My 2018 Toyota, which has around 96,000 miles, is experiencing transmission failure. I recently had it inspected by an independent repair shop, and they confirmed the issue is caused by a bad bearing inside the transmission-?"a problem they mentioned is common for this model. The transmission makes a loud whining noise and could fail at any time, which puts my safety and the safety of others at risk since it could cause the car to lose power or stall in the middle of the road. There were no warning lights, messages, or signs before the issue started. I contacted Toyota about the problem, but they refused to cover the repair because the vehicle is out of warranty. However, given how new the car still is and that this issue is known to occur in similar models, I believe this is a safety hazard that Toyota should take responsibility for.

- Los Banos, CA, USA

I am reporting repeated transmission failures and unsafe driving behavior in my 2018 Toyota C-HR. The transmission was first replaced at approximately 89,000 miles under an extended warranty due to whining noises and slipping. Since then, I have returned to the dealership three separate times with the same symptoms. The dealer acknowledges the issue but has not performed any corrective repairs. The vehicle now exhibits the same failure symptoms again at 124,000 miles. These include whining noises when accelerating, hesitation to engage, and intermittent loss of power. This creates unsafe driving conditions, especially when merging or crossing intersections. Details and Pattern: Toyota Canada has publicly acknowledged a faulty bearing inside the CVT transmission for the 2018-?"2019 Toyota C-HR and extended the warranty to 10 years / 193,000 km. My vehicle has the same CVT transmission (K114) and was built in the same factory (Turkey). Toyota USA has not offered any comparable warranty extension or recall, despite identical vehicles experiencing the same failures. Numerous other U.S. owners have reported similar CVT failures to NHTSA and CarComplaints.com. This appears to be a widespread safety defect related to the transmission-??s internal bearing or CVT assembly, which can cause loss of power and control while driving. Requested Action: I request that NHTSA investigate the 2018 Toyota C-HR CVT transmission for design or manufacturing defects, including bearing failure, and determine whether a U.S. recall or extended warranty campaign should be issued as Toyota Canada has already done.

- Sanford, ME, USA

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.

- Sioux City, IA, USA

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.

- Hickory, NC, USA

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.

- Salt Lake City , UT, USA

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

- Arlington , WA, USA

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

- Eldon, MO, USA

Just like everyone else with a 2018 CHR transmission making a loud whining sound then needs a new one

- Columbus, GA, USA

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.

- Jefferson City, MO, USA

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.

- Beverly Hills, MI, USA

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.

- University Place, WA, USA

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.

- Spruce Grove, MT, USA

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.

- Marina, CA, USA

Transmission is making a humming sound while taking off then you can-??t hear it anymore until you slow down was told by a transmission shop that it-??s the bearing that goes inside the transmission and it-??s a very costly fix up to $15,000 dollars transmission and labor

- Devine, TX, USA

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.

- Cayey, PR, USA

I noticed a high pitch whine that increased in volume with acceleration. I took the car to the local Toyota dealership to diagnose the issue and the CVT transmission is failing and needs to be replaced. I received a verbal quote of $10,000 which is greater than 70 % of the cars value.

- Lagrange, GA, USA

Transmission failure. We got it replaced for $11,000. Two years later, it failed again. This should be a civil law suit against selling faulty parts. Especially when it's cost thousands of dollars.

- Weston, WI, USA

the transmission has all of a sudden blown and no longer works. vehicle is no longer driveable and costs about $12,000 to repair.

- Brampton, MT, USA

The forward collision warning goes off and automatically slams the breaks, when nothing is in front of it. It does this on highways as well. This could cause accidents. There is been several complaints about the CVT transmission. If they won't recall it, they should have a lifetime warranty. Toyota transmissions used to last. I cannot afford to get a whole new transmission, so I have to sell it to a dealership.

- Godfrey, IL, USA

At 85,000 miles the car began making a loud humming sound. When inspected by Toyota dealership they said I need a new transmission for $13,000. Upon researching the issues I came across numerous other people with the same make and model car with the same issues and outcomes.

- Helena, AL, USA