The NHTSA is investigating 295,125 Honda cars and crossovers after reports of inadvertent activation of the vehicles’ automatic emergency braking systems, which are designed to stop vehicles as quickly as possible to prevent collisions.
Opened last week, the investigation of 2019-2022 Honda Insight hybrid sedans and 2019-2023 Honda Passport midsize crossovers is a step up from the preliminary evaluation the NHTSA conducted starting in March 2024, and makes a recall more likely.
Honda initially told the NHTSA that it was aware of 412 reports of automatic emergency braking systems activating even when there was no obstruction posing a collision risk. But the automaker theorized that many of these reports were due to customers’ lack of understanding of the system and its limitations. But customers found this reasoning, and responses from Honda dealerships that the systems were functioning normally, inadequate.
The NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) said it has since reviewed 475 complaints of erroneous emergency braking, including three that allege a crash, and two that allege an injury, due to a system malfunction.
This is not the first time Honda has had problems with sudden automatic emergency braking. In 2022, the NHTSA investigated 1.7 million Honda vehicles over similar complaints. Nor is it the only automaker forced to address faulty emergency braking systems. Volvo recalled all 2019-2020 models because of automatic emergency braking systems that failed to stop, and a 2021 Tesla software update interfered with the operation of emergency braking, forcing a recall as well.
All major automakers have made good on a 2016 promise to voluntary equip vehicles with automatic emergency braking, with 95% of new cars so equipped as of December 2023. But the performance of these systems can vary by manufacturer, something the federal government aims to address with new regulations that go into effect in 2029.