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2020 Toyota C-HR

Gas

Compact Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints1 crash · 1 injured reported 65

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 29 mpg

2027 2026 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018

The 2020 Toyota C-HR is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV. The most efficient version, the C-HR, is EPA-rated at 29 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 65 complaints, most often about the power train. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Toyota C-HR — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Toyota C-HR · Photo: Alexander-93 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
C-HR	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	27	31	29	$2,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 42145.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
C-HR	3 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV125 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 125	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Crossover Utility Vehicle [CUV]
Doors	5
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

145 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	4x2
Transmission	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control, Forward collision warning, Lane departure warning, Lane keeping assist, Pedestrian automatic emergency braking

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes one configuration rather than every trim (seen: ZGX10L). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	172.8 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	70.9 in
Height	61.8 in
Wheelbase	103.9 in
Track, front	61.0 in
Track, rear	61.8 in
Curb weight	3,300 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	61/39

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here one configuration: 4-door SUV. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Seat Belts

19TB22/19TA22

9,468 vehicles 81% reported repaired built Aug 26, 2019 – Oct 10, 2019

Problem 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 may contact Toyota customer service at 1-888-270-9371. Toyota's numbers for this recall are 19TB22 and 19TA22.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 19V877000 reported Dec 11, 2019 Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific C-HR

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2020 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Toyota publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Toyota’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2020 Toyota C-HR, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

65complaints filed

1 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

16 per 10,000 built · Toyota reported 40,422 C-HR built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2020: 1 · 2021: 3 · 2022: 3 · 2025: 22 · 2026: 36

Most-cited components

Power Train 50

Unspecified 6

Electrical System 5

Engine 5

Vehicle Speed Control 4

Tires 3

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The front of the car started making a high pitched whining noise at around 115000 miles. I had the breakpads and the rotors replaced but the sound kept on. Then the dealership said that the transmission is causing the noise. There were no warnings prior to the sound

Power Train Jan 2, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11708465

I was driving on the highway, roughly going 70-75 miles an hour, and as i began to exit the highway the check engine lights on the dashboard came on and the vehicle seized up.

Engine Dec 9, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11704010

The collision system turns off with the bad weather and the very bad transmission failure at 95 thousand mills

Forward Collision Avoidance Sep 28, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11690206

1. The rear seat belts are malfunctioning. At times, they fasten properly, while at other times they fail to do so. 2. The warning light on the information board intermittently activates and deactivates. 3. IMPORTANT: The transmission system emits a dreadful noise. As the speed rises, the noise intensifies. It remains constant.

Seat Belts Sep 4, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11685058

One tire blowout less than 2k miles, Sidewall and tread on all other tires, not holding air, losing traction causing lose of control and hydroplaning 215/60 17R Pro Continental

Tires Dec 15, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11497522

The contact owns a 2020 Toyota C-HR. The contact stated that on two separate occasions, the front passenger tire has had become defective; once for a blowout and another for excessive tread wear. Due to the failure, the contact has had multiple tire replacements; however, the failure had returned after each repair.

Steering at 5,000 miles Sep 28, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11434640

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Toyota itself: 26 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 29 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 64 per 100,000 built. Every C-HR model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
5 HB FWD	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★☆	14%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 111

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-01-30

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 111 service bulletins

Most often about: Equipment, Electrical System, Structure, Engine, Equipment Adaptive/Mobility.

T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 Service bulletin
2026-01-30 · Electrical System
OBSOLETE NOTICE January 30, 2026: This bulletin is now obsolete. Please see T-SB-0001-26.
T-SB-0001-26 Service bulletin
2026-01-28 · Electrical System
Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software.
T-SB-0055-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2026-01-07 · Unknown Or Other
Some 2005 – 2026 Toyota vehicles that have undergone water intrusion may exhibit a condition in which a musty odor is present. Follow the procedures in this bulletin to remediate the odor and address this condition. The purpose of this Service Bulletin is to provide general guidelines and procedures for odor remediation. This Service Bulletin provides a guide on how to prepare and treat the interi
T-TT-0780-25 Service bulletin
2025-04-02 · Electrical System
To assist with the early detection and early resolution of audio related concerns you may be asked to recover MMR data from the head unit. The following steps are instructions on how to retrieve the data from the system and are only to be used when requested by FTS and/or FPE.
T-SB-0106-22 Rev2 Service bulletin
2025-02-11 · Electrical System
Some 2018 – 2024 model year Toyota vehicles equipped with a Premium Audio with Dynamic Navigation System require a Special Service Tool (SST) USB flash drive to update the map, points of interest, and system software. The SST is used with applicable vehicles to deliver the update, however, the process for generating license keys differs from previous generations.
T-SB-0039-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2024-12-06 · Structure — Body
The condition known as acid rain is caused by airborne chemicals or particles in the atmosphere, which mix with rainwater, nighttime dew, or high humidity to form acidic compounds. If these contaminants settle and remain on a painted vehicle surface, especially the horizonal areas of the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage can occur. This damage is the result of actual etching of the paint
T-SB-0038-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2024-12-06 · Structure — Body
To prevent brake rotor rust from forming during transportation and storage, wheel film will be used instead of a cardboard type of anti-rust cover. The purpose of the wheel film is to shield the disc brake rotor from weather elements and initial rust before the vehicle is delivered to the customer. Consequently, the film should remain on the wheel for as long as possible.
T-SB-0035-24 Rev2 Service bulletin
2024-12-06 · Structure — Body
Acid rain results from rainwater or other airborne moisture that become acidic due to industrial chemical impurities in the atmosphere. If these acidic compounds settle on an exposed vehicle, especially the horizontal areas such as the hood, roof, and decklid, significant damage to the painted surfaces can occur. Acid rain damage can typically be identified on vehicles by the presence of stains on

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
B15FE B15FE on Toyota →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Equipment	1 bulletin

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.53%

failed emissions

1,143 initial inspections of 1,121 vehicles.

Measure	The 2020 C-HR	Every 2020 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	0.53%	2.2%	1,141
Failed the safety inspection	1.8%	1.6%	1,143
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.35%	0.19%	1,143
Miles driven a year	8,690	9,980	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	54,693	62,630	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2020 vehicle” is every 2020 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

C-HR by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 0 287 mi 2026 A 1 8 287 mi 2022 A 0 3 29 mpg 2021 A 1 36 29 mpg 2020 this page A 1 65 29 mpg 2019 B 3 114 29 mpg 2018 A 1 327 29 mpg

Common questions about the 2020 C-HR

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2020 Toyota C-HR have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Toyota C-HR. The most serious on file is 19V877000, covering Seat Belts. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

NHTSA gave the 2020 Toyota C-HR 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

For the 2020 Toyota C-HR, the best EPA combined figure is 29 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

Transport Canada measured it at 172.8 in long, 70.9 in wide (body, without mirrors), 61.8 in tall, on a 103.9 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,300 lb. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

Owners have filed 65 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Toyota C-HR, most often about power train, unspecified, electrical system. Of those, 1 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

The EPA smog rating for the 2020 Toyota C-HR is 3 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III ULEV125, Federal Tier 3 Bin 125 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2020 Toyota C-HR?

The manufacturer has filed 111 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2020 Toyota C-HR, most often covering equipment, electrical system, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-01-30. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2020 Toyota C-HR do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2020 Toyota C-HR failed the emissions check on 0.53% of first inspections — lower than the 2.2% for every 2020 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 1.8% (every 2020 vehicle: 1.6%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	65	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	111	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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