2020 Toyota C-HR Problems: Transmission / driveline (59 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2020 Toyota C-HR is Transmission / driveline (66% of 59 owner reports). There are 1 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 59 complaints · 1 recalls

What problems show up on the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

39 of 59 filings named Transmission / driveline (66% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Electrical (3 reports).

There are 1 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2019 has 106 reports on file; this year has 59. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2020 Toyota C-HR

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 1 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Electrical. Have a shop scan for stored codes and check battery, charging and any warning lights that stay on.
  4. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 39 complaints · 66.1% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 1
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 1
  • Deaths 0
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 39 of 59 owner complaints (66.1%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 39 complaints, 66.1% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 39 · 66.1% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 3 complaints, 5.1% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 · 5.1% Engine (ENGINE): 3 complaints, 5.1% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 3 · 5.1% Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES): 2 complaints, 3.4% of reports Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 · 3.4% Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL): 2 complaints, 3.4% of reports Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 · 3.4% Wheels (WHEELS): 2 complaints, 3.4% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 1 crash reports 2 · 3.4% Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 · 1.7% Seat belts (SEAT BELTS): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 · 1.7% Tires (TIRES): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Tires (TIRES) 1 · 1.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 6 complaints, 10.2% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 6 · 10.2% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 39 66.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 3 5.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 3 5.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Brakes (SERVICE BRAKES) 2 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Cruise / speed control (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL) 2 3.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 2 3.4% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Fuel system (FUEL SYSTEM) 1 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Seat belts (SEAT BELTS) 1 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 1 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 6 10.2% 0 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2020; the first recall shown was reported in Dec 2019. 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q3: 9 owner reports 9 2025-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2026-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2026-Q2: 12 owner reports 12 2026-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 Owner reports Dec 2019 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 19V877000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V877000
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 1
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2022-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 3
2025-Q3 Owner reports 9
2025-Q4 Owner reports 9
2026-Q1 Owner reports 12
2026-Q2 Owner reports 12
2026-Q3 Owner reports 7
Recall campaign 1 19V877000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (1)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Seat belts.

  1. Recall campaign 19V877000

    Seat belts

    Report date
    Component:
    Seat belts (SEAT BELTS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 59 complaints · page 1 of 3
2026-08-31Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11760975
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.
2026-08-28Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11760186
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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 failure and create an unsafe driving condition. The vehicle currently has approximately 107,000 miles. Despite the issue, the vehicle may continue to operate and shift, making the problem difficult to identify until the transmission is under load or has been driven for some time. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate this transmission issue and determine whether a safety defect or manufacturing/design defect exists and whether additional action by the manufacturer is warranted.
2026-08-17Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11757556
CrashFireInjuryDeath
CVT bearing disintegrating. Expected repair cost is $10k-$12k. Purchased about a year ago and still owe almost 20k on the loan. This is the car that was intended to be used by my daughter but cannot trust this to make the drive. There have been no warning lamps or system messages just a metal on metal grinding sound. This is a known issue with this model of vehicle and there is already a warranty enhancement for this issue on 2018 and 2019 models. Mine is a 2020 so they clearly did not fix this known issue. This started about a month ago as a slight high pitched whine and has quickly progressed to the point that we cannot use the vehicle.
2026-08-14Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11756919
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,321.
2026-08-13Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11756861
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While driving, my 2020 Toyota C-HR suddenly lost acceleration in the middle of the road, with the vehicle failing to respond to throttle input. This has now happened twice. There was no warning noise (no whining or grinding) beforehand, and the loss of power occurred without warning while the vehicle was in motion, creating a dangerous driving condition due to inability to maintain speed or safely merge/clear traffic.
2026-07-23Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11752512
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I have a K114 CVT internal bearing defect. It is available for inspection upon request. Transmission issues are unsafe because it can cause sudden loss of acceleration, unexpected vehicle stalling in traffic, and delayed shifting or gear slippage. These sudden changes make my car behave unpredictably; risking rear-end collisions or loss of control. This puts myself, my passengers, and others at risk. I am unsure if the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. The vehicle and/or component have not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. However, the vehicle received Service in December 2025 for a transmission fluid replacement for maintenance and no issues were reported at the time. There were not any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The issues first appeared in mid-June, around June 15, 2026, where I could hear a grinding noise when I drove. On July 1, I was driving home and experienced stalling while turning right at a stoplight. I took the car in for a diagnostic inquiry on 7/18/2026 and was notified I had a transmission issue. I took it for a second opinion, where it was confirmed it was transmission. I took it to Toyota and on 7/22/2026, they confirmed it was transmission issues requiring a full replacement with no financial assistance citing my warranty has ended and my service history is not thorough enough. Toyota has already extended the warranty for Canadian drivers due to this exact safety hazard.
2026-07-14Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11750469
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Had the car brand new since 2020 just started to hear noises took it to the dealership and they said the transmission needs to be replaced
2026-06-30Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11747331
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Transmission bearing is going out. I hear a whine noise while driving. And took it to a Transmission shop and was told the Transmission bearing goes out alot on these types vehicle. And i just bought this car used 1 month ago.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 39 of 59 reports (66%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

NHTSA lists 1 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Seat belts. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2020 Toyota C-HR?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources