50 of the
669 complaints filed about the Toyota C-Hr
are about the electrical system —
7% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2018.
1.The vehicle’s 12-volt battery/electrical system has malfunctioned. The battery became completely discharged after the vehicle was sitting for approximately one day , leaving me unable to start the vehicle. The vehicle is a 2026 Toyota C-HR, and I was extremely concerned because I had no reasonable expectation that a nearly new vehicle would become inoperable simply from sitting for a short period. The vehicle and battery are available for inspection upon request. 2. This failure created a serious safety concern because the vehicle became completely inoperable without warning after sitting for only one day. I rely on this vehicle for transportation, and a sudden electrical/battery failure could leave me stranded in an unsafe or remote location, potentially without the ability to start the vehicle or leave the area. I consider this a significant safety issue, particularly because I was not adequately informed that I would need to take extraordinary measures to prevent the battery from draining. 3 Yes. After the battery failed, I was able to get the vehicle jump-started and drove it directly to Dalton Toyota for inspection. The dealership was made aware of the battery failure and the circumstances under which it occurred. I was subsequently told that I should either disconnect/remove the battery or slow-charge it, which does not provide me with confidence that the underlying problem has actually been resolved. 4. The vehicle was inspected by Dalton Toyota, the selling/dealership service facility. I brought the vehicle to the dealership immediately after experiencing the battery failure. I have not had the vehicle inspected by police or an insurance representative. 5.There were no adequate warning messages or warning lamps alerting me that the 12-volt battery was about to fail. The vehicle had been sitting for one day, and when I attempted to use it, the battery was dead and the vehicle would not start.
NHTSA complaint #11757527 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The 12 Volt battery failed and the car was therefore not responsive after it was parked for 1 week. Had to jump start the car at 1AM. The car is brand new (purchased in June 2026). The battery should obviously not fail so soon. The dealer confirmed that the battery failed test with a DCA tester and replaced the battery.
NHTSA complaint #11757155 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11757035 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
After 4 weeks of purchasing the car with only 500 miles, car's 12 volt battery drained, and car wouldn't turn on, had to have it towed to toyota dealer they had it for 3 weeks and couldn't figure out where parasitic drain was coming from, they replaced 12 volt battery kept car for few days and it wouldn't start again when it was at their dealership, they kept it another few days and charged the battery and told me car was ready, they didn't fix the cause just as they don't know was told , if car isn't driven for few days battery drains, if it's driven daily it's OK. It's disgraceful from toyota to allow this and not do anything about it.
NHTSA complaint #11757070 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I accelerate from a complete stop. It makes a roaring noise that dies down once the car is in full swing. Toyota dealership is saying that it is a common problem for Toyota CHR and needs to be replaced. Replacement cost from my pocket is $12k
NHTSA complaint #11756078 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
This report is for a 2026 Toyota C-HR BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle). I am reporting two separate events (as of August 4, 2026). The dates the events occurred were June 20, 2026 and July 2, 2026. Each time, the 12v battery discharged to the point where the car became inoperable. Each time, after 12v battery discharge there was not enough power in the 12v battery to perform the necessary functions to activate the traction battery. No power to the traction battery means no power to the electric motors, leaving the vehicle unable to move. The status of the charge level on the traction battery was greater than 50% state of charge on both June 20 and July 2. My subsequent 12v battery monitoring indicates that the 12v battery continues to discharge to very low levels overnight and when the car is not driven. Available for inspection?: Yes, the car is available for inspection upon request. Safety at risk?: Conceivably, yes. The car was inoperable, meaning unavailable if needed in an emergency. The key fob was no longer functional, meaning that a physical key had to be accessed to unlock the doors. Vehicle inspected by manufacturer: Yes, the vehicle was inspected by our local Toyota Service department from July 6 - July 8, 2026. The complaint was noted as “CUSTOMER STATES THE VEHICLE WILL NOT START HAS TO PUT CHARGER ON IN ORDER TO START” The diagnosis was noted as “Cannot confirm customer complaint." We were told to use the vehicle normally. If another 12v battery failure occurs, we were instructed not to charge the 12v battery. Instead, have the car towed to the dealership. Warning lights prior to the failure? No, there were no warning lights prior to the failure. After the 12v battery failed to power up the car, there were a multiple distress messages flashed on the display screen, accompanied by audible beeping alerts.
NHTSA complaint #11754709 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The referenced vehicle is a 2026 Toyota CH-R electric vehicl, purchased new on April 30th, 2026 from an authorized Toyota dealership. On June 24th, 2026. I tried to start the car at around 5:30am that was parked at my home, the car failed to start, after several attempts, the car became totally unresponsive to any button or my remote. It appears the battery was extremely low or dead. I ended up called towing services. The tow truck driver came, used a portable car battery jumper and able to start the car, put the car into neutral gear and tow to the Toyota dealership for investigation. The next day, Toyota dealership called me back and informed me they have completed all the checks and the vehicle is not performing within specification, no issues or fixes were performed, and they said the 12V battery was fine after 2.5 hours of charging. The dealership was unable to reproduce the issue. There was no previous warning of any kind prior to this issue happen. I believe this vehicle may be too frequently transmitting data when the vehicle is OFF, and causing its 12V battery to drain quickly in some cases, which in term causing the vehicle unable to start. Especially if and when the car is parked in poor cellular reception area, the car may constantly try and try to connect and transmit data, and causing rapid discharge of its 12V battery when the car is in OFF position. This can be a safety and reliability issue if not properly addressed. It could caused someone to be stuck somewhere, if in extreme weather conditions, it could be life threatening to someone if their vehicle is unable to start due to this issue. In less than two months of ownership, this has already happened. Based on person research on the internet, here are other owner of the same Toyota CH-R and another similar vehicle of Toyota BZ, also reported similar issue. I have also contacted Toyota brand engagement center and filed a case for this issue. Requesting NHTSA's attention on this matter.
NHTSA complaint #11746827 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The motor mounts broke when it hit a pothole and that snapped the wiring harness which caused the transmission to shift. Toyota dealership says it needs a new CVT transmission replacement. The engine has shifting issues. My insurance adjusters believe that the transmission failure is due to wear and tear, but the car did not have issues before the pothole. There were and are no warning lights or messages prior to and after the incident. I got the engine wiring harness and motor mounts fixed and there was still a noise and lag while accelerating and they finally said it was the transmission the second time I brought it in and that wasn’t covered by insurance. I’ve only put 11,000 miles on it and I’m the second owner. I bought it from a Lithia Nissan of Clovis.
NHTSA complaint #11738452 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
When I drive the car it just cuts off I took it to the dealer ship many times they claim that didn’t know want the issue was but said something about replacing fuse so I replace the fuse the car drives maybe 5 to 10 miles then cuts off and the fuse is blown again. I constantly have to change fuses dealer can’t help. It’s an electrical or wire problem. I have two people that had. 2018 Toyota chr that does the same thing
NHTSA complaint #11734370 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cvt transmission fails for no reason on a new car could be very dangerous for us and other on the road i think toyota should be responsible and resolve this issue
NHTSA complaint #11711562 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I was driving on the highway, roughly going 70-75 miles an hour, and as i began to exit the highway the check engine lights on the dashboard came on and the vehicle seized up. Upon inspection at the Toyota Dealership, they said that the transmission has been broken, as well as shrapnel metal being in the axles of the front wheel drive, stopping the car from moving. As i was stuck on the exit of the highway, NTTA was forced to block the exit as well as tow my car to the nearest parking lot, causing traffic jams on the highway. Upon research I found that issues with the transmission is not uncommon in this vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11704010 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11701244 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a blue/white 2018 C-HR made in Japan. I do regular maintenance on my car monthly with oil changes every 3k miles. I had this car for 3 years only. I bought it from a toyota dealership with only 25k miles with one owner. At 35k miles it was whining and shaking and I took it to toyota to be serviced they kept it for a day and they found nothing wrong. I thought nothing of it but since then my car had this low shake/rattle to it. I've changed sparks and coils thinking it was that. Finally, today at only 49,900 miles with no signs previously this cars transmission blows not allowing me to reverse or switch gears on me and the head gasket blew allowing water to mix with the oil basically totaling my car.
NHTSA complaint #11682543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Mi guagua tiene problemas con la transmisión. El fallo se manifiesta con un sonido extraño y fuerte que aparece al conducir. La transmisión defectuosa sigue instalada y está disponible para inspección si se solicita. Esta situación pone en riesgo mi seguridad y la de otros, ya que el daño podría empeorar y dejarme sin control del vehículo o inmovilizarlo por completo. Se ha evaluado la guagua y las indicaciones son problemas en la transmisión, los síntomas son constantes y fáciles de reproducir. No hubo luces de advertencia ni mensajes antes de que apareciera el fallo; el único síntoma previo fue un ligero ruido que con el tiempo se volvió más fuerte. La causa exacta es desconocida, pero sospecho que puede ser problemas en la transmisión.
NHTSA complaint #11679619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The electric parking brake system on my vehicle has malfunctioned and is stuck in the engaged position, preventing my rear brake pads and rotors from being changed. The component is still in my possession and available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: This issue directly impacts vehicle safety, as I am unable to service or replace the rear brakes, which are a critical safety component. Additionally, the malfunction may cause the brake to engage or fail to disengage unexpectedly, creating a risk while driving or parking. Confirmed by a Professional: Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent service center, which attempted to service the brakes but could not proceed due to the failure of the electric parking brake actuator/module. Inspection by Authorities or Manufacturer: As of now, the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance, but I am seeking further diagnostic help from a dealer. Warning Signs Prior to Failure: Yes, prior to the failure, I noticed warning messages on the dashboard related to the parking brake system, including a “Parking Brake Malfunction” alert.
NHTSA complaint #11658441 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
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.
NHTSA complaint #11638283 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
While driving in June 2023 I was suddenly unable to turn my steering wheel and I had issues bring the vehicle to a stop. The vehicle warning notice was "abnormal voltage steering power low". Once I was able to stop the vehicle stopped altogether. I towed the vehicle to my Toyota dealership and the description on the repair is Learn Value Reset and R&R CV Valve Lift Con. I am still having this issue which presents a safety concern as I can't steer and stop the vehicle.
NHTSA complaint #11550485 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
There is so many customers that is having the same problem with the replacement of transmission at only at 38,000 miles there has to be an issues with the Toyota CHR my car now is make the same humming noise it started out low and now it’s very loud only for find it need a new transmission. It needs to be recalled by Toyota my car needs work right now!!!!!! I paid 162.00 thinking the transmission need to be changed and it still made the same noise when done.
NHTSA complaint #11543883 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.