2018 Toyota C-hr
The Verdict
The 2018 Toyota C-hr has 327 owner complaints filed with NHTSA. The most reported issues are transmission (204 complaints) and engine (43 complaints). With a Klunk Score of 41/100, it earns a "Proceed with Caution" rating. If you're shopping for a Toyota C-hr, consider the 2022 model year which has 99% fewer complaints.
Safe Bet
The 2022 has 99% fewer complaints
View the 2022 Toyota C-hr dashboard →
Klunk Score: Proceed with Caution
About average for complaint volume. Research the specific issues before buying.
How is this calculated?
The Klunk Score ranks this vehicle year against all others in our database based on total owner complaints filed with NHTSA. 100 = fewest complaints (top tier), 0 = most complained-about. Scores above 60 are better than average; below 40 means more problems than most.
Recalls 1
Active safety recalls from NHTSA for this vehicle year.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2018 Toyota CH-R vehicles. The electronic parking brake (EPB) may not operate properly, possibly causing the parking brake no...
Risk
If the EPB cannot be applied, there is an increased risk of a vehicle rollaway if the vehicle is parked on a hill without being placed into "Park."
Remedy
Toyota has notified owners, and dealers will update the programming of the skid control ECU as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on November 30, 2017. Owners may contact Toyota at 1-800...
Reported Apr 11, 2026
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Under the Hood
Each number is a complaint. Darker = bigger problem.
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Worst Problems
Complaints
I owned a 2018 toyota CHR just this year. I only had it for 9 months and the bearing in the transmission went bad. When it happened it wasn't covered under warrenty because this was a worldwide problem with these vehicle's. Well I didn't know what to do so I went ahead and traded in my vehicle and only got back 2750.00 in trade in. Mind you I soent almost 17,000.00 on the vehicle. A month later I get a letter in the mail saying I can bring in the vehicle that there is a warrenty on it. So now I am stuck in 400.00 payments every month. I have lost money over this and I would like to be reimebursed for what I have lost.(I have more documentation it wouldn't let me add all of it)
My first transmission went out at 54,000 miles now my second transmission went out at 148,000 miles. First one was whinnning between 20-40 mph would not shift correctly then second one is doing the same thing.
Transmission bearing defect
am filing this complaint regarding a transmission failure in my 2018 Toyota C-HR that left me stranded on the freeway and created a serious safety hazard. The vehicle experienced a transmission-related failure that caused it to lose its ability to operate properly while I was driving. As a result, I was left stranded on the freeway, exposed to passing traffic and at risk of being involved in a collision. A vehicle losing its ability to maintain normal operation on a busy freeway can create a dangerous situation for both the driver and other motorists. I am concerned that this transmission failure may represent a safety-related defect that could affect other owners of 2018 Toyota C-HR vehicles. A transmission should not fail in a manner that leaves a driver unexpectedly stranded in an active traffic environment. I request that NHTSA investigate whether transmission or continuously variable transmission (CVT) defects in the 2018 Toyota C-HR could cause sudden loss of power, loss of drive, or other dangerous failures while the vehicle is being operated. I believe this incident deserves attention because of the potential for serious injury or a collision. I am submitting this complaint so the incident can be documented and considered as part of any investigation into similar complaints involving this vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA review this incident and determine whether further investigation or corrective action is warranted. Thank you for your attention to this vehicle safety concern.
Warning light comes on frequently saying EPB need service. This is a known recall for this car but for some reason my vin # is not on recall list.
Unknown, I recently received a Customer Support Program notice from Toyota regarding a known transmission noise affecting certain 2018 Toyota C-HR vehicles. My vehicle exhibits the exact symptoms described in the bulletin—specifically, a small plane-like engine sound when driving between 20 and 40 mph. On XXX, I brought my vehicle to Toyota of [XXX] for diagnosis and service under this program. However, the dealership returned the vehicle without performing any repairs, claiming that it is outside the program's coverage. Given that my vehicle's symptoms directly match the documented defect covered by Toyota's customer support initiative, I am requesting a re-evaluation of my vehicle's eligibility and a resolution to this transmission issue. P.S. I escalated this to Toyota Headquarters and I received same denial response. I replied As many owners on public forums and social media have noted, CVT reliability concerns are a well-documented challenge for this model. Given Toyota’s strong reputation for long-lasting vehicles, I was surprised to find that my specific serial number is currently excluded from your service program. Could you please clarify if Toyota will reimburse the costs if I have this repair performed by a private mechanic, as indicated at the bottom of your recent letter? I am currently documenting all related records for my files. My response was ignored. 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 while driving 40 MPH, the transmission bearing failed, causing the vehicle to coast to a stop on a main road. The vehicle was towed from the scene. The contact associated the failure with Customer Support Program: 26TE06 that provided a free transmission replacement for certain 2018-2019 Toyota C-HR vehicles experiencing continuously variable transmission failures. The dealer was contacted and stated that the transmission serial number on the vehicle was not included in the Customer Support Program. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Car began making a grinding sound while driving on an expressway. From that point on, could no longer reach a speed above 30 MPH. Independent Mechanic diagnosed an issue with CVT. Car was inoperable and sat in my driveway for 8+ months as we tried getting Toyota to respond to calls and email. Received a CUSTOMER SUPPORT PROGRAM 26TE06 letter from Toyota on 12Sep2026 explaining that they would provide coverage for the repair. Had the car towed to O'Brien Toyota in Indianapolis. Dealer said that the car would not be covered because they had received a REVISED letter from Toyota that only covered a specific range of CVT serial numbers and while the CVT malfunction, model and year of my car qualified.....my car did not have a CVT serial number in that range and NO REPAIRS WOULD BE MADE! Called the Toyota Brand engagement number and they confirmed that Toyota would not cover the CVT in that range and provided me with a case#: 260922002588.
Purchased vehicle in Costa Mesa, CA. Mileage on vehicle when taken to auto repair shop: 70,037. Request for transmission fluid replacement and diagnostic on front end noise. Notes from Auto Repair Shop: Performed transmission service with cvt service kit. Technician test drove customer vehicle and confirmed there's a rotational groaning from the front of the car. Unable to determine cause at this time, requesting further diagnostic time Performed nvh diagnostic for front end rotational noise concern. Isolated noise to transaxle internal.Technician determined transmission failure (torque converter) and recommended replacement. Afterwards, while driving home and waiting at a red light, vehicle did not accelerate when light turned green. I put the car into park, then back into drive. No movement. Switched to manual mode, no movement. Went back to automatic and car started to go. Felt that the transmission was slipping. I was afraid that it was going to stall out again, so I ran the next light to get onto to the freeway to get my vehicle home ASAP. I will never drive another vehicle with a CVT transmission. If I would have known about any issues with CVT’s, I would NOT have purchased this vehicle.
The cvt transmission completely failed making the car undriveable
The car suddenly started shaking and making a weird noise and it turns out the transmission went out. I know I’m not the only one with this issue.
My 2018 Toyota CH-R started with a whining noise that sounded like a cat. I didn't get any lights on my dash that could pin point the problem. I took it to the dealership to get it diagnosed and they couldn't tell which part was making the noise. I asked the if they could do a transmission fluid change, and they told me that that type of transmission did not require service. Overtime the noise got worse and louder and a few times while driving in the freeway the car jerked and the RPM gauge drastically moved up and down. I took it to the dealership again and they quoted me $8,000 for a new transmission. At this point I am nervous I will lose power in the middle of the freeway during my daily commute which could cause an accident.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2018 Toyota C-HR. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 92,433 and at the time of registration, it was discovered that the mileage was 262,136.
The Toyota CVT transmission has failed and is incredibly expensive to replace. THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE WITH THESE CARS! I will never buy a Toyota again!
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota CH-R. The contact stated that while shifting gears or while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the transmission was not operating properly due to a bearing failure and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,000.
Desconocido
The transmission failure I a known issue for this year make and model. It has been recalled in Canada and is being honored there with extended warranty’s. It is not honored here in the US even though they know it is an issue. This vehicle has been inspected by both an independent shop and a Toyota dealership and both recommend replacement. The cost is 12,000-14,000. Toyota corporate denied any good faith assistance. This a safety hazard for all concerned.
I own a 2018 Toyota. My transmission has died prematurely. The car has less than 140k miles and has been meticulously maintained. The only component that has not been serviced is the transmission because no one wanted to “take the liability” according to 5 different local shops. This clearly tells me that this issue has been known. Toyota in Canada has already acknowledged the issue and issued a recall. Any mechanic will tell you that no component lasts “forever” so having a forever seal transmission was destined to fail, especially when the parts produced break down. Having any transmission with such low miles is already rare but for a Toyota to fail so completely is just exceptionally rare. All of this indicates willful ignorance and disregard for safety on Toyotas part. Please investigate this and help us regular owners get justice.
The transmission on the vehicle needed to be replaced. The dealership told me that I was responsible for the repair. The price quote was $14,000.00. The Toyota dealership knew that the transmission were problematic and said nothing.
Transmission. My car started making loud noises and eventually got to this point where it is not shifting gears. I would put it into drive, press the gas, and it would accelerate and abruptly stop on me. I've had it for less than 10 years and I bought it brand new. Its completely un-drivable.
327 total