Automatic Emergency Braking Problems of Honda CR-V - part 1

While driving under normal conditions on a dry road (no snow or ice), the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of braking performance while in motion. The vehicle was traveling approximately 10–15 mph and approaching an intersection with a red traffic light. A warning message appeared stating: “brake system problem. Brake performance may be reduced. See your dealer. ” immediately after this message, braking performance was significantly reduced. Multiple attempts to slow the vehicle using the brake pedal resulted in minimal deceleration. The stopping distance was much longer than expected for the speed and conditions. The vehicle only came to a stop after the brake pedal was pressed with full force. Shortly after the initial brake warning, multiple additional safety-related systems went offline, including collision avoidance and other braking-related driver assistance systems. Approximately five to six warning messages appeared, indicating a cascading failure of safety systems while the vehicle was still in motion. The driver was able to slowly maneuver the vehicle to the side of the road and park safely. No collision occurred. However, shortly before this incident, the vehicle had been driven on a highway. If the same failure had occurred at higher speeds or in traffic, it could have resulted in a serious crash or injury. The vehicle is relatively new (approximately two years old, low mileage) and has been routinely maintained. There were no prior warning signs before this event. The vehicle is currently available for inspection at a dealership. A preliminary dealer explanation suggested a possible low or discharged battery; however, the cause of the braking failure has not been clearly established. This incident involved loss of braking performance while the vehicle was in motion, presenting a significant safety risk.

See all problems of the 2024 Honda CR-V 🔎.

Random problems since purchase with screen going out and emergency brake light either flashing for no reason and braking for no reason. In 2023 the brake system completely failed while driving. Honda dealer replaced fuel pump which helped for awhile. Now flashing brake warning for no reason is happening again. Fear the car will either start braking again for no reason or another system failure might occur. Afraid to drive the car.

See all problems of the 2017 Honda CR-V 🔎.

Approximate mileage on car: 26500 make/model/trim: Honda crv hybrid sport-l location: manheim and lancaster counties, pennsylvania date of incident: 1/17/26 weather: light snow, under 3", mostly plowed/salted surfaces while driving in light snowy road conditions, the vehicle failed to decelerate appropriately when the brake pedal was firmly applied. The driver was operating the vehicle cautiously and at reduced speeds under 20mph, appropriate for winter conditions. Snow accumulation was less than approximately 3 inches, and the roads were mostly plowed and treated with salt. Despite firm brake application, there was no noticeable abs pulsing or vibration, and the vehicle continued to slide forward with minimal reduction in speed, right through a stop sign and then again at a 4-way traffic light intersection. Both times, the braking response felt delayed or ineffective, resulting in a significantly extended stopping distance. Steering control while braking was limited, leading to fishtailing and spinning across the road. This did not feel like normal loss of traction or typical abs engagement. The behavior was unexpected given the relatively moderate road conditions and the cautious driving behavior. No warning lights were immediately displayed during the incident. The experience felt like a loss of effective braking capability in winter conditions, creating a serious safety concern. This condition increases the risk of collision due to the inability to stop the vehicle as expected, even when driven cautiously in moderately snowy, plowed, and salted road conditions. A driver has no reliable way to compensate when braking response is inconsistent or delayed. The vehicle is marketed as awd and suitable for adverse weather conditions. The braking behavior was inconsistent with expectations and with prior vehicles driven by the driver under similar winter conditions for over 40 years.

See all problems of the 2025 Honda CR-V 🔎.

Traveling at 70 mph on I-5, washington state, a warning message telling us the braking system was compromised, referencing "vsa", part so the stability control system. We pulled over and turned the car off, deleting the message. Within two miles of proceeding along the road the display presented a message saying the parking/emergency brake was malfunctioning, at 70 mph. Three days later my wife was backing up in the driveway and the car applied the brakes and would not proceed. When my wife engaged the forward gear the car did drive forward while cycling various error messages. It, via computer interpretation, determines how the brake fluid pressure is applied/distributed to all and any of the braking systems. Some systems are automatically initiated and others are initiated by the driver. These systems include the auto-emergency braking, the application of the electric foot brakes, the parking brake among others. We had the car delivered to the local dealership with the above information. The dealer ran an obd scan and decided that the electric servo booster. I do not challenge this decision. My concern is that this malfunction has triggered a recall in japan and that there are worldwide reports of the malfunction. Please have someone look into this system failure with Honda.

See all problems of the 2020 Honda CR-V 🔎.

The fuel system is leaking from the top of the tank. Same problem that is happening to already recalled vehicles.

See all problems of the 2019 Honda CR-V 🔎.

* manual and automatic break - both failed. Yes, it is available for inspection. * it was a collision between 2 cars. Our car break got jammed ,it hit other car. * we visited envision Honda of milpitas - Honda dealers. For multi-point inspection after incident. I have attached the report. The problem was not reproduced by them, but we faced the issue of break getting jammed and automatic break system not working. I am scared of driving my car in future. * yes, the vehicle is inspected by Honda dealers and geico insurance. They are not accepting intermitted break system failure. * there were no warning lamps or messages. Just break stopped working. We were driving in snow mode in Honda crv. It was snowy road. We were going downhill. And the manual and automatic , both break system failed at the same time * the Honda dealers didn't share edr (event data recorder) data to us. They charged us 300$ and did multi-point inspection and handed over the car back.

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

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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.

Phantom emergency braking. Vehicle slamming on brakes at intermediate times when there is no emergency.

See all problems of the 2021 Honda CR-V 🔎.

While driving my 2019 Honda cr?v at about 35 mph during night on a local road with no cars or obstacles in front of me, the vehicle suddenly applied the brakes hard by itself. There were no warning lights or messages other than the collision warning, and I did not touch the brake pedal. The sudden braking almost caused the car behind me to rear?end me. This has happened several times in similar conditions when the collision mitigation braking system / Honda sensing was on.

The automatic braking system provides warning and brakes the car automatically with no trigger to do so. Has happened several times. My safety is at risk due to the vehicle braking for no reason while in traffic disrupting my own controlling the vehicle. The car is at dealer currently however they saying something "had" to trigger it and that I just wasn't aware. Not able to recreate at current moment.

Brake lights did not turn on while stopping using automatic braking until the vehicle was completely stopped, leading to a rear-end collision.

I have had my crv suddenly brake on me on multiple occasions when absolutely no one is around to cause it. It’s created many of close calls and given me mild whip lash in the past. But yesterday it happened in a way much worse than ever bc I was on the interstate and it abruptly stopped (again no one in front of me or to the side) which jolted me and gave me some brutal whiplash and then it was locked up & wouldn’t go faster than 20mph!! I was in the left lane & I almost got hit by multiple people behind me & almost died! I had to drive like this for 3-5 minute (hazards on of course) until I could ‘safely’ pull over. Once I turned it off and turned it back on, it went back to accelerating normally. I have taken my car to the Honda dealership for every oil change I’ve gotten & this issue has never come up on their full vehicle inspection. I cannot emphasize enough how close I came to dying bc of this. I really hope a resolution or recall happens sooner than later bc I’m now learning there’s 1000’s of people online saying they’ve had similar experiences. It should not take years to address this when there are so many lives at stake. Please help. Sincerely, terrified to drive my car now (& that’s not good considering I drive for work).

The contact owns a 2019 Honda Cr-v. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 mph, the automatic emergency braking system erroneously activated, causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the road. During the failure, there were no other vehicles or objects nearby the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The contact stated that the failure had previously occurred, and the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact was made aware of NHTSA action number: ea24002 (forward collision avoidance) and related the failure to the NHTSA action number. The failure mileage was 25,000. The VIN was not available.

Collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) is automatically warning and has engaged when no object is ahead. Seems to be picking up overhead/over roadway traffic signals and signage.

The cmbs activated when driving when no other vehicle was in front of my vehicle. The car came to a stop.

The car slammed to a complete stop when there was no reason to. I was approaching an intersection slowly and already was applying the brakes. A pedestrian was on my left but not in front of the car. There was a large metal plate on the road. There was construction happening on the road. This is the second time in six months that the car slammed to a stop because of a metal plate on the road.

My Honda crv has braked by itself when I am driving, even when theres nothing iin front of me. The break warning signal also pops up for no reason this has happened many times, and I have my kids in the car. The dealer told me they can’t find anything, but the problem keeps happening. I am scared this will cause a crash. Especially having my 2 year old and 3 month old I get scared to drive it --- if you want it even shorter or more personal, I can rewrite it again.

I am writing to formally express my extreme dissatisfaction with the randomly vanishing dashboard, all sorts of warning lights and its recurring issues. I see a recall for 2017 crv for fuel injector. I don't see my VIN for fuel injector recalls and most likely my crv issue with fuel injector. Fuel injector replacement is a major repair. I. I scheduled an appointment with autonation Honda chandler,az,to troubleshoot an issue. I believe these issues may stem from a design or manufacturing flaw. I am requesting that Honda cover the full cost of the necessary repairs.

While driving on a straight road at 35 mph the car suddenly and aggressively applied the brakes without driver input and without another car or obstacle in front of the car. Had there been a car behind me a rear collision would have been likely. The weather was sunny and there were deep shadows of trees cast on the road. This is the fourth time this has happened the past year. This is my first report to NHTSA.

See all problems of the 2022 Honda CR-V 🔎.

Driving down an in town road going approximately 35 mph with no cars within 5 car lengths front side and back when I hear three beeps and my car brakes hard on its own and then continues. It was scary and I pulled off the road to a parking lot to turn the car off and on. While today I didn’t have anyone tailgating me, this could have easily been a bad accident in town traffic. I plan to contact my dealer tomorrow to report and have safetysystem checked and adjusted. I see that others have experiences like this and online was advised to report this.

On three separate occasions my automatic brakes designed to avoid a collision have engaged while I was driving highway speed with no vehicle or obstruction I'm front of my car.

Driving in mild foggy conditions, going 44 mph. My crv dash had the brake warning flashing and locked up my brakes. There was nothing in front of me do cause this. There was a car behind me that could of hit me. Everything in my car flew off the seats and it jarred my neck and back. My lowered back has been hurting and I am seriously concerned for my safety in this vehcle.

We were driving on the freeway in nice weather when the cars automatic emergency brake engaged at 75mph. No warning light came on the dash it was without any warning very scary thankfully no other cars where around us.

While driving my 2025 Honda Cr-v ex-l on October 3, 2025, at approximately 8:00 am pst, the automatic emergency braking system (collision mitigation braking system) activated unexpectedly. There were no vehicles in front or behind me, and road conditions were normal. The sudden braking could have caused a rear-end collision if another vehicle had been nearby. This incident raises serious safety concerns. I have learned that similar issues have been reported by other Honda owners. I am requesting an investigation into this malfunction and whether a recall or software update is necessary.

The automatic braking system is repeatedly braking inappropriately, with nothing in front of us or in the road. We have not gotten into an accident yet but have come close twice. The Honda dealership in elk grove, CA acted like this was normal and it “could be a leaf or pebble” and there’s nothing they can fix because it’s normal. This is not normal. It’s dangerous.

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.

While driving on a clear day, I went under a bridge on a downhill slope and the car flashed the brake warning and applied the breaks automatically almost causing the car behind me to hit me. Dealer has not been able to reproduce the issue. This has happened a few times. Once on the highway and another time slowly going through a construction site where there was a dip in the road. The last issue happened on 9/27/2025. The first issue was in March of 2024.

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.

The car just comes to a screeching halt because it detects a collision, even when there is no threat. Happens most often at night when passing a road signage above you.

Vehicle repeatedly brakes on its own when there are no vehicles in front to avoid. Very dangerous for vehicles behind and me and passengers. Dealer "cannot" reproduce, denies there is a problem despite 1000s of online complaints and NHTSA safety investigation. Incidents occurred within weeks of purchase in December 2023.

I love my 2024 Honda crv which I purchased in may of 2025. But I need to report this for safety reasons. On September 9, 2025 I was driving south on sare road near davis road in bloomington in at about 30 mph when the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs), activated and stopped the car in an instant. It was a rapid, unintended deceleration. The “brake” message flashed on the dash. This occurred at approximately 7:30 pm, and there was no other traffic around me. No oncoming traffic, no other cars in front of me and thankfully no one following closely behind. There was no collision - however if another car had been behind me they likely would have rear-ended my vehicle. There were no people or animals in the vicinity to cause the cmbs to activate. And I did not inadvertently touch the brake prior to the incident. I was just driving along and suddenly thrown forward and restrained by my seatbelt. I could smell what seemed to be the brakes or tires. I was confused as to why the vehicle stopped. I turned the engine off and checked for traffic, then started the car and continued driving home without further incident. Within a day or two, I stopped in at my dealership ( andy mohr Honda) and reported the incident. Today (9/19/25) I was having a transmission fluid service and mentioned the cmbs issue to the technician and he chanced the settings for cmbs from “far” to “near” and said that should solve the issue and to let them know if it occurs again. My concern is that if it happens again it could result in an accident and cause damage and injury. Especially if I am on the interstate driving at 60 mph.

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.

The vehicle is a 2024 Honda Cr-v ex-l with approximately 13,000 miles, purchased at gillman Honda in houston, TX on may 29, 2024. The issue involves the collision mitigation braking system (cmbs) activating without any obstacle present. The first incident occurred in February 2025 at around 11,000 miles while driving on a feeder road at ~25 mph. The vehicle suddenly braked to a complete stop even though the road was clear. There were cars behind me, and although they stopped in time, it created a serious risk of rear-end collision. Had I been traveling at a higher speed and the car braked completely, this could have caused the vehicle to flip or lose control. The second incident occurred on September 4, 2025 at ~13,000 miles while driving on a busy street at approximately 40 mph. The vehicle suddenly braked very hard for no reason, but did not fully stop — instead, it resumed immediately. It felt as if the car “took a screenshot,” braking sharply then continuing. This was especially dangerous since I was traveling at a higher speed, and vehicles behind me could have easily collided with mine. Both incidents put my safety and the safety of other drivers at risk. The vehicle was brought to gillman Honda on September 16, 2025. The dealer acknowledged the safety concern and kept the car for inspection. On September 19, 2025, the service representative confirmed they had contacted Honda corporate and opened a case because of the seriousness of the issue. The car is still being held at the dealership pending corporate guidance. No warning lights, error messages, or prior alerts appeared before either incident. This appears consistent with a known problem that has been reported by many Honda owners in recent years involving unintended braking by the cmbs system. The defect makes the vehicle unsafe to operate, and at this point we no longer feel safe driving it.

Facing the sun, driving through an intersection with a green light. No cars ahead or behind me, and no pedestrians in sight. As I passed under the light, the car slammed on the brakes once, let up a little, and then slammed on the brakes again. It flashed the brake indicator on the dash. Then driving resumed as normal. If there had been a vehicle behind me, it would have rear ended me, no question.