Toyota recalls about 10,000 model year 2026 C-HR EVs over software that can cut drive power
A software bug in Toyota's electric C-HR can overcharge its battery through regenerative braking and shut the drive system down, prompting a recall of roughly 10,000 vehicles in North America.
- Approximately 10,000
- 2026
- Early November 2026
What Happened
A safety recall covers roughly 10,000 C-HR electric vehicles from model year 2026 in North America. Toyota announced the action on Sept. 2, 2026, from Plano, Texas. The figure comes from the company's own newsroom notice.
The C-HR uses regenerative braking to put energy back into its drive battery. Toyota says a software fault can let that process push the pack past a full charge when charge is already high. When that happens, the electric drive system may cut out, and the car loses the ability to move. Losing motive power at highway speeds raises the chance of a crash, the company says.
Toyota's Plano, Texas notice sets the action's scope: model-year 2026 electric C-HRs sold across North America.
Car and Driver and InsideEVs publish stories on the recall; Car and Driver's piece is bylined Caleb Miller.
Owners of affected vehicles are to be notified by Toyota.
~10,000vehicles
Toyota's count for model year 2026 C-HR EVs in North America.
Toyota will fix the problem with software, not new parts. Dealers will load new software into each vehicle's electric-drive controller. Owners will hear from Toyota by early November 2026. Car and Driver's Caleb Miller reported the same scope and remedy on Sept. 9, 2026.
Why this matters
The recall covers roughly 10,000 owners in North America who drive a 2026 C-HR. Because the fault can cut motive power at speed, the fix is a dealer-installed software update rather than a hardware change. Toyota says it will reach owners by early November 2026.
Terms in This Story
- regenerative braking
- A system that slows a vehicle by converting its momentum into electricity and sending that energy back to the battery instead of wasting it as heat.
- electronic control unit
- A small onboard computer that runs one or more vehicle systems, such as the electric drive, and can be reprogrammed by software.
- model year
- The production year a manufacturer assigns to a group of vehicles, which can differ from the calendar year they are built or sold.
A brief summary; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.