2020 HONDA INSIGHT Forward Collision Avoidance Problems

This 2020 Honda Insight performed “phantom braking” of the automated braking system when I was about to enter a clear intersection with no vehicles or obstacles in front of me. It activated the automated braking system and endangered my life and the lives of others over no real threat. This occurred 08/23/2025. The car is well maintained and does not have any service issues. This was completely random.

The contact owns a 2020 Honda Insight. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, several unknown warning lights illuminated. During the failure, the brakes failed to function as intended, and the Lane Departure, Cruise Control, and Forward Collision Avoidance features failed to function as intended. The failure was intermittent. During the first failure, the vehicle was turned off and restarted after several minutes and the vehicle operated as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with battery failure. The dealer also determined that the brake pedal simulator had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle remained with the dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

Mileage: 18,000

I was driving down the highway, with no one in front of me, and my car alerted BRAKE and brought my car from 70 to an almost complete stop. This jerked myself and my passenger and caused a heat mark from the seat belt on my collar bone. It has done it multiple times since then. I'm terrified to be in traffic and for it to do this. This is most definitely putting my safety at risk, and the safety of others. I have not taken it to the dealership yet.

I was driving down the highway, with no one in front of me, and my car alerted BRAKE and brought my car from 70 to an almost complete stop. This jerked myself and my passenger and caused a heat mark from the seat belt on my collar bone. It has done it multiple times since then. I'm terrified to be in traffic and for it to do this. This is most definitely putting my safety at risk, and the safety of others. I have not taken it to the dealership yet.

I was driving on a two lane road driving over a small paved bridge going about 40mph with a car next to me and a car behind me nothing in front of me when my car did a hard phantom brake. No pre warning, the display did show BRAKE and it did beep. But everything was sudden. Luckily the car behind was able to slam on brakes. The car behind me continued to follow but was at least 4 car lengths away. I assume bc they didn't know why I braked.

I have had 2 occasions when I experienced inadvertent spontaneous braking. Both times there was no vehicle in front of me. Both times the car stopped completely while driving in the city between 25 to 35mph. Fortunately there was no vehicle behind me either time and I did not sustain any injuries.

In 3 instances the emergency braking system has activated when the car was being driven on the freeway and the lane was curving with no obstacles in front of the car in the lane but a semi truck in the next lane over in one instance and cars in the next lane over in the other instances.

Two instances of braking system activating at highway speeds. In one instance, it was broad daylight, there was some traffic but nothing in my lane for a good distance, highway speed (approximately 65 mph) short sharp braking maneuver that dropped the speed approximately 10mph. I assumed there was some reflected light off of a sign that messed with the sensors, but the second instance was at midnight, same highway, same speed, no one else on the road. In these instances, with light traffic, there was no danger to my safety but if this happens again under heavier traffic, it could conceivably cause someone to rear end the vehicle. I have not been able to reproduce the problem. There might’ve been a flash on the dashboard warning the system was activated, but I couldn’t say for sure. Vehicle is available for inspection.

DAMAGE TO THE POWER STEERING LINKAGE CABLE AND OXYGEN SENSOR CAUSED ALL ADAS SYSTEMS TO BE OFFLINE INCLUDING POWER STEERING. IF THIS UNIT WERE TO BE DAMAGED JUST ENOUGH AND FAIL WHILE DRIVING THIS WILL LIKELY RESULT IN A CRASH/COLLISION AS THE CAR BECOMES COMPLETELY UNDRIVABLE. LUCKILY SO FAR, THIS HAS HAPPENED WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED AND DID NOT CAUSE ANY INJURY. I FEEL THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE UNTIL THEY FIX THIS ISSUE. IT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES NOW AND NOTHING SEEMS TO BE BEING DONE ABOUT THIS ISSUE AS OF YET FROM HONDA. THIS WAS BROUGHT FORWARD TO HONDA'S ATTENTION WITH NO AFFIRMATION THAT THIS IS A PROBLEM. IT FIRST HAPPENED IN SEPTEMBER LAST YEAR AND HAS HAPPENED TWO ADDITIONAL TIMES SINCE.

Mileage: 6,000

VERY OCCASIONALLY THE CAR COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEMS KICKS IN ERRATICALLY. THE CAR BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY TO REDUCE SPEED SUBSTANTIALLY. THIS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS BECAUSE SOMEONE MIGHT HIT FROM THE BACK. THIS HAS HAPPENED TO ME ON CITY STREETS AS WELL AS THE HIGHWAY. I THINK IT MIGHT BE DUE TO THE COLLISON SENSOR MISSCLASSIFYING SIGNBOARDS OR OVERHEAD BRIDGES AS HUMANS OR CARS

Mileage: 41,000

DRIVING ALONE ON ROAD DOING 30 MPH THE CAR SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES AND SLOWED TO ABOUT 20 MPH WHILE FLASHING "BRAKE" IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. NO OTHER CARS ON THIS ROAD AT THE TIME. THERE WERE SHADOWS ACROSS THE ROAD FROM SUN AND TREES. SINCE I ALWAYS DRIVE THE SPEED LIMIT, IF THERE IS SOMEONE FOLLOWING ME, THEY ARE USUALLY RIGHT ON MY TAIL. I DON'T WANT TO BE SHOT FOR "BRAKE CHECKING" SOME REDNECK IN A PICKUP WHEN IT ISN'T EVEN ME DOING THE BRAKING. NHTSA ISN'T DOING IT'S JOB BY ALLOWING THIS ISSUE TO CONTINUE.

Mileage: 5,500