’ve tried contacting Toyota about this problem but they said that they can’t do anything about it and I would have to pay out of pocket for it.
I have a 2019 Toyota CH-R. My car is at about 100,000 miles. My vehicle started making a whirring noise after it exceeded 10mph. I took it into Toyota and they said my transmission needed to be replaced. My car has been maintained properly with scheduled maintenance. This was out of my control. After research, several others have had the same issue with their toyota CH-R. Toyota is quoting me (and others) at $12,700. It is a CVT transmission that is apparently “unique”. This is a safety issue as i am fearful the gears will slip at any moment as i am commuting to and from work. I have filed a claim with Toyota for financial assistance. After investigation they are only agreeing to help with half of the cost when it seems the issue is on Toyota’s end with this type of transmission and not the consumer’s. It is dangerous and impacting those who own this model of vehicle.
The transmission on my 2019 vehicle began making loud grinding and whining noises and then started hesitating during acceleration. A Toyota dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed a failing transmission bearing and advised that the entire transmission must be replaced. The repair was quoted at approximately $12,000. The vehicle has been regularly maintained and serviced. Despite proper maintenance, the transmission failure occurred unexpectedly and prematurely. Because of this issue, the vehicle became unsafe to drive and has now been undrivable for nearly a year. The failure creates a safety risk due to hesitation, loss of acceleration, and unpredictable shifting while merging into traffic or maintaining highway speed. The issue has been reproduced by the dealer and fully documented. There were no warning lights or error messages prior to the failure; the first signs included grinding noises and difficulty shifting. Publicly available reports indicate that Toyota extended warranty coverage in Canada for similar CVT transmission concerns affecting comparable model years, suggesting manufacturer awareness of premature internal component defects. My vehicle’s symptoms match those issues. This defect poses a significant safety hazard, especially given the possibility of sudden power loss. I am filing this complaint because this is clearly a premature CVT failure that has left the vehicle unusable.
No warning lights presenting on dash board, my car started making a noise around 100k (almost like something was rubbing against the tire, think playing card in a bicycle spoke) and I thought maybe it was my loose splash guard causing it. No physical issues (gears up/down fine, no vibrations, no shimmy, no play in the steering). Took it to Dav Cava toyota dealership and was told i needed to replace both my transmission and torque converter. $10,500 estimate. That's more than i owe on the vehicle. I have kept oil changes since I've had it (bought used at around 65k miles). I bought toyota because they're a trusted brand. Imagine the stomach-turning disappointment when I was told I needed to come up with $10,500 when I work hard to pay the payments and general maintenance on this car! Checking the forums it seems I'm not the only one having this issue and as a single mom who desperately needs a break, I hope toyota checks these forums and sees that this is an issue that needs addressed!
Transmision
The vehicle has only 106 thousand miles on it, and it started to make a loud sound while driving it with lots of hesitation to accelerate out of the first gear. There were no warning lights on the dashboard. I took it to my mechanic, who stated it was the CVT transmission. The estimated cost is over 6 thousand. I am waiting on the final quote. It is impossible to believe that Toyota has not recalled this vehicle based on this issue and the many complaints.
At about 64,000 miles I began to hear a loud sound come out of my car while I drove it, so I took it to the Toyota dealership and they said I need a new transmission. My safety and family’s safety is put at risk because my car can stop at any point while driving it. The problem is confirmed by the Toyota dealership! My vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer only the dealership that I bought my car from. There was no warning signs on my car such as a check engine light or anything like that which is even more alarming. The only way I knew there was a problem with my car was because of the sound. Many people are having issues with the transmission when it comes to the Toyota CHR which is surprising how there isn’t a recall already on this because it’s not fair for a car to be at 64k miles and need a new transmission that is super expensive.
Data synced from NHTSA on May 4, 2026