Investigation of Honda vehicles in the US due to emergency brake system malfunction

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in the United States is currently conducting a preliminary investigation into approximately 250,712 Honda vehicles with automatic emergency brake systems. This investigation is a result of reported issues with the brake system. The affected Honda models are the Honda Insight and Honda Passport from the years 2019 to 2022.

According to the NHTSA, they have received 46 complaints regarding a condition known as “phantom braking,” which leads to sudden speed reduction while driving on highways. One Honda Passport owner stated, “My Honda Passport has experienced random and unexplained forward collision warnings. The steering wheel continuously shakes due to brake warnings, causing distraction. It is extremely dangerous if the brakes engage at high speeds. The dealership has claimed this to be normal, but clearly, it is not.”

It is worth noting that three accidents, resulting in two injuries, have been reported due to the aforementioned phantom braking issue. Clearly, the activation of the automatic emergency brake system without any reason increases the risk of collisions, accidents, and even jeopardizes the lives of both the driver and surrounding individuals.

The NHTSA is carefully assessing this matter to determine the scope and severity of the issue. If there are significant safety concerns, the agency may require Honda to issue a recall for the entire 250,712 affected vehicles.

This incident marks the second safety-related complaint involving Honda vehicles in the US in 2024. In early February, Honda was forced to recall over 750,000 vehicles due to a flaw that could cause the airbags to deploy unnecessarily.

In that instance, the recall affected Honda Pilot, Accord, and Civic sedan models from 2020 to 2022, as well as certain SUVs including the Honda CR-V and Passport manufactured between 2020 and 2021.

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