Tesla, Honda and many other automakers that offer automated braking systems have been stung by a phenomenon known as phantom braking, which may cause vehicles to suddenly slow — or stop — in response to what the system mistakenly perceives as a obstacle.
Phantom braking, also known as unintended braking, is caused by erroneous sensor perception in systems that are now standard equipment on most new light vehicles sold in the U.S.
Among the latest developments:
- In February, it was reported Tesla faced a probe in the U.S. after authorities received more than 354 complaints for unexpected brake activation in the 2021-22 Model 3 and Model Y.
- A California owner of a Tesla Model 3 sued the electric vehicle maker in a proposed class action related to phantom braking, calling it a "frightening and dangerous nightmare," according to the lawsuit.
- Honda is under an NHTSA investigation for a phantom-braking issue affecting more than 1.7 million vehicles. NHTSA has received more than 270 complaints that allege braking incidents "occurring with nothing obstructing the vehicle's path of travel," with six people alleging they were involved in a collision resulting in minor injuries.
While the actions against Tesla and Honda put their technology under scrutiny, they are not alone and the false-positive problem is not new.
A 2017 Mercedes E-Class owner wrote NHTSA in August 2021 that "The vehicle independently came to an abrupt stop." That same month, the agency got this from the owner of a Volvo S60: "The automatic emergency braking engaged while we were traveling between 60-70 mph. … There was no apparent reason for the braking because there was no vehicle or other obstacle to trigger the braking."
NHTSA investigated a rash of false-positive incidents involving the Nissan Rogue in 2019. Nissan told the agency it received 750 vehicle complaints "relating to false-positive activation" of the automatic emergency braking system. Of these complaints, 12 said a collision resulted from the system's activation, with four people alleging they sustained injuries in those crashes.