Some Honda models are under scrutiny for the automatic emergency braking system inadvertently triggering.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) announced Monday that it is opening an investigation into American Honda Motor Co. for a braking issue concerning an estimated 250,712 vehicles.
Specifically, the regulator is looking into whether Honda Insight and Passport vehicles are inadvertently activating their automatic emergency braking systems when no obstruction is actually present. If the system does randomly trigger, the sudden deceleration could dramatically increase the risk of an accident, depending on the situation.
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) within the NHTSA received 46 complaints of this problem. Three of those complaints actually resulted in crashes or fires, while two alleged injuries. Affected vehicles include the Honda Insight hybrid as well as the Passport SUV between the 2019 and 2022 model years.
At time of writing, Honda did not make an official comment on the ODI investigation. Unlike a recall, this preliminary step aims to determine the scope and severity of a potential problem. From here, the after assessing safety related issues, the NHTSA could move for the automaker to instigate an actual recall campaign.
