2018 Toyota C-HR problems & reliability
319 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Toyota C-HR, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Sep 21, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several components.
6 complaints report injuries (7 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2018 Toyota C-HR vehicles were involved in 27 fatal crashes with 7 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 211 | 66% |
| Unknown / Other | 43 | 13% |
| Engine → | 38 | 12% |
| Electrical System → | 29 | 9% |
| Service Brakes → | 20 | 6% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance → | 18 | 6% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 2% |
| Lane Departure | 4 | 1% |
| Parking Brake | 4 | 1% |
| Steering | 4 | 1% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 20 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 52 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 54,500 miles (middle 50% between 24,500 and 82,695 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“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…”
Power Train · filed Sep 9, 2026
“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.”
Power Train · filed Sep 3, 2026
“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…”
Power Train · filed Aug 29, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
156 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Toyota C-HR. The 10 most recent:
Some 2018 – 2019 model year C-HR vehicles may exhibit a grinding and/or whining noise from the transaxle while accelerating from 15 – 30 mph and/or decelerating from 30 – 15 mph. An updated transaxle is available when…
T-SB-0048-26 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 13, 2026
Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership experience…
26TE06 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Aug 13, 2026
Although the Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVT) is covered by Toyota’s New Vehicle Limited Warranty for 5 years or 60,000 miles (whichever comes first), we at Toyota care about the customers’ ownership…
26TE06 · Service Campaign · issued Jul 31, 2026
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The…
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 7, 2026
All VINs under ZKH are expired as of July 6, 2025 Some 2018 – 2019 model year C-HR vehicles may exhibit a condition where the door mirror foot light projects a distorted image of the C-HR logo onto the ground.
T-SB-0075-19 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 9, 2025
All VINs under ZKH are expired as of July 6, 2025 Toyota has received reports stating that the door mirror foot lights (puddle lights) may project a distorted image of the C-HR logo onto the ground. This distortion may…
ZKH · Service Campaign · issued Jul 9, 2025
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and…
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from…
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal…
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2024
Toyota vehicles are currently protected with RapgardTM protective film designed to protect the horizontal painted surfaces. This material protects from acid rain, environmental fallout, and rail contamination. Follow…
T-SB-0061-23 Rev2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 5, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2018 Toyota C-HR has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2018 Toyota C-HR?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 54,500 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.