The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has recently intensified its scrutiny of the automated emergency braking system in Honda’s popular Accord and CR-V models. This investigative upgrade, led by the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation (ODI), follows a surge in complaints regarding the unexpected activation of these safety features, potentially placing nearly 3 million vehicles under the regulatory microscope.
As per the report, the NHTSA has been flooded with nearly 1,300 complaints concerning 31 instances directly resulting in collisions and a reported 58 injuries from 50 separate incidents. The focus of this investigation encompasses a wide spectrum of Honda vehicles, including the 2018–2022 Honda Accord, 2018–2022 Accord Hybrid, 2017–2022 Honda CR-V, and 2020–2022 CR-V Hybrid models, totaling approximately 2,997,604 vehicles on American roads.
At the heart of this inquiry lies Honda’s Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), which has been flagged for its unexpected activation, posing potential risks due to abrupt vehicle deceleration even in the absence of an apparent obstruction in the vehicle’s path. Initially launched in February 2022, the probe centered on specific models, namely the 2017–2019 CR-V and 2018–2019 Accord variants.
However, following an in-depth investigation into the escalating complaints, the NHTSA announced a significant escalation in its investigative stance, upgrading the initial probe to an engineering analysis. This move aims to broaden the scope of the investigation, now encompassing a broader timeline and a larger pool of affected vehicles, spanning from 2017 through 2022 model years.
The intensified focus on nearly three million Honda Accord, Accord Hybrid, CR-V, and CR-V Hybrid vehicles underscores the critical nature of the issue and the regulatory agency’s commitment to ensuring the safety and reliability of automotive technologies.
With the potential for life-threatening consequences resulting from the malfunctioning automated braking system, the NHTSA’s rigorous investigation seeks to identify the root cause and implement necessary corrective measures to safeguard motorists and pedestrians alike.
