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Toyota · NHTSA safety record

2020 Toyota C-HR

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 64 safety complaints about the 2020 Toyota C-HR with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the seat belts.

The most complained-about system is the power train, named in 49 complaints, 77% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 20,000 miles, the median across the 7 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2020 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

64 complaints on file

64

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
POWER TRAIN 49 · 77%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 · 8%
ENGINE 5 · 8%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 · 8%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 4 · 6%
STEERING 3 · 5%
TIRES 3 · 5%
SEAT BELTS 2 · 3%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 3%
WHEELS 2 · 3%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 2%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 1 · 2%
0 23 46

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 64.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 35.

40 30 20 10
20 21 22 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2020 Toyota C-HR, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test 5 HB FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.3%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

SEAT BELTS: REAR/OTHER:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

19V877000 · December 11, 2019

The defect
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.
The risk
In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
The 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.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing · up to 9,468 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

POWER TRAIN

1 injured

While taking off in my 2020 Toyota C-HR on the highway, the CVT transmission suddenly failed, resulting in an immediate and significant loss of propulsion power. The vehicle did not fully shut off but lost the ability to maintain normal highway speed, requiring me to rapidly reduce speed and carefully maneuver the vehicle to safety in active traffic conditions. This created a serious safety risk due to unexpected loss of acceleration and potential inability to maintain highway speed in traffic. The failure occurred at approximately 117,700 miles and shortly after purchase. The vehicle had a documented history of regular maintenance performed at Toyota dealerships approximately every 3,000

NHTSA complaint 11733254, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STEERING

crash · towed · 20,000 miles

WAS TURNING A CORNER AND MY CAR LOST CONTROL AND MESSED UP THE FRONT END

NHTSA complaint 11408450. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

towed

Toyota dealership confirmed cup holder within console allowed liquid to leak within the cup holder down underneath into the console which shorted out the communication computer. The cup holders do not have a barrier to keep liquids within this area and will allow liquid to escape into the lower console. When the liquid leaked into that area and later trying to start my car I received a message stating key fob malfunction and to review the owners manual. Toyota said to drive it to their repair shop, but it would not start and had to get a tow. They fixed the key ignition issue and the next day same communication error, took car back and they realized it was from the liquid that leaked from

NHTSA complaint 11446213, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission is going out. It is sitting at the Toyota dealership in silsbee Texas. It has been recalled in Canada but not the US . IT HAS WELL KNOWN PROBLEMS AND THERE IS A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT. It is unsafe for me to drive and others on the road way. Toyota will not replace it. Said it was out of warranty only having 133k miles on it

NHTSA complaint 11767642. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
The vehicle is exhibiting symptoms of the widely documented internal differential/output bearing failure associated with the Toyota K114 CVT transmission. When coasting—even with the engine completely turned off—and during mechanical rotation of the front wheels, there is abnormal metallic clicking, clacking, and mechanical play apparently emanating directly from the center of the transaxle housing. This internal component degradation poses a potential safety hazard. A catastrophic failure of this bearing could lead to severe metallic debris entering the sealed CVT system, potentially resulting in drivetrain lock-up or an instantaneous loss of motive power at highway speeds, creating a

NHTSA complaint 11766870, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
CVT failing, causing extreme bearing noise. Toyota insisted lifetime fluids with no transmission service or fluid changes. At 147000 miles it is noisy with no warning lights and no recommended service.

NHTSA complaint 11763104. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission went out 3,400 miles past the 60k warranty. Vehicle taken in at 59k miles and told there were no issues. Filed good will warranty claim. Toyota needs to do a recall. This is a know problem. 2018 and 2019 models recalled. 2020 models same issue, why no recall for 2020. I have read at least 17% of 2020’s have already failed.

NHTSA complaint 11762609. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission making winding noise, took into toyota told will need full transmission replacement. Said could just go out at anytime. 2020 with 75700 miles on car.

NHTSA complaint 11760975. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
Transmission – Loss of Power / Jerking / Safety Hazard The vehicle is experiencing a serious issue with the K113 CVT transmission. The transmission produces abnormal noise and can jerk and lose power, creating a potentially hazardous condition, particularly when accelerating to overtake another vehicle or when merging onto a freeway. A sudden loss of power in these situations can significantly increase the risk of a collision. The vehicle has been properly maintained and driven normally. The transmission issue appears consistent with a known problem reported with this CVT/transmission design. I am concerned that the underlying manufacturing/design issue may cause premature transmission

NHTSA complaint 11760186, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Toyota C-HR

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 8 1 —
2021 34 1 —
2019 111 3 —
2018 322 1 —

Other 2020 Toyota models

RAV4 635 Highlander 317 Corolla 306 Camry 274 Tacoma 87 Tundra 46 Sienna 38 4Runner 33

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Toyota on this site — 281 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst