First generation (AX10/AX50)
2018 Toyota C-HR
The most reported problem on the 2018 Toyota C-HR is transmission failure, with 85 complaints, usually around 80,000 miles.
- 321owner complaints
- 1recalls
- 9involved a crash
- 80,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your C-HR doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2018 model year.
Is the 2018 Toyota C-HR reliable?
The 2018 Toyota C-HR has 321 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, close to the median of 331 for 2018 SUVs on this site. Of the 4 C-HR model years since 2018, it has the most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to the 2019
- At 36 complaints for each year on the road, the 2018 runs 2.6 times the 2019 (14). That's the only adjacent model year with enough complaints to set beside it.
- Top problem
- Transmission failure leads with 85 of the 321 complaints (26%), ahead of brake wear at 20. A quarter of the 51 owners who gave a mileage for transmission failure saw it by about 60,000 miles, and half by about 80,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- Only 9 of the 321 complaints (3%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, well under the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 9 reports mention a crash and 7 people were hurt. The most crash reports, 5 of 9, fall under airbag.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- No recall on file is on the same system as transmission failure. For those, the complaints are all there is.
- When owners filed
- Filings jumped in 2025, with 82 complaints, 2.7 times the next busiest year. So far in 2026, 104 more have come in.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: transmission fails or needs replacement, 85 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
321 complaints is 1.2 times the median 2018 model on this site and about the median for a 2018 SUV. Among the 2 C-HR model years here it ranks 1st for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2018 Toyota C-HR
Toyota filed 156 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2018 Toyota C-HR. 6 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 1 bulletin · 20 complaints
Some 2015 ? 2018 model year Toyota vehicles may exhibit brake vibration due to improper lug nut torque. Brake vibration can occur at any time if improper torque is applied to lug nuts. Even one lug nut over or under torqued can cause vibration.
Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails 2 bulletins · 10 complaints
TT: Some customers may encounter Bluetooth® connectivity concerns such as: ?Difficulty to pair the phone. ?Intermittent Bluetooth® failure to connect to the vehicle when first turning on the vehicle.
TT: The microphone circuit passes through the DCM before reaching the radio/navigation system. To simplify the diagnosis of the microphone, Safety Connect SOS button lights, and DCM (Data Communication Module/telematics transceiver) inoperative conditions, ...
Battery dies or the car will not start 3 bulletins · 7 complaints
TT: When customers have a concern about a discharged battery, no start, or general battery concern, the DCA-8000 is the only appropriate tool to use for diagnosis
TT: If the battery is disconnected incorrectly, the vehicle may exhibit a MIL ?ON? condition when restarted.
1 more on this problem
A battery in a stored vehicle is subject to conditions that can reduce its performance and life. These conditions include storage period, temperature, parasitic drain, and battery load.
Complaints filed by year
104 complaints came in 2026. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
Recalls that include the 2018 Toyota C-HR
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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."
Risk and remedy
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.
The recall on the 2018 Toyota C-HR, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide Buying one used? How to research one car’s history before you pay
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2018 Toyota C-HR?
Transmission failure, with 85 of the 321 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 80,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2018 Toyota C-HR problems start?
Of the 154 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 50,000 miles and half by about 80,000.
Is the 2018 Toyota C-HR better or worse than the 2019?
Counted per year on the road, the 2018 has more complaints than the 2019: 36 a year against 14.
How many 2018 Toyota C-HR complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
9 of them (3%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for transmission failure on the 2018 Toyota C-HR?
No recall on file for the 2018 Toyota C-HR is on the same system as transmission failure. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.