Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: it scores well across the board with no single weak engine.
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota C-HR, and it carries 1 recall. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power train | 40 | 65% |
| Unknown or other | 3 | 5% |
| Power train | 2 | 3% |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 2% |
| Power train | 1 | 2% |
| Service brakes | 1 | 2% |
| Power train | 1 | 2% |
| Engine | 1 | 2% |
| Power train | 1 | 2% |
| Power train | 1 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
CVT failing, causing extreme bearing noise. Toyota insisted lifetime fluids with no transmission service or fluid changes. At 147000 miles it is noisy with no warning lights and no recommended service.
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Transmission went out 3,400 miles past the 60k warranty. Vehicle taken in at 59k miles and told there were no issues. Filed good will warranty claim. Toyota needs to do a recall. This is a know problem. 2018 and 20
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Transmission making winding noise, took into toyota told will need full transmission replacement. Said could just go out at anytime. 2020 with 75700 miles on car.
NHTSA complaint: Power train
Transmission – Loss of Power / Jerking / Safety Hazard The vehicle is experiencing a serious issue with the K113 CVT transmission. The transmission produces abnormal noise and can jerk and lose power, creating a potenti
NHTSA complaint: Power train
CVT bearing disintegrating. Expected repair cost is $10k-$12k. Purchased about a year ago and still owe almost 20k on the loan. This is the car that was intended to be used by my daughter but cannot trust this to make
NHTSA complaint: Power train
The contact owns a 2020 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was take
NHTSA complaint: Power train
While driving, my 2020 Toyota C-HR suddenly lost acceleration in the middle of the road, with the vehicle failing to respond to throttle input. This has now happened twice. There was no warning noise (no whining or grind
NHTSA complaint: Vehicle speed control
I have a K114 CVT internal bearing defect. It is available for inspection upon request. Transmission issues are unsafe because it can cause sudden loss of acceleration, unexpected vehicle stalling in traffic, and delaye
NHTSA complaint: Power train
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Toyota C-HR. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2019-2020 C-HR and 2020 Corolla and Corolla Hybrid vehicles equipped with rear seat belt assemblies with a dual-mode locking mechanism. The seat belt webbing sensor locking mechanism may not lock as intended.
Risk: In the event of a crash involving multiple impacts, the seat belt may not properly restrain the occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Fix: Toyota will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the rear seat belt assembly production dates, and replace the assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began February 7, 2020. Owners
| Reliability raw | 94 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 89 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 67 | good |
| Performance | 45 | below average |
| Efficiency | 50 | average |
| Safety | 93 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other compact cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 62 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and power train is the most reported area with 40 of them (65%). There is 1 recall on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 94/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 89/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2020 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: buy, because it scores well across the board with no single weak engine. Its overall ownership score is 80/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.