In a recent development, the U.S. government's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has moved forward in its inquiry into approximately 3 million Honda vehicles experiencing unexpected automatic braking incidents. This investigation, initiated in February of 2022, has now transitioned to an engineering analysis phase following a significant number of complaints, both from consumers directly and via reports from the company itself. The NHTSA has revealed that it has amassed 1,294 complaints related to this issue.
The essence of the complaints revolves around the claim that the automatic emergency braking system within these Honda vehicles is activating without any obstacles in the vehicles' path, heightening the potential for accidents. There have been a troubling 47 reported crashes and 112 injuries associated with this problem. The scrutiny extends to Honda's popular models, specifically the CR-V small SUV and the Accord midsize car, widening from 2017 to 2022 for CR-Vs and from 2018 to 2022 for Accords.
In response to these concerning allegations, Honda has somewhat attributed some misunderstandings of the system to customers but the agency notes that consumers have stated Honda dealers were unable to replicate the problem and dismissed it as normal system behavior. This issue has persisted for some customers, creating a worrisome trend. The automaker has expressed its commitment to cooperating with the NHTSA throughout this investigation involving the Collision Mitigation Braking System. NHTSA's forthcoming assessment will focus on the frequency and safety ramifications of these unexpected brake activations.