2018 Toyota C-HR: What to check before buying

The CVT develops a whine, hum, or growl that gets louder with speed. Mechanics most often trace it to a failed internal bearing. Because the bearing is not replaced on its own, the fix is a full transmission, with quotes from over $10,000 to $14,000. Failures cluster between roughly 59,000 and 128,000 miles, usually with no warning light. Some owners describe losing power at speed, and parts back orders can delay the repair. Separate crash reports describe the parked car rolling or reversing on its own and striking a person or objects.

The engine cuts out while driving, including on the interstate, and some cars repeatedly blow the same fuse. Other cars refuse to start and show several warnings at once, including brake override, low oil pressure, and high coolant temperature. Owners also describe dashboards lighting up while the car slows on its own, heavy steering with an abnormal-voltage message, an electric parking brake stuck on, and a dead climate control panel. Rodent-chewed wiring and front sensor errors in rain also appear. Dealers often cannot find a cause.

Most of these reports are really about the transmission. A low hum or growl starts, rises with speed, and ends in a failed transmission bearing. Some cars jerk, shake, or hesitate to accelerate. Mileages run from about 60,000 to 120,000, and repair quotes reach as high as $14,000 for a full replacement. Owners often replace tires, brakes, or wheel bearings first because no warning light points to the transmission. A smaller group describes all dash lights coming on and the car refusing to accelerate.

An "EPB Malfunction" warning lights up, sometimes while moving or after using cruise control. In some cars the electric parking brake will not release, wearing pads and rotors down to metal-on-metal screeching. Dealers often cannot reproduce the fault. Other reports describe the brake hold feature clanking and stopping the car abruptly during slow stops, and a car that kept moving after being shifted into park, damaging a garage door. A few warnings also appear alongside a rough drive and pre-collision faults.

The electric parking brake throws warnings such as "EPB and traction control fault detected," and the light can come back even after the brake is repaired or replaced. Reported mileages are 54,000 and 82,607. The most serious report describes a car sitting in park that reversed on its own and struck the owner, causing leg and foot injuries. That owner says the car was serviced three times for the problem and the failure came back, with no warning light beforehand.

None of the bags deploy in serious collisions, according to all 5 reports. Every one involves a crash, with 4 injuries, including a fractured shoulder, wrist injuries, and a concussion. The impacts vary: a side strike by a red-light runner, a frontal crash at 40 mph, a rear impact, a collision where the other car's bags did deploy, and a head-on hit into a cement wall after hydroplaning. Two cars are declared total losses. One failure occurs at just 372 miles.

Front bumper molding works loose, and dealers blame warped or weak clips. In one case the side-door impact bar fractures and drops inside the driver's door, and the owner is told to pay for the repair because the warranty has expired. Several reports filed here also cover a front camera that cuts out in heat, a recurring electric parking brake warning, and a driver's door that sometimes will not unlock with the key fob. Dealers frequently cannot find a cause.

The wheel suddenly turns heavy as "Abnormal Voltage" and "Power Steering Low" messages appear, sometimes alongside "EPB not available" and a radio cutting in and out. In some cases the car then shuts down completely, including right before a freeway merge at night. Owners also report the battery dying repeatedly, even after a replacement and despite good test results. Losing steering assist while moving is a clear loss-of-control risk.

A pre-collision system malfunction warning shuts off automatic braking, cruise control, and lane assist all at once. Snow on the car can switch the system off while driving. After a windshield replacement, a glass shop may be unable to recalibrate the sensors mounted in the glass, which leaves a constant warning flashing on the dash. One dealer blames mice chewing the wiring harness, but the owner saw no bite marks in the photos.