Toyota C-HR: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Toyota C-HR: 5 model years scored from 517 NHTSA owner complaints and 6 recall campaigns. Worst year 2018, best year 2021.
Toyota C-HR: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Toyota C-HR ranges from 45/100 in 2018 to 93/100 in 2022 — a 48-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a C-HR at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Power Train (208 of them).
Avoid: 2018 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
Best year in our data: 2021 (score 91). Worst: 2018 (score 45, AVOID).
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 93 | BUY | $3,060 | 2 | 0 |
| 2021 | 91 | BUY | $3,311 | 32 | 1 |
| 2020 | 83 | BUY | $3,520 | 60 | 1 |
| 2019 | 70 | BUY | $3,760 | 107 | 3 |
| 2018 | 45 | AVOID | $4,360 | 316 | 1 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the C-HR, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Toyota C-HR
Across every C-HR model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Power Train327 complaints across all C-HR years · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other87 complaints across all C-HR years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Engine52 complaints across all C-HR years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System46 complaints across all C-HR years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance28 complaints across all C-HR years · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration$780–$2,160
- Service Brakes20 complaints across all C-HR years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Toyota C-HR years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2018 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2018 is the weakest at 45/100, with its complaints concentrated in Power Train.
What are the best Toyota C-HR years to buy?
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2022 at 93/100, on 2 complaints and 0 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Toyota C-HR problem?
327 of the complaints filed against the C-HR across all its model years sit in the Power Train group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04