Toyota C-HR Recall Issued Over Defective Pre-Collision System

A sensor which may have been installed uninitialized could disable the pre-collision system, increasing the risk of an auto accident.

Nearly 40,000 Toyota C-HR vehicles are being recalled, due to a defective radar sensor that may disable a system intended to help the driver avoid car accidents.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced the Toyota C-HR recall (PDF) on March 1, indicating they may contain an uninitialized radar sensor linked to numerous safety features. However, no reports of accidents or injuries have been reported in connection to the defective sensor.

Also known as a millimeter-wave sensor, the radar sensor device enables safety features that include adaptive cruise control, lane tracing assist, and the Pre-Collision System (PCS). Toyota and the NHTSA warn the sensor may not have been activated during production, making the PCS inoperative.

This fault was discovered in 2020, when Toyota received reports referencing C-HRs sold in Japan, where the Traffic Movement Notification feature (a system similar to the PCS but available only in the Japanese market) was not detecting vehicles ahead of it as intended. Additional investigation revealed that the problem was due to a failure to properly initialize the millimeter-wave system during production, and could extend to vehicles sold in the U.S. as well.

In a Toyota C-HR, the PCS employs a camera and laser radar to detect objects ahead of the vehicle and warn the driver of a possible collision. This is done with both audio and visual alerts. The system also provides additional braking assistance to help avoid collisions.

An inoperative PCS would not detect objects in front of the vehicle nor would it give any warnings or braking assistance. Additionally, it would fail to provide a malfunction indicator so the driver would not receive a warning of any kind that the system was faulty.

The recall affects certain model year 2021 Toyota C-HR vehicles manufactured from June 12, 2020 through July 26, 2021. It includes 36,558 vehicles sold in the U.S.

Owners of the recalled cars are urged to take their vehicles to their local Toyota dealership. The dealer will inspect and activate the sensor as necessary at no charge to the owner. Official notification letters are expected to be mailed on April 11, 2022.

Consumers with questions can contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 for additional information.