Toyota C-HR Common Faults in the UK
Mk1 (2016–2023) — B/C crossover SUV with a distinctive coupe-SUV styling. Launched in the UK in late 2016 with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol and the 1.8 Hybrid (122 PS); the 2.0 Hybrid (184 PS) arrived in 2020 and the line-up later became hybrid-only. No diesel variant. Updated 6 October 2026.
This guide covers the Mk1 (2016–2023). For any other version of the C-HR, see how to check any car for known faults.
The Toyota C-HR Hybrid has a strong reliability record — the hybrid system is proven and needs little unscheduled maintenance. The trade-offs are a cramped rear seat under the coupe roofline and a 377-litre boot. Some 2017–2022 builds are covered by DVSA brake-pedal and fuel-pump recalls, so check by registration.
Largest DVSA recall for the C-HR: R/2022/055, 42,554 vehicles in the whole recall — The initialization of the radar sensor may not have been completed correctly. See the 6 DVSA recalls listed for this model.
90.6% of Toyota C-HRs pass the MOT first time, 3.3 points better than the national average for cars of the same age (87.3%). Counted from 10,473 DVSA tests on cars registered 2017–2022; a pass with rectification at the station counts as a pass here, and as a failure in DVSA's own initial-test measure.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0), a sample of the 2025 file (about one test in ten, from nine months). Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a pass here (passed on the day); DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. Compared against cars of the same registration years, because pass rates otherwise mostly measure how old a model's surviving fleet is.
See it by registration year and by mileage ↓The asking-price figures above are the middle 80% and the median of what sellers were asking on Autoza on 29 October 2026 — not what buyers pay — for Toyota C-HR cars registered 2016–2023. They are worked out from the cars on sale when this page is generated, and none is shown when fewer than 10 cars qualify. The road tax line comes from GOV.UK's vehicle tax rate tables (2026/27 rates). The fuel economy figures are the manufacturer's official WLTP ranges, and the insurance note is an indicative editorial estimate. We do not publish a UK price index, and no figure here should be quoted as one.
Best and worst years to buy
We name a year as a best or worst buy only where the DVSA MOT table further down does not rate it the other way.
2020+ facelift: 2.0 Hybrid option added (more responsive performance), updated safety systems, improved infotainment. Both 1.8 and 2.0 Hybrid are very reliable — the 2020+ models also have the latest Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 as standard.
2016–2017 launch cars: a small number of CVT transmission noise complaints and early infotainment software issues. Also, pre-facelift 1.8 Hybrid's CVT can feel sluggish on motorway overtakes. These are minor concerns — the C-HR was reliable from launch, just less polished. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2017 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid.
Known faults — Toyota C-HR Mk1 (2016–2023)
How to read this list. Items marked Safety recall are DVSA safety recalls, shown with DVSA’s own reference. Whether a particular car is affected depends on when it was built: check it by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. Everything else in this list is owner-reported: patterns that come up repeatedly with workshops, owner forums and reliability surveys. Those are worth checking on a viewing, but we hold no count of how many cars have each one, other than any survey share a card itself quotes. Treat an owner-reported item as a question to ask, not a fault this car has.
Brake pedal bracket bolt (safety recall)
- Symptoms
- DVSA recall wording: a bolt of the brake pedal bracket may not have been torqued correctly
- Years affected
- C-HR built 10 June 2019 to 29 May 2020 (9,751 cars across C-HR and Corolla)
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free under the recall at a Toyota dealer
- What to check before buying
- Check the registration on GOV.UK’s recall check and ask for the Toyota dealer record showing R/2020/337 was done.
High-pressure fuel pump (safety recall)
- Symptoms
- DVSA recall wording: the high-pressure fuel pump could develop a crack over time, leading to a fuel leak and a risk of a vehicle fire. A fuel smell is the warning sign
- Years affected
- Certain C-HRs built 27 November 2017 to 4 February 2022 (5,440 cars across C-HR, Corolla and Auris); an earlier pump recall, R/2021/185, covers some built to September 2019
- Indicative repair (UK)
- Free under the recall at a Toyota dealer
- What to check before buying
- Check the registration on GOV.UK’s recall check and ask for the Toyota dealer record showing the pump recall was done.
DVSA’s counts, recall by recall: R/2021/185 5,440 (every model in the recall); R/2023/298 5,440 (every model in the recall).
CVT transmission whine or noise
- Symptoms
- High-pitched whine from transmission under hard acceleration; "rubbery" CVT feel above 60 mph
- Years affected
- All years (1.8 Hybrid CVT) — Above 50,000 miles — noise can increase with age
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £0 — often normal CVT characteristics; ATF fluid change (£150–£250) can reduce noise on older units
- What to check before buying
- Accelerate firmly from 35–60 mph and listen for transmission noise. The 1.8 Hybrid CVT makes a characteristic high-pitched tone under hard acceleration — this is normal. Persistent grinding or rattling (rather than the characteristic tone) should be investigated.
12V auxiliary battery failure
- Symptoms
- Car fails to start; warning lights at startup; hybrid system fault codes; "ready" light does not illuminate
- Years affected
- All years approaching 4–5 years old — From 4 years old regardless of mileage
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £120–£250 12V auxiliary battery replacement
- What to check before buying
- On any C-HR approaching 5 years old, proactively budget for 12V auxiliary battery replacement. This is the most common unscheduled repair on the C-HR — the main traction battery is excellent, but the 12V auxiliary battery that wakes the hybrid system is a wear item.
Infotainment system — older touchscreen responsiveness
- Symptoms
- Slow touchscreen response; navigation sluggishness; CarPlay/AndroidAuto disconnections
- Years affected
- 2016–2019 (pre-facelift infotainment) — Not mileage-related — hardware limitation
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £0 — software update (free at Toyota); not fixable without hardware upgrade
- What to check before buying
- Test the touchscreen and navigation during the test drive. Pre-facelift C-HR infotainment is notably slower than the 2020+ system. This is a hardware limitation rather than a fault — software updates improve it partially but the 2016–2019 unit is slower than modern equivalents.
Rear door water ingress (select build dates)
- Symptoms
- Damp rear footwell; musty smell from rear; water visible under rear seat
- Years affected
- 2016–2018 (certain production batches) — Age-related — more common in wet UK climate
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £100–£300 rear door seal replacement
- What to check before buying
- Check the rear footwell carpet for dampness. Press on the rear door seals and check for flexibility — hardened seals are a warning sign. Toyota issued a service campaign for the rear door seal issue — ask if this has been completed on pre-2019 cars.
Paint stone chip sensitivity
- Symptoms
- Higher-than-average stone chip damage on bonnet and front bumper
- Years affected
- All years — Not mileage-related — paint thickness
- Indicative repair (UK)
- £100–£400 touch-up or partial respray; paint protection film proactively
- What to check before buying
- Inspect the bonnet and front bumper in good light for stone chip damage. The C-HR has thinner-than-average paint on its bonnet — this is a common cosmetic complaint from UK owners. Not a safety issue but worth negotiating on.
More DVSA safety recalls for the Toyota C-HR, largest first
These are the recalls DVSA lists for this model and its build years that the cards above do not already describe: every one of 10,000 or more vehicles, largest first, with DVSA’s own reference and figures. A recall covers only cars built in its dates and within its VIN range — check a particular car by registration through GOV.UK’s vehicle recall check. “Critical” here means DVSA’s own notice tells owners not to drive the car until it is fixed. It is never a size: “Large” means DVSA lists 10,000 or more vehicles in the recall.
- Safety recall · R/2022/055Large recall — 42,554 vehicles
The initialization of the radar sensor may not have been completed correctly
42,554 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 20 March 2020 and 26 July 2021 · recall launched 18 April 2022
- Safety recall · R/2018/240Large recall — 32,393 vehicles
Engine wire harness connected to hybrid vehicle power control unit could contact cover
Due to assembly variation a portion of the engine wire harness could contact the cover. Should the insulation wear and the core wires become exposed there is an increased risk of a vehicle fire.
32,393 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 26 May 2016 and 8 May 2018 · recall launched 1 October 2018
- Safety recall · R/2023/279Large recall — 27,327 vehicles
On affected vehicles there is a possibility that the DCM may not complete the shutdown process within a specific period of time when the ignition is turned off causing the DCM to not restart at the next ignition cycle and making the e-Call function unavailable.
27,327 vehicles in the whole recall (DVSA’s figure for every model it covers) · built between 5 January 2022 and 13 July 2023 · recall launched 12 October 2023
Source: DVSA vehicle recalls file (every recall since 1992), published under the Open Government Licence. Where DVSA gives one figure for a recall that covers several models, it is shown as the whole recall’s total.
Toyota C-HR MOT results by year and mileage
Measured from DVSA’s own MOT test records for tests carried out in 2025, not from owner reports.
By registration year
Against all cars registered in the same year, the MOT pass rate for the C-HR was higher in 5 and level in 1 of the 6 registration years from 2017 to 2022 with enough tests to measure. The widest gap above is 2017 registrations: 88.7% against 82.2%.
Pass rate here: passed on the day, cars fixed during the test included. Rows: every Toyota C-HR DVSA tested in 2025, by registration year (2017–2022), all engines and fuels together.
| Registered | C-HR | All cars that year | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20221,691 tests | 95.0% | 91.2% | +3.8 higher |
| 20211,770 tests | 92.9% | 90.1% | +2.8 higher |
| 20201,612 tests | 89.0% | 88.7% | +0.3 level |
| 20191,800 tests | 89.7% | 86.9% | +2.8 higher |
| 20181,998 tests | 88.0% | 84.5% | +3.5 higher |
| 20171,462 tests | 88.7% | 82.2% | +6.5 higher |
By mileage at the test
Against cars of the same age on the same mileage, the pass rate for the C-HR was higher in every one of the 2 mileage bands with enough tests. How other models compare at the same mileage.
Show the table by mileage (2 bands)
| Mileage | C-HR | Same age and mileage | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20k–40k3,530 tests | 92.3% | 89.9% | +2.4 higher |
| 40k–60k2,885 tests | 89.3% | 85.5% | +3.8 higher |
Only a major or dangerous defect fails an MOT. A minor defect is recorded on the certificate and the car still passes, and an advisory is not a failure at all.
We don’t give a recall count for the Toyota C-HR: whether a recall applies depends on the individual car. Check the one you are looking at by entering its registration on GOV.UK’s vehicle recall checker, and see how to check a car for known faults for the other free checks.
Source: DVSA MOT Anonymised Data 2025 (Open Government Licence v3.0), a sample of the 2025 file (about one test in ten, from nine months) (3,459,000 tests). Class 4 tests in Great Britain, test type NT (a normal annual test), retests excluded. A pass, or a pass with rectification at the station, counts as a pass here (passed on the day); DVSA's own initial-test measure counts a rectified pass as a failure and so reports a lower figure. Odometer readings below 100 or above 400,000 miles are discarded as misreadings, and cars under three years old are excluded because no MOT is yet due. Sampled from nine months of 2025 (January, February, April, May, July, August, September, October and November). Testing in Northern Ireland is run separately by the DVA under its own rules. Registration years shown are cars 3 to 12 years old when tested; the smallest rests on 1,462 tests. A gap is called level when it is under one percentage point or inside the 95% sampling margin for that number of tests. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Who this car suits — and who should look elsewhere
Buyers who prioritise reliability and low ownership costs above all else. Urban and suburban drivers who don't need large rear space or a big boot. Buyers who want Toyota's proven hybrid system in a compact crossover body.
Families with teenagers or tall passengers in the rear — the C-HR rear headroom is significantly compromised by the coupe roofline. Buyers who regularly carry large loads — the 377-litre boot is small for the class. Buyers who need to tow more than a light trailer — Toyota rates the C-HR Hybrid at 725 kg, braked or unbraked.
Alternatives to consider
If the Toyota C-HR doesn't suit, these comparable models are worth a look in the UK market:
Toyota C-HR: questions buyers ask
What are the most common faults on a used Toyota C-HR in the UK?
The Toyota C-HR Hybrid has a strong reliability record — the hybrid system is proven and needs little unscheduled maintenance. The trade-offs are a cramped rear seat under the coupe roofline and a 377-litre boot. Some 2017–2022 builds are covered by DVSA brake-pedal and fuel-pump recalls, so check by registration.
What is the best year to buy a used Toyota C-HR in the UK?
Best-buy years: 2020, 2021, 2022. 2020+ facelift: 2.0 Hybrid option added (more responsive performance), updated safety systems, improved infotainment. Both 1.8 and 2.0 Hybrid are very reliable — the 2020+ models also have the latest Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 as standard.
What years of Toyota C-HR should I avoid in the UK?
Worst years: 2016. 2016–2017 launch cars: a small number of CVT transmission noise complaints and early infotainment software issues. Also, pre-facelift 1.8 Hybrid's CVT can feel sluggish on motorway overtakes. These are minor concerns — the C-HR was reliable from launch, just less polished. The DVSA MOT table on this page rates 2017 registrations above all cars registered that year, so it is not named as a year to avoid.
How much does a used Toyota C-HR cost in the UK in 2026?
What sellers were asking on Autoza on 29 October 2026, for Toyota C-HR cars registered 2016–2023: £10,995–£19,834, median £13,995 — the range is the middle 80% of asking prices. Those are asking prices, not what buyers paid, and not a UK price index. Prices vary by mileage, region and trim, so compare several adverts of the same year and mileage band before negotiating.
What is the road tax (VED) on a Toyota C-HR in the UK?
Annual road tax (VED): £200/year standard rate from the second year, hybrids included — the alternative-fuel discount ended on 1 April 2025. A car registered from April 2017 with a list price over £40,000 when new adds the £440/year Expensive Car Supplement in years 2–6 (£640 in all). Cars registered 2001–2017 pay a CO2 band, roughly £20–£790/year (2026/27 rates).
What fuel economy does a Toyota C-HR achieve?
Official WLTP combined figure: 53–58 mpg official WLTP combined for the 1.8 Hybrid, 50–54 mpg for the 2.0 Hybrid (Toyota UK specification sheets). WLTP is a laboratory test: the Vehicle Certification Agency says its figures serve to compare similar models, and that driving style, accessories and extra weight change what you achieve on the road.
How does a Toyota C-HR compare to its rivals?
Strong alternatives in the UK: Toyota RAV4, Nissan Qashqai, Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, Kia Sportage. Choose based on dealer network in your area, parts availability, and your priorities (running cost vs. cabin quality vs. badge).
Who is the Toyota C-HR most suitable for?
Buyers who prioritise reliability and low ownership costs above all else. Urban and suburban drivers who don't need large rear space or a big boot. Buyers who want Toyota's proven hybrid system in a compact crossover body.
Who should NOT buy a Toyota C-HR?
Families with teenagers or tall passengers in the rear — the C-HR rear headroom is significantly compromised by the coupe roofline. Buyers who regularly carry large loads — the 377-litre boot is small for the class. Buyers who need to tow more than a light trailer — Toyota rates the C-HR Hybrid at 725 kg, braked or unbraked.
Are there safety recalls on the Toyota C-HR?
DVSA lists 6 safety recalls for the Toyota C-HR that this guide shows or names, the largest first: R/2022/055 (42,554 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 20 March 2020 and 26 July 2021): The initialization of the radar sensor may not have been completed correctly; R/2018/240 (32,393 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 26 May 2016 and 8 May 2018): Engine wire harness connected to hybrid vehicle power control unit could contact cover; R/2023/279 (27,327 vehicles in the whole recall, built between 5 January 2022 and 13 July 2023): On affected vehicles there is a possibility that the DCM may not complete the shutdown process within a specific period of time when the ignition is turned off causing the DCM to not restart at the next ignition cycle and making the e-Call function unavailable. Whether a particular car is affected depends on its build date and VIN, so check its registration on GOV.UK (gov.uk/check-vehicle-recall) before you buy.
Check these next
The guide above is about the Toyota C-HR as a model. These are about the car in front of you.
- Browse Toyota C-HR listings on AutozaEvery one listed now.
- Check any car by its registrationFree: its MOT history, tax status and any open recall, from a number plate.
- Work out the road tax for the C-HRVehicle tax (VED) by registration date, CO2 and list price.
- Work out the monthly payment on a £13,995 C-HRThe median asking price on Autoza on 29 October 2026, not what buyers pay: change it to the car you are looking at.
- What is your C-HR worth?A price range from dealers' asking prices for comparable cars.
Looking to buy a Toyota C-HR in the UK?
Search Autoza listings filtered by year, mileage, and region. Every dealer page shows the business name, address and contact details, so you can check the business before you enquire.