2020 Toyota C Hr Complaints

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/12/2026

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

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/29/2026

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.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/09/2026

My 2020 Toyota C-HR is exhibiting clear, escalating symptoms of the known K114 CVT internal bearing defect, creating an active safety hazard while driving. The transmission has not failed completely yet, but it regularly experiences high-pitched whining noise, sudden hesitation during acceleration, and loud grinding-like noise which gets louder and faster as I speed up. This behavior creates a significant safety risk because the vehicle unexpectedly fails to accelerate when merging onto the highway / hesitates unpredictably at busy intersections, exposing me to the risk of a rear-end collision. The car is less than 6 years old, and a mechanic/dealership has diagnosed it as an impending internal bearing failure. Toyota Canada has already acknowledged this exact flaw by extending the CVT warranty to 10 years. However, Toyota USA refuses to act, forcing American drivers to choose between operating an increasingly unpredictable, unsafe vehicle or paying $10,000+ out of pocket to replace a component with a known manufacturing defect. I am filing this to urge the NHTSA to investigate before this transmission suffers a complete, dangerous failure at highway speeds.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 06/01/2026

I purchased my Toyota CHR 2020 LE right off the lot in 2020. In 2023, I had to replace my first transmission, THANK GOD THAT ONE WAS UNDER WARRANT. It is now 2026 and I am again, having to replace my transmission. This is a real safety concern. Just in the beginning stage of failure my car is sluggish to accelerate and I live in Houston, TX! People will run you over here if you aren't careful. No to mention the highway robbery that is being committed for having to pay half the cost of my car for a new transmission that is absolute garbage. It is absolutely ridiculous that no one has done anything about this yet. You sell a vehicle you know is having these issues without disclosing them. Shame on everyone involved.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 05/01/2026

Started hearing a whining noise shortly after buying this car and found out it is an internal bearing failure inside the CVT transmission that is widely known in these vehicles to fail but there has been no recalls to correct the problem and could cost me money I don't have to get it fixed.

POWER TRAIN — Filed 05/01/2026

Transmission failure, sounds like there is a rattle inside of the transmission.

POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE — Filed 03/12/2026

The motor mounts broke when it hit a pothole and that snapped the wiring harness which caused the transmission to shift. Toyota dealership says it needs a new CVT transmission replacement. The engine has shifting issues. My insurance adjusters believe that the transmission failure is due to wear and tear, but the car did not have issues before the pothole. There were and are no warning lights or messages prior to and after the incident. I got the engine wiring harness and motor mounts fixed and there was still a noise and lag while accelerating and they finally said it was the transmission the second time I brought it in and that wasn’t covered by insurance. I’ve only put 11,000 miles on it and I’m the second owner. I bought it from a Lithia Nissan of Clovis.

SERVICE BRAKES — Filed 05/01/2026

TO: CarMax Corporate Relations Attn: Jennifer Sheppard, AVP Customer Service Excellence 12800 Tuckahoe Creek Parkway Richmond, VA 23238 [XXX] National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation 1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE Washington, DC 20590 RE: Vehicle: 2020 Toyota C-HR 4D Sport Utility VIN: [XXX] Subject: Formal Safety Complaint, Inspection Failure, and Demand for Buyback To the Representatives of CarMax Corporate and NHTSA, I am writing to formally report a severe safety incident and a gross failure of the CarMax Certified Quality Inspection process. The negligence displayed by the CarMax Orlando staff not only violated the terms of our purchase contract but actively endangered my life and the lives of others on the road. 1. Timeline of Events and Staff Negligence On 04/30/2026, I purchased the above-referenced vehicle from CarMax Orlando. Upon attempting a test drive, I was denied by sales consultant Boris Iniquez, who stated the vehicle could not be driven until it was cleaned. On 05/01/2026, I took delivery and immediately noticed the brakes were non-responsive and emitting a loud "air brake" sound. I returned to the dealership on 05/02/2026. Mr. Iniquez performed a ride-along, personally witnessed the brake malfunction, and was informed of my immediate need to drive 450 miles to Atlanta, GA, for my role as a Site Inspector. Rather than providing a safe loaner or grounded vehicle, Mr. Iniquez and the acting manager explicitly instructed me to drive the vehicle to Atlanta, asserting that the car had "passed all inspections." 2. Mechanical Safety Failure Upon reaching Atlanta, the vehicle's condition became untenable. On 05/07/2026, CarMax GA inspected the vehicle and found: - Total failure of all four brake pads. - Front rotors requiring immediate replacement. It is mathematically and mechanically impossible for a vehicle with metal-on-metal rotors and failing pads to have passed a legitimate 125+ INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

POWER TRAIN — Filed 05/12/2026

Transmission bearing failure. Whining noise started about 2 months ago and continually got worse before complete transmission failure.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER — Filed 04/27/2026

My transmission is whining and the mechanic shop is stating that I need a new transmission. A common issue they are seeing within vehicles with the CVT transmission