Look! It’s a Tesla! It’s a Ford! No, it’s a… Toyota?
That’s right, Toyota has a recall. And it’s a pretty big one.
Toyota has just announced that it’s recalling around 10,000 C-HR EVs across North America due to a software issue that could cause regenerative braking to overcharge the battery, resulting in loss of drive power. In fact, the electric drive system could shut down entirely, which could lead to a crash at higher speeds.
So, it’s a pretty big deal.
According to Car and Driver, Toyota sold 6,321 of its new electric C-HR in the United States. The recall could include every C-HR sold in North America, from the U.S. to Canada. Either way,Toyota will also reach out to owners by November 2026. Later on, you can find out if your C-HR is part of the recall on the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) website. The official paperwork hasn’t been revealed just yet.
Dealerships will provide a software update to those with an affected vehicle. This should fix the issue.
Is it actually shocking that Toyota has a serious recall?
There’s a very positive stereotype that follows Toyota around: its vehicles are reliable. This is not just something people say. It’s true. Toyota is known for slowly adapting changes and technology updates in its models due to its rigorous testing and desire to have complete perfection before releasing a vehicle. It’s something that Ford CEO Jim Farley recently referenced after laying off two-thirds of its leaders.
Previously, Ford was fine with “good enough,” which led to numerous vehicle recalls. While recalls can be seen as a positive – it means automakers are willing to catch and fix issues – it also means that the customer has to deal with the frustration of bringing the car to a shop. Or feeling in danger on the road, depending on the issue.
“The really impressive part of Toyota and many of the Chinese automakers, as well, but especially Toyota, is their sustainability of what they do,” Farley said. “They never drop the ball. They never go backward. They don’t think there’s an end. At Toyota, they had a really famous saying that I think about every day: No problem. Big problem. In Toyota, even if you are perfect in quality and you’re beating everyone, no one is happy. You’re going for perfection.”
It’s not a stretch to say that Toyota has had far fewer recalls than Ford, which currently holds the record for most recalls in 10 years. But Toyota is not actually “perfect.”
In the first quarter of 2026, Toyota already recalled more than 100,000 vehicles. This put the automaker in third place, behind General Motors and Ford, in terms of vehicle recalls this year. To be fair, Ford had 7.5 million recalls in that same three-month time period. Toyota’s recalls included 161,268 Toyota Tundras not displaying the correct rearview camera image, 141,286 Toyota Priuses with their rear doors opening unexpectedly, 4,374 Lexus LX models at risk of losing drive power due to transmission damage, and 550,007 Toyota Highlanders with second-row seats that may fail to lock. Another serious recall for the Lexus LX occurred a bit later in the quarter, with 15,264 units potentially affected by a front passenger air bag that may not deploy properly.
Are you still correct if you say Toyota is reliable? Yes. Especially compared to the competition. But maybe Toyota is getting a bit sloppy. For itself. It’s like the class suck-up getting an A- on an exam. I’m sure they’re stewing over these recalls as we speak.
