2019 Toyota C-HR: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 106 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is power train (67% of complaints); the 2021 model year looks more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · 11 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Dec 2019
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 106 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Transmission won't shift out of manual mode and car won't move at all even when in drive or reverse. Was working completely fine then all of a sudden got drive start malfunction and won't move. Called mechanic they came looked at it and they diagnosed it as a transmission problem. Did some research and this is a well known issue that Toyota Canada has acknowledged but Toyota USA won't. Car is barely over 100k miles and all maintenance has been kept up on. Transmission only issue, but very expensive. There needs to be a recall on these.”Owner report · Power Train · Aug 2026
“No warning lights, only noticed a new noise like a whirring sound that matches car speed, not acceleration. Had the car looked at and determined it was likely the same CVT transmission bearing failure most CHR owners are experiencing. Toyota is no help and estimates for repair are $6k to $10k from private transmission repair places. Now we have a dud of a car that we still owe money on that isn't even worth the price to repair it.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2026
“While driving my vehicle, it is a consistent clicking loud noise. I had the vehicle checked out twice and both places said the same thing as it is explained down below: Transmission Replacement (Automatic): SEVERE INTERNAL TRANSMISSION NOISE- NOISE LOUDER W/ SPEED. NEED TO REPLACE TRANSMISSION ASSEMBLY- DO NOT RECOMMEND DRIVING VEHICLE MAY BE CATASTROPHIC AND COME APART This statement is from the Toyota dealership.”Owner report · Power Train · Jul 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“The transmission started having issues once the car hit 100k miles, it is unbelievable that Toyota is not willing to help me with this matter! Toyotas are supposed to be reliable!”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jul 2026
“2019 C-HR is experiencing transmission failure due to a faulty joint. Metal shavings flow into the fluid. Am being told I will need to replace the entire transmission. Toyota is fully aware of the issue with the failures occurring between 75,000 & 120,000 miles. My vehicle is at 107,000. Perfect maintenance record, never missed a service & all work done at the dealership where it was purchased. Research shows Toyota Canada acknowledged the issue & extended the warranty to cover it's customers. Toyota USA refuses to do the same. Estimate out of pocket for this known defect is $9900.00”Owner report · Power Train · Jun 2026
“Noise from front left axel began on XXX. Taken to local garage for diagnostic on XXX at approximately 149,000 miles. Was informed that it likely was the transmission. This was confirmed when taken to Toyota dealership on XXX. National recall was issued in [XXX] by Toyota for the known transmission failure that occurs in the CH-r CVT transmission. No other issues or alerts had occurred prior to the transmission failure. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Power Train · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was sputtering while driving after 20 minutes of driving. Their vehicle failed to accelerate. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted, who confirmed there was no recall coverage. The vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was due to the fuel pump. The vehicle was not repaired. An independent mechanic was contacted, who determined the failure was due to the fuel pump. The manufacturer was contacted, who referred him to the NHTSA hotline. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · May 2026
“Transmission, and I did requested an inspection and they are trying to charge me $10,000 USD to fix it. A failed transmission in a car can put you and other people at risk because it affects your ability to control the vehicle's speed and movement. I took my car to one of my trusted mechanic and he confirmed that transmission was on failure because the humming noise of it and because transmission on this type of cars (Toyota CHR 2019) had that type of issues. Nobody has inspected my car but my mechanic. No prior symptoms of the problem or warnings on my car, I noticed it was something wrong with my car just for the humming noise of the transmission.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · May 2026
“The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at faster speeds, the vehicle hesitated while accelerating, with an abnormal sound coming from underneath the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.”Owner report · Power Train · Apr 2026
“The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH, there was an abnormal grinding sound coming from the vehicle. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who determined that the failure was associated with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission might lock and that the vehicle was not safe to drive. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 130,001.”Owner report · Power Train · Mar 2026
When filing, owners marked a crash in 3 of these complaints and injuries in 3 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019 Toyota C-HR vehicles. The rear axle hub bearing bolts may have been insufficiently tightened, causing the bolts to loosen and damage the rear brake components or cause a rear wheel to detach.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear axle hub bearing bolts. If a bolt is found to be loose or detached, the dealer will replace the rear axle hub bearing assembly and rear axle carrier sub-assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2018. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's number for this recall is J0Y.
Gulf States Toyota (GST) is recalling certain 2019 C-HR, 4Runner, Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Camry, Camry Hybrid, Highlander, Land Cruiser, Prius, RAV4, Sequoia, Tacoma, Sienna, Tundra and Yaris vehicles. The text on the load capacity label may become illegible. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Remedy: GST will notify owners, and dealers will provide corrected load carrying capacity modification labels, free of charge. The recall began May 24, 2019. Owners may contact GST customer service at 1-800-444-1074. GST's number for this recall is 19R1.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 C-HR and 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles equipped with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.
Remedy: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TB22 and 19TA22.
Trouble codes owners mention
OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 2019 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact C-HR by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 2019 Toyota C-HR reliable?
NHTSA has 106 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2019 Toyota C-HR. The most complained-about area is power train (67% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2019 Toyota C-HR problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 49,000 miles or less.
Does the 2019 Toyota C-HR have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning power train:axle hubs. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.