Washington, D.C. – March 6, 2022 – The U.S. government auto safety regulator is investigating Honda (NYSE:HMC) vehicles that may unexpectedly brake on their own. This increases the risk of a crash and injury.
If the investigation leads to a recall, it could affect an estimated 1.73 million of the following vehicles:
- 2018 – 2019 Honda Accord
- 2017 – 2019 Honda CR-V
Investigation summary
The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation on February 21, following at least 278 complaints about phantom braking.
Based on the complaints, the vehicles’ Collision Mitigation Braking System (MBS) may cause the vehicle to start braking sharply in the absence of any visible threats and without any prior warning.
The Collision Mitigation Braking System, or CMBS, is the automated system that monitors the road ahead and stops the vehicle to avoid a crash if there is an obstacle.
Risks
A vehicle that slams on the brakes hard and unexpectedly may be hit from behind. In addition, the sudden braking may confuse the driver and cause him or her to lose control over the vehicle, amplifying the risk of a crash.
Other Honda recalls
There was a Honda Accord recall in December, caused by a faulty child restraint system, as reported. The recall also included CR-V, Ridgeline and Insight vehicles.
In April of last year, there was a large Honda CR-V recall due to faulty fuel pumps that may result in the vehicle stalling on the road. The recall spanned over 600,000 cars and also affected Acura, Civic and Odyssey vehicles.
Is your vehicle part of a recall?
This phantom braking investigation may eventually lead to a Honda brake recall, possibly affecting over 1.7 million vehicles. To see if your car is subject to a recall, please use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.
