Which Honda Accord years have the most automatic emergency braking problems?

The 2018 model year has the most owner complaints in this area, with 170. The 2019 year follows with 87, then 2020 with 58. Later years have fewer, but newer cars have had less time to collect complaints, so a low count on a recent year is not proof it is clear.

Is it safe to drive an Accord with phantom braking?

It carries real risk. The main danger is a rear-end crash if the car stops hard with a vehicle close behind. Owners report crashes, whiplash, and cars totaled. Some also report the braking returning without warning. Keep extra distance behind you in mind and have the car checked.

Is there a recall for Honda Accord automatic emergency braking?

Federal recall records list no recalls in this area for the Accord. Owners say dealers often find no stored fault and offer no fix. One owner says a software update did not stop the braking, so check with a dealer for any service steps that apply to a specific car.

How much does it cost to fix Accord emergency braking problems?

Owners report widely varying costs. One front camera recalibration cost about a thousand dollars. Another owner was quoted $500 to $2,500 with a front radar replacement. One out-of-warranty quote topped $3,000. Many owners report paying nothing because the dealer found no fault.

Can I turn off automatic emergency braking on an Accord?

Owners say switching the system off does not last, because it turns back on when the car is restarted. Some owners also report that pressing the accelerator during a braking event did not stop it, while one 2018 owner says the brake released after pushing the gas.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Honda Accord Automatic Emergency Braking Problems

Hard, sudden braking with nothing ahead is the most common emergency braking complaint on the Honda Accord, mostly on 2018 to 2022 cars.

Owner complaints: 408
Share of all complaints: 11%
Crash / fire / injury reports: 8 / 0 / 21
Related recalls: 0

Accord automatic emergency braking complaints by model year

The 2018 model year has the most complaints in this area by a wide margin, with 170, followed by 2019 with 87 and 2020 with 58. Complaints per car sold fall steadily after 2018. The 2021 and 2022 years sit in the middle with 39 and 38. The 2023 through 2026 years have only a handful, but they have had far less time on the road to collect reports. Few complaints on those years do not show they are free of the problem. Crash reports appear in 2019 and in every year from 2021 to 2024.

2018
170 · 5.8/10k sold
2019
87 · 3.3/10k sold
2020
58 · 2.9/10k sold
2021
39 · 1.9/10k sold
2022
38 · 2.5/10k sold
2023
9 · 0.5/10k sold
2024
5 · 0.3/10k sold
2025
2 · 0.1/10k sold

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA under forward collision avoidance. Newer model years have had less time to collect complaints.

What goes wrong

The main complaint is phantom braking. The car clamps down hard on an empty road, a BRAKE message flashes, and the car slows sharply or stops. Owners report it at city speeds and at highway speeds. Shadows, overpasses, curves, rain, and passing trucks come up as triggers. A second pattern is a string of warnings for collision mitigation, road departure, and adaptive cruise, which then shut those systems off.

This is a real safety problem. The risk is being hit from behind. Complaints in this area include rear-end crashes, injuries such as whiplash and neck pain, and some cars totaled. There are no fire reports. The cars stay drivable, but owners say the braking can return without warning, and pressing the accelerator often does not override it. Dealers usually find no stored fault, so many owners leave with no fix and keep driving a car they no longer trust.

Symptoms owners report

Hard braking with nothing ahead

The car brakes sharply or stops on an empty road, with a BRAKE message flashing at the same moment. Reports range from 15 mph to 75 mph. Some owners say it stops for a few seconds, then releases. Others say it keeps happening.

Braking under adaptive cruise

With adaptive cruise on, the car brakes hard when a lead car exits or turns, or when traffic is only in the next lane. Some owners say pressing the accelerator did not override it. One says cruise stopped seeing the car ahead after the turn signal went on.

Warning lights and systems shutting off

Collision mitigation, road departure, and adaptive cruise warnings light up together, and the systems go dark. This is reported on some nearly new cars. Messages sometimes clear only after a dealer recalibration, and some come back.

Rear-end crashes and injuries

When the car stops with traffic close behind, drivers get hit. Owners describe totaled cars, whiplash, neck pain, and seatbelt strain. Many more describe near misses on the highway, with traffic swerving around a stopped car.

Faults the dealer cannot find

Dealers often find no stored codes and cannot repeat the problem. Some call the braking normal. Owners say the car does not log the event, so a visit works only if the fault just happened. Turning the system off resets at restart.

When the problems start

Owners rarely tie the problem to one mileage, but it shows up early. One 2024 owner reports braking at 550 miles. A 2020 owner saw the system warnings at 2,516 miles. Another reports front and rear brake service under 6,000 miles. Others describe it on older cars: one used 2022 car bought at about 30,000 miles had the problem around ten times by about 108,000 miles. A 2019 owner says it grew more frequent as the car aged.

Repairs and recalls

Federal recall records list no recalls for this problem. Most owners report dealer visits that end with no fault found. One software update did not cure it for a 2021 owner. Repair quotes run high when the system stops working: one owner was quoted over $3,000 just past the warranty, and another was quoted $500 to $2,500 and a replacement front radar. One front camera recalibration fixed a 2019 car for about a thousand dollars. Some owners say recalibration cleared their warnings, while others say the faults came back.

Checking a used Accord for automatic emergency braking problems

Ask the seller whether the car has ever braked hard on its own, and whether any dealer visits were for collision mitigation or adaptive cruise warnings.
Start the car and watch the dashboard for collision mitigation, road departure, or adaptive cruise warnings. Do not accept a car showing any of them.
Test drive on a highway with adaptive cruise on, past overpasses and through curves, and watch for sudden unexplained slowing.
Ask for service records showing front camera or radar recalibration or replacement, and what each visit cost.
Check the car's coverage status before buying, since out-of-warranty fixes for these systems have been quoted at $3,000 or more.
Be extra careful with a 2018 model, the year with the most owner complaints in this area.

A VIN check shows whether the car you're looking at had its recall work done, plus accident and title history.

Look Up a VIN →