Toyota is recalling 8,521 electric C-HR crossovers in the U.S. because a software error in the battery’s control unit can let the traction pack overcharge, triggering a shutdown of the entire electric drive system while the vehicle is moving, according to the automaker’s filing with NHTSA under campaign number 26V570000.

The defect traces back to the battery electric vehicle’s ECU, the computer that’s supposed to cap how much charge flows into the pack. Toyota says that when the battery is already near a full state of charge and the driver keeps using regenerative braking, the software fails to cut off the extra current, allowing the pack to overcharge. That triggers a protective shutdown that cuts propulsion power without warning, according to Electrek’s reporting on the recall filing. Losing drive power mid-trip, especially while merging or crossing an intersection, is exactly the kind of failure NHTSA treats as a crash risk regardless of how rarely it happens.

What’s Affected

• 2026 model year Toyota C-HR battery electric vehicles only (gas and hybrid C-HR variants are not included)
• Vehicles built between February 6 and July 10, 2026
• 8,521 units confirmed in the U.S. market

The C-HR EV is a relatively low-volume model in Toyota’s lineup here, which is why the recall count is measured in the thousands rather than the hundreds of thousands typical of a mainstream nameplate. It’s also one of Toyota’s newer dedicated electric nameplates, sharing its underlying battery-electric architecture with vehicles Toyota builds and sells more widely overseas.

Key Points

• Toyota’s internal designation for the fix is campaign 26TA17.
• The remedy is a free reflash of the battery ECU software at any Toyota dealer; the update is not available over the air and requires an in-person service visit.
• Owner notification letters are scheduled to be mailed October 18, 2026.
• No injuries had been confirmed as tied to the defect at the time of filing.

What Owners Should Do

• Confirm your VIN is included through NHTSA’s recall search tool or Toyota’s own recall lookup.
• Avoid letting the battery sit at a near-full charge for extended drives with heavy regenerative braking use until the software fix is installed.
• Schedule the free dealer software update once the notification letter arrives, or call Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 to check eligibility sooner.

This is Toyota’s second electric-SUV software recall of 2026, following an earlier campaign covering the shared bZ4X, Lexus RZ and Subaru Solterra platform for a similar sudden power-loss complaint, a reminder that as automakers lean harder on software to manage battery packs, a single bad line of code can ground a fleet just as effectively as a mechanical part failure.