Karmactive Staff
Toyota has announced a safety recall affecting approximately 10,000 C-HR electric vehicles across North America, addressing a software defect that can cause the vehicle to lose drive power at highway speeds. The company said it identified a problem in which regenerative braking—the system that captures energy when slowing the vehicle—can overcharge the battery under specific conditions, resulting in the shutdown of the electric drive system.
The recalled vehicles are all 2026 model-year C-HR EV models. The defect occurs when the battery is already at a high level of charge and the regenerative braking function activates, sending more electrical current into the battery than it can safely accommodate. Toyota stated that this overcharging condition can trigger a loss of driving power, which presents an increased risk of a crash if it occurs at higher speeds.
Toyota did not immediately file official paperwork with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s database, though such documentation is typically required within specified timeframes. The company said it plans to notify owners of affected vehicles beginning in early November.
The remedy consists of a software update to the Battery Electric Vehicle Electronic Control Unit, which is the computer system managing battery charging and discharge. Owners will need to bring their vehicles to authorized Toyota dealerships, where technicians will reprogram the battery management software. Toyota did not specify how long the update procedure would require or whether it would need to be performed while the vehicle remains plugged in to an external charger.
Through the end of August, Toyota sold 6,321 C-HR EV units in the United States, suggesting that the recall encompasses a substantial portion of the vehicles currently in private ownership. Although official Canadian sales figures were not available in the sourced reporting, Toyota indicated that the recall covers the full North America market, including Canada. The C-HR is not sold in Mexico.
The C-HR represents a newer entrant to Toyota’s electric vehicle lineup in North America, accompanying expanded models including the redesigned bZ series and the wagon-like bZ Woodland.
