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.
2018 Toyota C-HR
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
More warning signs than most C-HR years
Owner complaints for the 2018 Toyota C-HR are substantially higher than the model-year median of 48.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all C-HR years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 60 of 319 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Power Train. Review the 211 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Engine. Review the 38 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 29 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Power Train complaints
211 reportsMy 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 …
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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. M…
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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…
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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
Just like everyone else with a 2018 CHR transmission making a loud whining sound then needs a new one
The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the transmission. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced.…
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The contact owns a 2018 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the transmission. No warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and denied a claim from the owner. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
At approx 110K miles, I noticed the CVT transmission whining during acceleration - w/ the whining noise increasing/decreasing as I accelerated/decelerated. As the whining increased over the ensuing miles, during my 120K service, I asked the dealer to evaluate its cause - and was advised that my transmission is failing and that …
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At approx 110K miles, I noticed the CVT transmission whining during acceleration - w/ the whining noise increasing/decreasing as I accelerated/decelerated. As the whining increased over the ensuing miles, during my 120K service, I asked the dealer to evaluate its cause - and was advised that my transmission is failing and that I need a new one. Estimated cost: $12K. Yes, trans is available for inspection upon request. Obviously, should the trans fail while the vehicle's being operated, it could leave the driver (me) stranded or worse. Trans has only been evaluated by the dealer's service tech(s). No warning lamps or other indicia that trans is failing has appeared. In addition, I've noticed no performance issues/differences - w/ the only symptom to this point being the loud whining as I accelerate.
I have a 2018 Toyota C-HR. I fully paid it off several years ago. I’ve noticed a low whirring noise a few times and after maintenance checks they’ve gone away. It started probably around 45/50k miles but around 80k the noise gradually got louder. At my 90k inspection Toyota told me that the noise what coming from my transmission…
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I have a 2018 Toyota C-HR. I fully paid it off several years ago. I’ve noticed a low whirring noise a few times and after maintenance checks they’ve gone away. It started probably around 45/50k miles but around 80k the noise gradually got louder. At my 90k inspection Toyota told me that the noise what coming from my transmission and they didn’t want to complete the transmission flush due to the issue. They said I needed to replace the transmission and it would cost roughly $10k. The service provider said he could refer me to an auto body shop down the street but it would still be between $6-8k for a used transmission. He also told me my car is still drivable but he recommended I get it replaced as soon as possible. I paid the car off fully trusting Toyota’s reliability. I’m not even at 100k miles and the car is failing me.
2018 Toyota C-HR with a CVT started making a high pitched whine around 75,000KM had the CVT oil flushed at 85,000KM. Toyota dealer said the transmission needs to be replaced. From reading forums this appears to be a very common issue with these cars.
Official recalls
117V717000 · Parking Brake
Nov 15, 2017
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 not to disengage after it is applied or prevent it from being applied. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard FMVSS number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is H0W.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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