Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2019 Toyota C-HR owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and there was an abnormal sound coming from the transmission. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and it was determined that the bearings were damaged and that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The dealer advised the contact to stop driving the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a squeaking sound coming from the rear suspension of the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V710000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for an oil change. The contact made the dealer aware of the failure and the recall. The dealer confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 72,000.
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.
The contact owns a 2019 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, an abnormal whining sound was coming from the rear axle hubs. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer where they informed him that they could not offer any assistance due to the vehicle being out of warranty. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure and a case number was provided. The contact was informed that a representative would call back however, the contact had not received a response. The vehicle was not repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.
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.
The transmission on my 2019 vehicle began making loud grinding and whining noises and then started hesitating during acceleration. A Toyota dealership inspected the vehicle and confirmed a failing transmission bearing and advised that the entire transmission must be replaced. The repair was quoted at approximately $12,000. The vehicle has been regularly maintained and serviced. Despite proper maintenance, the transmission failure occurred unexpectedly and prematurely. Because of this issue, the vehicle became unsafe to drive and has now been undrivable for nearly a year. The failure creates a safety risk due to hesitation, loss of acceleration, and unpredictable shifting while merging into traffic or maintaining highway speed. The issue has been reproduced by the dealer and fully documented. …
Transmission CVT failure of the 2019 Toyota CHR at 107,000 miles, was not inspected until there was an undeniable sound coming from the transmission and specific request was made for the source of the sound. There were no dashboard lights or warnings prior or even now that I've been told the transmission needs replaced and is in failure. Transmission failure has been inspected and confirmed by Toyota Dealership. As a consumer I was not forewarned transmission will require specialty maintenance in order to keep the vehicle in service especially at just 100k miles, no formal requirements were ever made concerning the transmission to maintain the functionality of this particular vehicle. The sound began emitting from the transmission about 2 to 3 weeks prior and due to the government shutdown as a federal employee I took my car to get serviced for the issue when it was feasible to do so. …
While traveling South on [redacted] toward [redacted] , the vehicle suffered a sudden and catastrophic internal failure of the CVT transmission. This resulted in an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power while in motion on a busy roadway. My husband (who was driving at the time) was forced to manually push the vehicle off the road with the assistance of a police officer to avoid a collision. A subsequent diagnosis at a local shop (Hot Rod Scott's LLC) who removed the transmission fluid in order to refill it and found the transmission had fallen apart. He did not return the old fluid and returned the plate of the transmission with all the pieces in the bottom and an authorized Toyota dealership in Chippewa Falls confirmed the transmission failed internally. This is a widely documented manufacturing defect in 2018-2022 C-HR models (K114 CVT). …
No warnings lights given. My car has been serviced three times in the past year of owning it. Yesterday I was informed my entire transmission needs to be replaced as it failed its inspection. My car was last seen by Toyota in September and I paid a little under 2k each visit to keep my car running perfectly. This visit I was quoted over 9k to replace the transmission. I have never had preexisting issues with it. This CVT transmission is known to fail prematurely and there needs to be a recall and compensation made for those who have faced the same issues. My car is only at 125k miles and I have spent about 20k purchasing and servicing this vehicle in the last year alone. I travel out of state frequently with my children to visit my relative who is in active chemotherapy. If my transmission were to die in the middle of Donners Pass I would be left stranded with my two young children. …
My car started making a loud whinning noise and I took it into the mechanic and they told me that my transmission is out. However Ive only had this car since January 2022. I have kept up with the oil changes and I've been told that Toyotas are great cars and I would have never imagined that I would have this issue. The transmission repairs can cost up to 6000-7000 in repairs and Im upside down on my loan because Ive used it as a work car and put a lot of miles on it. So I can't even trade it in. I also went past the 60/60000 mile warranty, which doesn't make any sense to me why I would have to pay out of pocket for repairs. Ive read several complaints about other people having the same issue with the car and Ive also researched information about the Toyota C-HR and they stopped making them in the USA due the so many issues and complaints. …
Related recalls
Power train › Axle hubs
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…
Transmission complaints in other C-HR years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2019 Toyota C-HR?
NHTSA has 65 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2019 Toyota C-HR, 57% of the model year's 114 complaints. The component named most often is axle hubs (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2019 Toyota C-HR transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-710 (axle hubs, Oct 11, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2019 Toyota C-HR transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 87,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.