Automatic Emergency Braking problems of the 2018 Honda CR-V - part 1

Second time in the last two months, while traveling on a 55mph roadway, vehicle started auto braking with no vehicles ahead of me or any obstacles. Scared the daylights out of me, I cant imagine what the outcome would have been if this happened on a highway.

Automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning malfunctioned. I started to drive after sitting at a red light and was driving at approximately 35 mph. The automatic emergency braking and forward collision warning engaged, and the car suddenly braked. Luckily there wasn’t anyone directly behind me, or else I would have been rear-ended. This malfunction has happened on three separate occasions in the past 4 years. There were no warnings prior to the malfunction. The car has not been inspected yet for this malfunction.

Power and began running rough. The check engine light illuminated, and the vehicle did not perform normally. I previously had the vehicle diagnosed and repaired at a Honda dealership for this same issue. The repair was completed less than two months ago. After only a few thousand miles since the repair, the exact same symptoms returned, including the check engine light, rough engine operation, and loss of power while driving. The recurrence of this issue raises concerns about the reliability and safety of the vehicle, particularly when operating in traffic or at highway speeds, as sudden loss of power could increase the risk of a crash. The problem appears to be the same issue that was previously repaired, but it reoccurred shortly after the repair was completed.

2018 Honda Cr-v had another phantom braking event this morning. While traveling on a local 4-lane road with 45-mph speed limit, the collision mitigation braking system activated with an actual hazard present and brought the vehicle to a complete stop, nearly resulting in a series read-end collision from the traffic behind the car. This created an immediate safety hazard and could have easily resulted in injuries or fatalities. The vehicle has experienced recurring phantom braking events and false activations of the emergency braking system. Because this has happened multiple times, we no longer have confidence that the system will behave predictably in normal driving conditions.

On several occasions, while driving down the road at 55 mph, the car will flash the "brake" indicator on the dash for a brief second and immediately slam on the brakes either to a stop or for a shorter amount of time. This is the third event that happened today just before reporting this problem. Our safety was at risk because there could've been someone behind us that may not have reacted fast enough and could've hit us. After the issue, there were no warning lights of any kind. There was no hazard in the road and no other obscure conditions. Middle of the day, clear skies. It is not possible to reproduce the problem in a timely manner because this has happened randomly three times over the course of two years.

While driving at speed of 50mph automatic braking system activated causing car to stop suddenly there was no car or object in front of my vehicle.

Multiple times when driving on the freeway, there will be no obstruction whatsoever on a clear road, with a clean car — it will emergency break, or attempt to. I have had it diagnosed and nothing related to break system etc was ever found. This happens often and has almost caused a couple crashes.

I was driving down the road with no cars around me at all going 40 mph when my car started braking saying "brake" and automatically braked to almost a full stop int he middle of the busy road. If there was a car behind me we most definitely would have been rear ended at a very fast pace. We could've been seriously injured and I have little children in the car and a baby. There wasn't rain or fog or anything out of the ordinary. We are taking it to the dealer later this week. No warning light on before the incident.

I was driving into the city and crossing an intersection with train tracks. There was no obstacle and the car warned me by flashing the sign to brake, beeped, and then it automatically slammed on the brake and stopped my car in the middle of the intersection on the tracks. I was goin probably 40 mph. It was terrifying. Thankfully no one else was around me. All of my items in the car flew off the seat and hit the ground. Will be calling Honda about taking it in to repair shop.

A known common issues that Honda are not addressing: car going limp randomly, oil dilution, head gasket failure causing fuel injector issues, dashboard lighting up which causes the safety features to also cease from operating. I have multiple times now with my 4 year old in the car been in traffic and my car has just stopped going unprovoked. This limp mode issue a huge safety issue and has almost caused me to wreck multiple times. This started around 70k miles.

This has been an ongoing issue since I bought the car in 2020. I have reported to the dealer, Honda, and this agency. My car fantom breaks by its self. About a week ago my car lit up again with the break on the dash and only slightly hit the breaks this time compared to the time before where it slammed on the breaks. Yes there is no car in front of me when this happens. Motorworld Honda closed out my cases and this is still an ongoing issue. Honda has been no help and the car is still breaking by itself. Please investigate this issue. Motorworld Honda blamed me for the issue and bernie Honda says that this issue happens and the person I was talking to said this happened to her. This is not normal.

Multiple warning lights were turning on then turning off in their own, typically 2-3 days later. However while on, all adas showed errors and did not work. Most recent time, had an elevation changed (over 6000 ft), lights came cascading on parked safely. Next morning, car would not accelerate/was extremely jerky. Turned off waited turned back on, while lights were on car felt to be running fine. Slightly off sounding idle. Dtc showed multiple misfires and error codes with a recommendation to replace fuel injectors. Dealer was surprised given relatively low milage (109000 miles) for this issue to occur.

On February 26, 2026, at approximately 3:59 pm, the driver was traveling northbound on yukon territory avenue in manteca, CA at approximately 30 mph when the vehicle experienced a sudden brake failure. The driver attempted to pull over to the east curb of yukon territory avenue but the vehicle inadvertently jumped the curb and collided with a city fire hydrant. Airbags deployed. The vehicle continued northbound and struck a city street light pole before stopping. No injuries were reported. The incident is consistent with the known NHTSA engineering analysis (opened February 2022, upgraded April 2024) covering 2017-2022 Honda Cr-v vehicles for unexpected and unintended activation of the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) causing sudden rapid deceleration without warning. This complaint is being filed to add to the existing federal record of 1,294 complaints already documented under this investigation.

Other than the emergency brake system coming on suddenly a couple times (seat belt has hurt me, but not medically documented), there have been no other issues with this car. In the November of 2025, it overheated in gridlock traffic in boston, MA, which had me freaking out. The engine coolant was low, so I had to find a spot to pull over and let the steam out. I drove it safely home and refilled the tank. It was checked out by my local mechanic and he said it looked fine. Towards the end of January, the car overheated again, so I immediately went to the auto store to buy prediluted coolant to fill the tank (which was now full). Last week (February 2026), I was driving home on the highway and all the emergency lights came on and the car stopped accelerating. I was able to get the car home, but moved my pump module recall appointment up to the following day. Honda north in danvers, MA (where we purchased the car) investigated and found a cracked cylinder, head gasket needing replacement, turbo chargers needing replacement, and the fuel injector needing replacement. The report also says the engine coolant tank was empty, but I only filled it a couple weeks ago. The mechanic said I could drive it home on the back roads, but it is no longer safe to drive, as there are severe safety risks (the car passed every other inspection). The sales team expected me to make a deal that day, because I could not drive home. My car's mileage is just over 127,000 miles, and they are only offering $6000 or $8000 with trade in. I have learned there are lawsuits over the 1. 5v turbo engine and am surprised Honda is not recalling the engine due to safety risk. My family has had 5 Hondas in the past decade and up until this point, believed they were safe, reliable cars. I am really dissappointed by this, especially because the cost to repair is over $11,000. I also want to note that someone on reddit coincidentally had the same issue within the same hour as myself.

There is an ongoing problem with the electric power steering on my 2018 Honda Cr-v that has begun malfunctioning. The steering sticks near the center position and requires additional force before it releases. When it releases, the steering changes from tight to loose, making it easy to overcorrect. It sometimes feels as though gears are catching inside the steering system. There is also a clicking or cracking sound when the steering wheel is turned, along with occasional creaking during slow turns, such as when leaving a driveway. The condition makes it difficult to make small steering corrections and could cause the vehicle to leave its lane or become difficult to control. The symptoms have become more noticeable and create a safety concern during normal driving. An independent mechanic scanned the vehicle with a diagnostic scanner and reported a fault involving the electric power-steering system. The exact diagnostic code is unavailable. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by Honda, and the failed component has not yet been replaced. The vehicle and steering components remain available for inspection upon request. No power-steering warning lamp was observed before the symptoms began. Honda previously issued NHTSA campaign 18v-663 and service bulletin 18-103 involving steering-gearbox failure in certain 2017–2018 Cr-v vehicles. My vehicle is not included in that recall despite exhibiting similar steering symptoms. Other 2018 Cr-v owners outside the recall population have reported sticking, clicking, and confirmed steering-rack or steering-gearbox failures. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate whether the recall population should be expanded.

On several occasions my 2018 Honda crv unexpectedly braked while I was driving. Instances happened on interstate driving and 2-lane road driving.

I bought my car a Honda crv 2018 at a dealership brand new in 2019. The problems with car is now with abs system. Abs lights are all on and information was told by independent service. Abs system was replaced by independent service center, but the problem is still ongoing. Do you recover for the abs system?.

While driving on a residential street at about 30 mph, our car suddenly, on its own and without warning, braked sharply. There was no other vehicle near to initiate the sharp braking. Had there been a car behind us at the time, the braking was so sharp it hit might have rear ended our car. We have now taken the car to the dealer for their assessment of the issue and a solution.

I was going through an intersection on a city street at approximately 35 mph. There were no vehicles or obstacles in front of my car. My emergency braking feature engaged, bringing me to a sudden stop in the middle of the intersection. Had a car been behind me, I certainly would have been rear ended. I have not taken my car in yet. I regularly maintain my car and did not have any error/warning messages prior to or after the incident.

On 9/25/25, while exiting the freeway with no cars in front of mine for as far as I could see, the "brake” indicator light flashed once and. The car came to a jolting stop. As soon as I pressed on the accelerator the car engaged and I was able to drive normally. A new light was on my dashboard with two white lines beneath the “acc” and “lkas” lights. A similar incident occurred to while driving the car on 12/15/24 and a NHTSA complaint was filed (#11632264). Honda followed up and the car was assessed by a technician who could not recreate the same response and determined that the radar was "misaligned". To the best of my knowledge the issue was addressed by Honda.

I was driving on the highway, 65 mph using cruise control, in the right lane. There was one car in my relative vicinity, already halfway through it's exit off the freeway, with my car still about 6 or 7 car lengths away. The automatic braking system suddenly engaged hard. I quickly disengaged cruise control, which mitigated the problem. In the moment of unexpected braking, I was thankful there was no one around me, because my hard, sharp braking could have caused me a rear end accident and someone else, a front end accident. No one has confirmed my experience. The car is currently being inspected by my local mechanic. There were no warning messages or lamps prior to the 'short stop'. Unknown if warning message came on in the midst of the short stop.

To whom it may concern: ?I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding a serious and recurring safety defect in my 2018 Honda Cr-v ex, VIN# [xxx] . I have experienced at least four incidents within the last two months involving both sudden, unintended braking and intermittent steering lock-ups. These are not isolated events and pose a significant risk to the safety of myself and other motorists. ?the sudden braking issue, often referred to as "phantom braking," occurs when the vehicle's collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) activates without any obstacle or danger present. The car abruptly comes to a full stop, without warning, on a clear road. This is extremely dangerous and has nearly caused multiple rear-end collisions. ?in addition to the braking problem, the steering has also become intermittently stuck. This happens without warning and makes it difficult to turn the wheel, which could lead to a loss of control, especially at higher speeds or on curves. ?I have already reported these issues to two authorized Honda dealerships: ?curry Honda in atlanta, georgia ?Honda autonation in columbus, georgia ?on each occasion, the dealerships have been unable to replicate the problem and have told me they cannot find anything wrong. Despite their inability to diagnose the issue, the problems are very real and continue to happen. ?these defects are not just an inconvenience; they are serious safety hazards that could lead to a crash. I am concerned that if this problem is happening to my vehicle, it may be affecting other 2018 Honda Cr-v owners as well. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter thoroughly to prevent potential accidents and injuries. ?please contact me if you require any additional information. ?thank you for your attention to this critical matter. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Driving along a city road, and the cmbs (collision mitigation braking system) engaged. The brakes were slammed on, out of nowhere for no good reason. The closest car in front was several car lengths away, but there was a car closely following behind. That car (and the car behind it) had to brake hard to avoid collision. No injuries occurred in our vehicle. We were, however, pretty fucking scared and pissed.

High pressure fuel pump failed , could smell gas in air vents. Honda claims it’s separate from its other recall for a fuel pump. Car had been working fine, sudden issue, all lights came on , car started to stutter on acceleration. Had to be towed. No issues prior.

Was driving on a main road in the afternoon. There was a car ahead of us, but not directly ahead, and did not have its break lights go on. My car suddenly flashed the "break now" sign and put on the breaks without warning. Fortunately, there was no one behind us, and I was able to continue without incident. This has never happened before, but it really shook me, as it could have been a very dangerous situation. Had there been another car right behind us, we would have been rear ended. It makes me nervous to drive my car, as I don't know if this could happen again.

This is to report an activation of the collision mitigation braking system on my Honda 2018 crv despite there being no collision danger. While driving approximately 30 mph on a 2 lane suburban residential street, my car suddenly slowed when the cmbs system engaged despite my car being at an ample following distance from the car ahead. There were no pedestrians or any obstructions in the road. I believe my safety was at risk because there was no reason for my car to reduce speed and luckily the car behind me did not hit me. My car slowed considerably but did not stop. I have not had the car inspected or serviced with regard to this problem. There were no other warning lamps or messages prior to the system engaging.

Phantom braking problem. On a sunny day, I was driving 25:mph on a street that was being repaired. A steel plate was covering a hole. The system activated emergency braking, slamming on the brakes and flashing "brake" and beeping.

Similar to the open investigation on these crvs, we have had at least 3 occurrences of the vehicle activating automatic emergency breaking with nothing obstructing the vehicles path. There were, however, metal plates in the roadway to cover utility trenches. These are designed for vehicles to drive over them all day, every day, so the vehicle should not emergency stop. Although there were luckily no rear end collisions as a result of this, it was certainly possible given how abrupt the stop was.

Vehicle emergency braked with nothing in the path while driving 80mph on the highway. Car behind me had to swerve into the shoulder to avoid rear ending my vehicle.

Car was not able to shift into lower gears. Car would not accelerate when put in drive and drive did not illuminate on the dash. Gearshift was slipping between neutral and drive. Mechanic got code of u3003–16. And u 04168. On a separate couple of occasions, the emergency brake system was activated when nothing was in the road.

As I was driving about 20 mph on a two lane road through a neighborhood, I went through an area with cones on either side of the road where the road narrowed some because of construction. There were large metal or steel plates covering the road for about 4 feet or so over the asphalt, but nothing that impeded driving forward. As I approached that area, my car’s brake message flashed a few times and beeped before my car abruptly slammed to a stop in the middle of the road, shortly before the metal plates. This happened so quickly that I was unable to react when I first saw the flashing “brake” message and heard the beeping. No one was behind me so I didn’t get hit, but I would have if someone had been following.

Vehicle is currently in the shop due to safety sensors and cameras. The car has less than 70k miles and is excellent condition. But when I started my car all the sensors did not work.

This morning, March 5, 2025, while driving to work, my 2018 Cr-v abruptly stopped in the middle of an intersection with no need and little warning. Thank god nobody was behind me at the time. Everything not bolted or belted down came forward immediately. After the incident I pulled into a convenience store to regroup, calm down and turn off my automatic braking system which I no longer trust. I have a short, 15 second video (mp4) from my dash cam but was unable to attach it for this report.

On several occasions, the auto braking system has engaged when not required. When driving / approaching and overhead highway sign, the alert will trigger, warning me to press my brakes. Other past events include occasionally when passing beneath an overpass, the braking system will alert and engage the brakes. This has nearly caused a rearend accident. Braking alerts also occur for some forks in the road, seemingly alerting for the barrier that is in place.

Driving on a regular paved road following the speed limit (35 miles per hour) when the automatic emergency braking system engaged randomly; the car speed went from 35 miles to a near and sudden stop and almost caused a rear-end collision. Phantom braking. This is the second time this has happened with no visible reason in terms of road conditions or flying birds, blowing trash, etc. That could explain this. I am afraid to drive the car out of fear that phantom braking will cause an accident/potential injuries. I cannot imagine this happening on a freeway at higher speed—distater. I was driving on a viaduct (on the top level with car traffic below and on the first occasion, with a river running below). Could it be that the safety features such as camera sensors are misfiring and putting people in real danger. It makes no sense for safety features such as are making driving more dangerous than without them. I am going to have to spend $250 for Honda mechanic to diagnose and who knows how much to repair it, but it is clearly an engineering/mechanical problem created by Honda. This vehicle also fewer than 40k miles on it despite being a 2018 model. Please, please require Honda to issue a recall before something tragic happens.