Owners have filed 32 complaints with NHTSA about this car, most about the transmission, electrical, and airbags. The 9 checks below target those problems, in the order you would do them at the car.
2021Tick items off on your phone at the car, or print it. Ticks stay on this device.
0/9 checked
2021 Toyota C-HR: inspection sheet
Before you go, or before you touch the car0/3
Engine off, key in hand0/1
Ask the seller not to warm the car up first0/1
At least 20 minutes, with some highway0/4
These checks are specific to this model year. For tires, body panels, fluids, and the other basics every used car needs, use the general inspection guide.
These years share the 2021's design and most of its parts, so their problems are the ones to look for on this car too.
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
Worth adding to your 2021 checks
EPA figures for each version of the 2021 Toyota C-HR. Use them to confirm you are looking at the version that was advertised, and as a yardstick on the test drive.
| Version | Drive | EPA rating |
|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4-cyl | FWD | 29 mpg |
Owners report these failures starting around the mileages below. A car inside one of these ranges deserves a closer look at that part, or records showing it was already fixed.
Transmission bearing noise and failure
60,000–67,764 miles
NHTSA complaints for the 2021 Toyota C-HR, grouped by the part owners named. Open a row to read what goes wrong.
Transmission failure dominates these reports. The usual first sign is a whine, growl, whirring, or whistling noise that gets louder over time. Some cars then slip, lose speed, refuse to drive forward, or stop shifting and won't go above 25 mph. Mechanics often blame a failing internal bearing and recommend replacing the transmission instead of repairing it. Most failures come around 60,000 miles, many on cars with full dealer service records. Owners report repair quotes of $11,000 to $13k, and dealers rarely help with the cost.
Driver-assist faults are the main pattern. The forward collision system brakes hard with nothing ahead, and some cars keep giving false warnings after that. Lane keeping assist is described steering the car toward oncoming traffic. After windshield replacement, the lane tracing, rear traffic alert, and pre-collision systems may not recalibrate, and their warning lights stay on. Other reports cover warning lights with a "Service Vehicle Now" message that a mechanic could not trace, high fuel use, and a computer programmed with the wrong trim level.
Both reports in this category involve crashes, and one caused an injury. In the first, the brakes failed at 35 mph, the car hit a mailbox, no air bags deployed, and the driver's seat belt did not retract. The impound lot blamed a loose bolt on the A-frame. In the second, the car surged forward and then backward under light throttle in a parking garage and hit a wall and another car. Neither report describes an air bag deploying.
The driver's seat belt locks up when it shouldn't, and owners call this a safety hazard. These reports also list other problems: a hood latch that comes loose at highway speed, front seats that slide forward on their own, and wipers that stop partway across the glass. Owners also mention faulty USB ports, Bluetooth, and radio, plus brake noise and loose rear carpet. A sliding driver's seat and a hood latch that opens at speed are the biggest crash risks here.
Excerpts from complaints C-HR owners filed with NHTSA, as written. Listen for the same symptoms on your test drive.
Electrical failure of the transmission. No inciting incident. Confirmed by the dealership who has done all maintenance on the vehicle. Vehicle suddenly cannot go above 25mph and will not shift gears. Vehicle has approx 60k miles on it.
Filed with NHTSA, December 2025
Original owner. Vehicle has internal failure of transaxle at exactly 60,000 miles. All routine services for the life of the car has been completed by a Toyota dealer.
Filed with NHTSA, September 2025
While driving my vehicle and with small children present on 11/18/21 the vehicle suddenly force brakes with the forward collision warning there was nothing forward of me and this incident nearly causes a rear end accident since this incident i keep getting forwarded warnings where there are none
Filed with NHTSA, November 2021
Hood latch keeps coming unlocked and is only noticeableat highway speed. Drivers seat belt lockes up when tension feature is not necessary. Both problems may cause an accident wich may cause serious injuryor death apon impact.
Filed with NHTSA, October 2022
Complaints for this year next to the average for the other model years, area by area.
The 2021 ranks fourth for owner complaints among 5 C-HR years, well under the average of the others. Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, so compare like with like.
Redesigns and mid-cycle updates change what can go wrong.
The 2021 is the fourth model year of the C-HR's first generation (2018–2022).
It includes the 2020 update.
What changed for 2020
Recall repairs are free at any Toyota dealer, but the seller may never have had them done. Check each campaign number against the VIN.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2021 C-HR vehicles. The radar sensor may not have been activated during production, making the pre-collision system (PCS) inoperative.
Risk: An inoperative PCS that does not provide a malfunction indicator to the driver, or braking assist as expected, can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and activate the radar sensor as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2022. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 22TA02.
Cars shoppers compare with the Toyota C-HR, with their own 2021 checklists.
2021 owner complaints, side by side
