2018 Toyota C-HR complaints

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.

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 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.

Same Problem as almost all 2018 chr has. Bad transmission

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.

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.

The contact owns a 2018 Toyota CH-R. The contact stated that while driving in ECO Mode, there was a humming sound coming from the transmission. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the transmission and torque converter were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the vehicle was not covered under a manufacturer’s Extended Warranty Coverage for the failure. The contact stated that a recall for the failure had been issued for certain vehicles manufactured in Canada. The failure mileage was 35,100.

The component that failed is the CVT transmission. Toyota dealership in kansas city replaced transmission and the faulty transmission is no longer available for inspection. The faulty transmission could have placed me at risk by failing without notice and causing a loss of control while driving. the componenet has been inspected by a toyota dealership named Molle toyota in kansas city and they have deemed that the transmission needed to be replaced as well as the torque converter. there were no warning lamps or messages, a faint whining noise was the only symptom.

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 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!!

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.

My transmission went in my 2018 Toyota car and the dealer wants to charge me more than the cars worth. It only lasted until 83000 miles. Many others had the same complaint online and Toyota will not do anything about it. Took it in to the dealer when I was supposed to for maintenance. So frustrating that now I will have to get another car and can't afford it.

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.

Transmission failure at under 100,000 miles

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 am reporting a defective CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) in my Toyota vehicle that completely failed at approximately 85,000 miles under normal driving conditions. The transmission did not exhibit abusive use or unusual load beyond everyday driving — just standard highway and city miles. At ~85,000 miles, the transmission began to exhibit significant performance degradation and mechanical failure, including (describe what happened — e.g., whining, slipping, failure to engage, loss of drive). Eventually it failed outright, leaving the vehicle inoperable and requiring a replacement transmission at substantial cost. Toyota has used this CVT design across multiple models, and there are numerous owner complaints and documented powertrain failures tied to Toyota’s CVT, including reports of failures well below 100,000 miles. Independent sources and consumer complaint databases show this is not isolated — many owners report early transmission failures and extremely high replacement costs when out of warranty. CarComplaints +1 I believe this is a safety and reliability defect because a transmission giving out at moderate mileage can cause loss of propulsion, unexpected behavior while driving, and potentially hazardous situations if it fails while the vehicle is in motion. This issue should be investigated for potential recall or formal safety action, as the frequency and severity of failures impose undue financial hardship and risk to consumers. I am submitting this complai

CVT transmission went out at about 101,000, and is currently sitting in my yard.

Vehicle: 2018 Toyota C-HR (Base Model) Issue: CVT Transmission Failure I am submitting this complaint regarding a serious defect in the CVT transmission of my 2018 Toyota C-HR. After owning it less than 2 years, the vehicle developed transmission problems that rendered it unsafe and ultimately undrivable. Multiple mechanics, including a dealership and a transmission specialist, confirmed the issue originates where the transmission meets the axle on the driver’s side. The recommended solution was a full transmission replacement, with repair costs quoted as high as $11,000, nearly equal to the car’s entire market value. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. There were no warning messages or lamps to indicate an issue prior to the incident that occurred. This situation raises serious safety concerns: The transmission failure occurred suddenly, leaving me unable to operate the vehicle. I was on the way home during rush hour traffic. I approached a redlight and came to a stop. Once the light turned green, my car wouldn't accelerate and began rolling backwards any time I attempted to accelerate. A transmission defect can cause unexpected loss of power or drivability, putting myself, drivers nearby and passengers at risk on the road. The fact that this issue is widely reported among Toyota owners suggests a systemic defect that compromises public safety. Customers are forced to choose between paying exorbitant repair costs or continuing to make loan payments on a car

I am currently at 75,000 miles on my Toyota CHR and starting to experience transmission failure related issues like shuttering, whinning and burnt smell. I have been unable to afford repairs for this vehicle. According to Toyota this is a problem with multiple Toyota CHR owners. There is a recall for this in Canada but has yet to be recalled in the USA.

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 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

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)

Transmission internally failed. This has been confirmed through multiple sources. Dealership, mechanic. No warning lights, grinding noise. My safety is put at risk because A failing transmission creates multiple safety hazards while driving. The vehicle may lose power unexpectedly, hesitate, or fail to accelerate when needed, especially during turns, intersections, or highway merging. It can also shift unpredictably or refuse to shift, causing sudden jerking, surging, or deceleration that increases the risk of losing control. Transmission failure can lead to total loss of propulsion in traffic, leaving the vehicle stalled in dangerous locations. Additionally, fluid leaks and overheating pose fire risks. Overall, the unpredictable operation of a failing transmission significantly increases the likelihood of collisions and unsafe driving situations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Faulty CVT transmission

The transmission had to be replaced before 100k miles. If I didn't notice it in time, I could have caused an accident if the transmission stopped working. The dealership I got it fixed at said there were other cars, same make and model, that had to have full transmission replacements. I saw online that a bunch of other people had the same problem as me. It has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. It was inspected by the mechanics at my dealership. There were no warning lamps or messages. I just began to hear odd loud noises while I was driving.

My car started making a loud noise several months ago so I took it to a mechanic. When he looked at it, he informed me that the bearing in my transmission failed and could not be repaired because it would all need replaced. I couldn’t afford it so I called 3 other places who told me it needed fully replaced also since it’s CVT. I’ve been trying to trade it in with issues for months and nobody will take it and I can’t afford to fix it or pay it down. I fear for my safety every time I drive it because it now shakes pretty hard and the noise is much louder. At any time it could fully die while I’m on the road or freeway. I don’t have a choice to drive it because I can’t afford it. When I called Toyota at 108k miles they said it was over 100k and therefore the would not help me. That is when it first occcurred but it obviously still is an issue. I am happy for others to look at it but I really just need help because I’m very scared and overwhelmed

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.

I have a CVT transmission and it has failed. Out of no where I use the top notch oil etc and this has occurred. Nobody wants to touch this to fix it but those that do all are quoting me over $13k to put in a used replacement. There should be a recall on these- this topic is all over Reddit and car forums for premature transmission failure

At just under 83,000 miles my transmission began to make a whining sound which increased upon acceleration. I immediately had mechanic check it, then took it to my dealership where they diagnosed the problem as defective ball bearings within the transmission. I have contacted Toyota Corporate office and reported the problem with a request for no charge replacement. It's been crickets for 2 weeks. I did find that this is not just my vehicle as Toyota Canada did a recall on this and extended the warranty to 10 years/100,000 miles. There are many others in U.S. reporting same problem; and many YouTube videos documenting the same. This could be a danger when driving should the transmission stop functioning in heavy traffic; could cause a serious life threatening accident. Toyota must do the right thing and recall all affected vehicles. Customers should not have to pay $13,600.00 to replace transmission when Toyota is very aware if this defect.

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.

Bad transmission. Appears to be a widespread 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.

I have a Toyota CHR 2018, bought it brand new in July 2018. I recently noticed a noise and when driving a difference when using the gas. I took it to 2 different mechanics and it is my Transmission. Is my car under warranty? It has less than 110K miles on it

Car making a whining noise Took it to the mechanic and they diagnosed it as a transmission issue Looked online and noticed that this is a common issue that multiple people with this model are experiencing

2018 TOYOTA CH-R DEAD TRANSMISSION OVER ONE YEAR AGO -139,000 MILES DEALERSHIP REPAIR BIDS $12,000 AND $9,930. NO REPAIR ATTEMPTED CANDA APA Toyota has extended the warranty on the 2018 and 2019 C-HR coupe to cover CVT transmission failures up to 10 years or 193,000 km. A defective bearing inside the transmission can fail over time, resulting in a very expensive repair. Consumers reported spending $10,500 to $15,000 at a Toyota dealership to replace the entire CVT transmission. The warranty extension carries no mileage limitation [XXX] OP • 4mo ago Definitely Toyota manufacturing in Canada has already began to work with their national highway association to pressure for extended warranties. I would contact the Canadian Toyota manufacturer wait for the customer satisfaction advocacy option. It’s one of the last on the menu so just be patient and then they’ll lead you in the right direction from there. [XXX] [XXX] • 2mo ago I called corporate told them my situation said that I came on Reddit and I went on the web and I did research and found out that this is a common problem of transmission failure failure at low mileage. I had 60,000 miles on my 2018 told them that there are going to be class action lawsuits against them coming up. They called me the next day and said they would repair mine for free. I have a year warranty. I got my car back in three days. I was totally blown away. Toyota actually really came through. [XXX] • 1mo ago Omg!! I'm gonna have to try this. My transm

There are multiple reports across North America and Canada about 2018 Toyota C-HR Transmission making noise because of the bearing failing. Canada already issues a Warranty Enhancement Program (WEP) to offer owners of this vehicle at no cost to help them get a repair and replacement of the transmission because this is a high value repair cost at around $5,000-$10,000. I hope you can do something about this and help us get this similar program at least here in the US. I am including the link for the Warranty Enhancement program for this issue. Thank you! [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

CVT transmission failure after owning this vehicle for two years. I bought this vehicle in feb 2023 for my daughter in college and she has put only around 35k miles since the purchase. She took the car to the Toyota dealer oct 2025 reporting a whining noise and they stated the car now needs a complete replacement transmission costing $11,000. I am a single father and and still owe over $11000 on this car. Please consider a national recall on this transmission. I do not have financial resources to fix this car or purchase a new car for my daughter.

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.

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

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 deter

My vehicles CVT transmission went out after only 77k miles. Im reading online that this is a common problem and the costs to repair are 10k plus.

My 2018 Toyota CHR started making a whining noise which I initially thought was a wheel bearing but was later confirmed to be a transmission problem. The mileage was 62, 871, but as I stated earlier it could have been earlier because I thought the initial noise was a wheel bearing. I took the Toyota CHR to the Toyota dealership on 10/14/25 at which time they determine the transmission was bad and had a cost of $12,369.64 to replace. The car did not have any indication or any warning lamps of the problem.

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.

I can hear a whirling sound coming from under the car. I took it to the mechanic and was told the transmission is failing and need replacement. I was told by At a Toyota dealership there is no maintenance on this transmission. It doesn’t even have a dipstick to check levels. The whole design is to replace rather than maintain. My car had 80k miles when it started

My transmission has started slipping and making weird noises. I'm afraid it will fail while driving and cause an accident. I just recently went to toyota and they told me it needs to be replaced. There have been 200+ complaints on the toyota chr for transmission issues, but no recalls for the 2018 model, which apparently has the most issues. There have been no warning lights to appear since owning the vehicle in 2021