Toyota Initiates Safety Recall for 2026 C-HR Electric Vehicles
Toyota’s North American subsidiary has officially submitted a safety recall to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), encompassing over 8,500 units of the 2026 model year C-HR.
Registered under campaign number 26V570, this safety initiative addresses a programming anomaly within the electric vehicle’s electronic control unit.
According to the recall documentation, the identified flaw may lead to the overcharging of the traction battery under certain driving conditions.
Such an overcharge may result in an automatic shutdown of the electric drive system, thereby heightening the risk of a collision should the loss of propulsion occur, particularly at high velocities.
The records provided to federal regulators indicate that 100 percent of the 8,521 potentially impacted electric vehicles possess the compromised software configurations.
The problematic components are identified by two specific part numbers, both of which are manufactured by Denso Corporation.
The production window for the affected models spans from February 6, 2026, to July 10, 2026. Classified as a C-segment crossover, the electric variant of the C-HR is manufactured at Takaoka plant in Japan and is based on the e-TNGA platform.
In Europe, this model is referred to as the C-HR+, and a Subaru variant known as the Uncharted also exists.
All vehicles produced during the specified timeframe are equipped with the problematic battery electric vehicle (BEV) electronic control unit (ECU) software.
In contrast, other Toyota and Lexus models in the U.S. market utilize distinct software logic or different control modules entirely.
The crux of the issue pertains to how the control unit executes battery protection protocols intended to regulate electrical charging input.
During typical operation, regenerative braking harnesses kinetic energy, converting it into electrical power and supplying current to the lithium-ion traction battery.
However, when the state of charge is already elevated and ambient temperatures are low, prolonged regenerative braking may compromise the limiters. This scenario is particularly prevalent when descending steep inclines.
Rather than restricting energy intake, the flawed software allows the battery to overcharge. Once the control unit detects this overcharged condition, it initiates defensive protocols to protect the battery.
This sudden intervention results in an abrupt shutdown of propulsion, leaving the vehicle to coast to an unceremonious halt.
Toyota identified this vulnerability in April 2026, when engineers, while conducting routine development testing, uncovered an erroneous parameter within the control unit.
Acknowledging that this control logic might be uniform across the electric vehicle range, further investigation confirmed the presence of the same error in the 2026 model year C-HR designated for the U.S. market.
To rectify this critical issue, dealers will be required to update the battery electric vehicle electronic control unit with revised software that includes enhanced battery protection logic.
This service will be provided at no cost to vehicle owners. Notifications to customers are slated to be dispatched between October 18, 2026, and November 1, 2026.
Transitioning from its prior internal combustion engine, the U.S. version of the C-HR now features a robust 74.7-kWh traction battery and standard dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD), delivering a formidable combined output of 338 horsepower and an impressive range of up to 287 miles (462 kilometers) on a single charge, with a starting price of $37,080 before destination fees.
Source link: Autoevolution.com.
