U.S. auto safety regulators have advanced their probe into almost 3 million Honda Motor Co. sedans and SUVs after receiving thousands of consumer complaints over unexpectedly activating automatic emergency brakes.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said it has received 1,294 consumer complaints over emergency brakes in Honda vehicles activating without apparent cause, “resulting in sudden vehicle deceleration.”
The regulator said it has received 1,294 consumer complaints over the issue, which has included 50 reports alleging injuries and 31 crashes caused by the defect. In some cases, the NHTSA received multiple reports associated with the same vehicle.
The NHTSA first launched an investigation into the defect in February 2022 to probe 2018-19 Honda Accord sedans and 2017-19 Honda CR-V crossover SUVs. On Monday, the federal regulator upgraded its probe to an engineering analysis and expanded the scope to include model year 2021-2022 Honda CR-V and Accord vehicles. If the analysis discovers a safety-related defect, the NHTSA may request that Honda issue a recall for any affected vehicles.
The probe now includes 2.99 million vehicles, up from 1.7 million in the original probe. Honda has indicated it’s aware of 1,991 reports that may be related to the alleged defect, according to the NHTSA.
The automaker said some customers may have had an inadequate understanding of their cars’ braking system. However, the NHTSA notes, many consumers have reported that affiliated dealers have been unable to reproduce the condition or informed them that it was considered a normal operation of the automatic braking system.
A spokesperson for Honda said it is committed to safety and aware of the NHTSA’s decision to upgrade its probe. Honda will “continue to cooperate with the NHTSA through the investigation process, and we will continue our own internal review of the available information.”