Toyota is recalling close to 10,000 units of its all-new 2026 C-HR, the automaker’s newest electric SUV, after finding a software defect that can cut power to the wheels while the vehicle is being driven. The recall was reported to federal safety regulators on September 7, 2026, according to recall details compiled by CarComplaints.com.

The C-HR nameplate returned to US showrooms this year as a battery-electric-only model, marketed as a sportier, more affordable entry point into Toyota’s growing EV lineup, according to the automaker’s own launch materials. It is now the subject of the model’s first major safety recall.

Key Points

• Roughly 10,000 to 11,300 model year 2026 Toyota C-HR SUVs in the US are affected, plus about 1,300 more in Canada
• The defect traces to a software error in the regenerative braking system
• Under certain conditions, the software can overcharge the high-voltage battery, which can trip the vehicle’s electronic control unit and shut down the entire electric drive system
• Toyota says owner notification letters are scheduled to go out in early November 2026

What’s Affected

• 2026 Toyota C-HR battery-electric SUVs built within the production window tied to the flawed battery-management software
• Toyota has not published a separate list of trims excluded from the campaign, meaning owners should confirm status by VIN once the recall is formally logged with regulators

According to the defect description reported by CarComplaints, the problem begins when the regenerative braking system pushes the battery to a high state of charge. A software error in that system can then allow the battery to become overcharged. When that happens, the electronic control unit governing the high-voltage battery can fault out, and “the electric drive system can shut down, causing a loss of motive power” while the SUV is in motion. Toyota’s own account of the defect, relayed through the same report, ties the failure directly to that overcharging sequence rather than to a mechanical or battery-cell problem.

A sudden loss of drive power is especially dangerous at higher speeds, where a driver may have little warning before losing the ability to accelerate or maintain speed in traffic — a risk regulators typically treat as a serious crash hazard regardless of how few incidents have been reported so far. Toyota has not disclosed whether any crashes or injuries have been tied to the defect.

What Owners Should Do

• Owners can call Toyota customer support at 1-800-331-4331 to ask about the C-HR power-loss campaign before a formal notification letter arrives
• Once notified, owners should schedule the free repair at an authorized Toyota dealer, which involves reprogramming the Battery Electric Vehicle Electronic Control Unit rather than replacing any hardware
• Owners can check recall status by VIN through NHTSA’s recall database once the campaign receives its official number

Toyota has not said whether the software issue affects the C-HR’s advertised range or charging speed once the fix is applied. The company’s dealer network is expected to begin performing the update as owner letters go out this fall.