Toyota is recalling approximately 10,000 model year 2026 C-HR electric crossovers after a software fault in the Battery Electric Vehicle Electronic Control Unit can cause the drive battery to overcharge during regenerative braking, potentially cutting drive power without warning. NHTSA campaign number 26V570000 covers the action, filed September 2, 2026.
The defect surfaces under specific conditions when the battery is already at a high state of charge. In those situations, regenerative braking, which normally harvests energy to top off the battery, can push charge levels past safe limits. The electric drive system then shuts down to protect itself. At highway speeds, a sudden loss of motive power creates a meaningful crash risk.
Toyota dealers will update the BEV ECU software at no charge for all involved vehicles. Owner notification letters go out by early November 2026. Affected units were built at Toyota’s Takaoka plant in Japan between February 6, 2026, and July 10, 2026.
The scope of this recall relative to the C-HR’s U.S. sales is notable. Toyota dealers had moved 6,321 C-HRs through the end of August 2026, making the roughly 10,000 vehicles named here a figure that spans nearly the entire installed base of the newly launched electric variant, plus pre-delivery and dealer stock. This is the first safety action against the redesigned C-HR since it went on sale in the United States this year.
The C-HR recall is the latest in a busy stretch of Toyota safety campaigns. A recall covering roughly 508,000 model year 2025–2026 Camrys addressed a software fault that could blank the instrument cluster and disable turn signals. A separate action on approximately 48,000 Tacoma TRD Off-Road trucks dealt with shock absorber corrosion. Toyota has not announced any software or hardware changes beyond the BEV ECU update for the C-HR going forward. An earlier campaign covering around 4,100 curtain shield airbag service parts installed in Tundra and Tacoma trucks rounded out a summer of consecutive safety notices from the brand.
Owners can confirm involvement by entering their VIN at Toyota.com/recall or nhtsa.gov/recalls. For additional questions, Toyota’s Brand Engagement Center is available at 1-800-331-4331.
Source: Toyota. Images courtesy of Toyota.
