2021 Toyota C-Hr

Routine

Owners filed 34 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the power train. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Power Train15
000
Unknown or Other6
000
Electrical System4
000
Fuel/Propulsion System2
000
Air Bags2
201
Visibility › Defroster/Defogger/Hvac System1
000
Steering1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Forward Collision Avoidance1
102
Engine1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Forward Collision Avoidance › Sensing System › Radar22V107000
Filed Feb 24, 202236,558 vehiclesToyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing

Defect. Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 C-HR vehicles. The radar sensor may not have been activated during production, making the pre-collision system (PCS) inoperative.

Risk. An inoperative PCS that does not provide a malfunction indicator to the driver, or braking assist as expected, can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and activate the radar sensor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA02.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Power Train
Filed Sep 10, 2026KY

There was a sound that the car was making. Took in to the Toyota of Ashland dealership they could not repair it. The CVT bearing needs replaced.

Power Train
Filed Sep 8, 2026NE

Driving to [XXX] from [XXX] to visit my [XXX] mother. Stopped in [XXX] called my brother to come fallow me the rest of the way because a noise that started under the car was very disturbing. My brother fallowed. Me the rest of the way to [XXX] to my sisters house. This was XXX the following day my sister had me take it into a local shop in town. They said it was the transmission and I knew I couldn’t afford a new transmission I just bought the car a week ago for $17,000. I asked the dealer to help nothing asked Toyota for help nothing . Decided to get a second opinion and took it to AAMCO same diagnosis. This powertrain if it would have seized up while driving I could have been killed or hurt or even worse I could have hurt a child or killed a child. This is unexceptionable. Why is it that they are doing something for people in [XXX] but not the [XXX]. Are we less important? I know they are under investigation but allmost all the companies that are having problems with there cvt transmissions are at least trying to do something. I have multiple sclerosis and this stressed me out so much I went to the emergency room to get care. Please make them take accountability. We are important too. This happened XXX and today is XXX and I might have my car back XXX to go home. I had to get a $5,000 signature loan on top of the $17,000 loan i just got to get the car borrowed $1,300 from my husband boss and a $1,000 from my sister. I would have got it all from the bank but that’s all they

Power Train
Filed Jul 7, 2026NC

It will not drive forward and only in reverse. There is a known bearing issue but unfortunately this is past the 60k and no recall.

Steering
Filed May 27, 2026GA

On May 26, 2026 I was driving on the highway at around 50mph and the vehicle swerved to the right on its own causing me to swerve back and forth between two lanes for about 10 seconds. The wheel moved on its own causing me to use force to try to get the car back in control. Thankfully no one was next to me but if that had not been the case, it would have a caused a serious and life threatening accident. Had I been going any faster or on the regular streets, I am certain the vehicle would have flipped or ran off the road. It was EXTREMELY scary, especially as I am a mother and my baby is frequently in the car. I have contacted two separate Toyota dealerships neither one of them giving any concern to my safety or well-being and are charging me $100+ to run a diagnostics. I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle, I no longer believe that Toyota cares about their clients and will no longer be recommending Toyota for their lack of concern of their drivers safety. There were no warning messages or notifications before, during, or after the incident.

Power Train
Filed May 26, 202660,000 milesFL

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota CH-R. The contact stated while driving at various speeds and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle made an abnormal whining sound that progressively became louder. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer on several occasions for routine maintenance since the whining sound started, but the dealer had not advised the contact of a transmission failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a goodwill assistance offer, which the contact declined. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.

Power Train
Filed May 11, 2026TX

The car has developed a growl/whine from the transmission. A trip to the mechanic determined that it sounded as if a bearing inside the transmission is failing. A check online showed multiple complaints regarding the transmission failing with the same issues as my car, and what appeared to be a possible class action lawsuit being filed regarding this transmission issue. No recall is showing for the transmission from Toyota. Recommendation from the mechanic was to replace the transmission rather than repair it.

Power Train
Filed May 10, 2026GA

Unusual noises, unexpected slipping, deacceleration. According to mechanics is a CVT bearing failure

Power Train
Filed Apr 28, 2026GA

The transmission has failed. Started making a whirring noise at 60000 and got worse from there. Toyota wants to charge 13k to fix issue.

Power Train
Filed Mar 9, 2026UT

My transmission went out on my 2021 C-HR. The problem is, Toyota continued making and selling the car after they knew there was an issue. The 2018 and 19 models had transmission recalls, but they failed to fix the issue and continued to let others purchase a vehicle that was going to fail.

Power Train
Filed Feb 19, 2026KS

I was told that the bearing was going out in the transmission. Toyota is charging $11,000 to replace it. Seems to be a common occurrence amongst these vehicles.

Power Train
Filed Jan 28, 2026TX

The transmission all of a sudden started making a whistling noise. Took it to the shop for them to tell me the transmission is bad and needs replaced.

Unknown or Other
Filed Jan 5, 2026SC

Our family vehicle is barely 5 years old with a little over 100k miles driven and is already in need of a transmission. We invested in a Toyota because they are known for being reliable and efficient cars but now are expected to either pay 8-10k or use the C-HR as a paltry down payment of $2k for another car we would once again start paying down. This is not the product or experience we expect especially since the car was properly maintained at every step.

Engine
Filed Dec 29, 2025TX

My 2021 CHR, that I purchased in March 2021 with 11 miles on it, started making a noise when driving in December 2025 so I took it in to Street Toyota in Amarillo, TX on 12-27-2025. It was confirmed that the automatic transaxle needed to be replaced and it would cost $15,653.58 to replace. The cost of my car brand new was $21,000.

Power Train
Filed Dec 20, 2025OK

Electrical failure of the transmission. No inciting incident. Confirmed by the dealership who has done all maintenance on the vehicle. Vehicle suddenly cannot go above 25mph and will not shift gears. Vehicle has approx 60k miles on it.

Power Train
Filed Oct 27, 2025TX

Bought car December 2024 with 54,557 miles and had it inspected at time of purchase; inspection was fine. Car started making odd noise last week, so I took it in for an oil change and they ran diagnostics and determined it needs the transmission replaced, having 67,764 miles. Mechanic told me this is a "known issue" that Toyota is aware of this and won't recall the affected cars. It's going to cost me $12k to fix. Toyota Canada has already acknowledged there is a problem with the cars.

Power Train
Filed Oct 2, 2025NC

Transmission went out at 40 thousand miles.this car has been serviced and maintaned as directed. No rough use what so every.

Power Train
Filed Sep 3, 2025CA

Original owner. Vehicle has internal failure of transaxle at exactly 60,000 miles. All routine services for the life of the car has been completed by a Toyota dealer.

Power Train
Filed Jun 23, 2025IL

Transmission failure. Required service visits always on time with no indication of any problems. After a noticeable change in the vehicle drive and noise from the engine, the vehicle was immediately brought to the dealer service center for inspection. The dealer confirmed transmission malfunction. The dealer refused to extend the warranty which would cover a good portion of the cost. Instead they suggested full out of pocket replacement or trade and buy. Despite all this, the monthly car payment is still my responsibility. Unfortunately being a one income household, I am unable to replace or buy a replacement vehicle. After some online investigation, the transmission issue is common and documented issues in the US and CAN. In my opinion, Toyota has done nothing to remedy the known transmission issues and has total disregard for the customer. At this point, all I need is a reliable car before I return to my job as a teacher's assistance..... before school is back in session. Thank you for your time and support. I look forward to hearing from you!

Electrical System
Filed Jan 24, 202582,000 milesKY

The contact owns a 2021 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. Additionally, the message "Service Vehicle Now" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 82,000.

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 1, 2024FL

On 09/12/2024 Ran over a small sharp object in the road and popped the rear drivers side tire and the tire sensor light came on. Two days later on 09/14/2024 we took the car to the dealership and had them change all four tires. We were told the mechanic found a broken off sensor in one of the tires. It was not in the blown out tire, it was in a tire that had no damage to the tire or rim. I talked to the service manager about how the sensor could have broken off the stem in side the tire. He said the mechanic was sure he didn't break the sensor off the stem when changing the tire, that it happens, the sensor can break off the stem and he has seen this before. I asked if they had saved the defected part and he said that he didn't have it and the mechanic had probably thrown it out in the trash. I asked if the manufacturer knows that sensors are just breaking off in side tires. He said he didn't see any recalls for sensors at this time. I would think the manufacturer would want to see the defected TPMS to determine why the TPMS broke off the stem and if a recall is necessary. At this point I'm feeling uneasy about having three other original TPMS's that can break off at any time and having an unbalanced tire situation. I would like to know if this is a safety issue, having a TPMS break off and leaving a tire unbalanced, especially in a front tire when going up to 85 miles an hour on some roads in this country?

20 of 34 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2018
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20268100Routine
20222000Routine
2021 — this page34100Routine
202062100Routine
2019107300Routine
2018319100Above average

Compare every C-Hr year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Feb 24, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.