Automatic emergency braking system activates with nothing in front of the vehicle. This happens in clear, dry weather. This happens on a regular basis.
Honda Civic phantom braking problems
19 of the 16,054 owner complaints about the Honda Civic describe brakes engage by themselves (phantom braking), most of them for the 2019 model year.
- owner complaints
- 19
- worst model year
- 2019
Is there a fix? There are 5 recalls for this area of the car. See below
By model year
- 20262
- 20252
- 20241
- 20231
- 20221
- 20212
- 20204
- 20195
- 20161
Often reported together
Adaptive cruise 4Power windows 1Lane assist 1Collision warning 1Brake failure 1
What owners say
The auto safety braking system has braked for no reason twice now. Both going 70 mph and going under a bridge. The car senses a car in front and slams on its brakes but there is nothing in front of the car. And all sensors were clean and free of obstructions. Pretty scary going 70 mph and the car just slams on the brakes.
This vehicle suffers from phantom braking. With the adaptive cruise control set, at times, in the display of the instrument cluster, the display shows a semi, motorcycle or car that is not there in real life. When this happens the car applies the brakes and starts slowing down. Sometimes this is bad enough that the collision warning message comes on and the brake application is very aggressive. The type of weather or road surface does not seem to matter. It seems to be very random. This happens once a week. Not just on the date provided below.
Phantom braking when there is no cars or anything on the road. The car would immediately brake out no where. It could cause an accident randomly braking when using cruise control.
I’ve only had this car for 2.5 weeks. Today on my way to work (the same roads I take everyday) I had the automatic breaking system pop on with a “brake” light pop up and the vehicle was braking on its own, with no other vehicles to the front or side of me. Semi sunny day, camera clear of dirt etc. My safety was put at risk, because the car behind me had to slam on their brakes after my car slammed on the brakes for no reason. They honked. Came close to rear ending me. It hasn’t happened again for me to show the dealer. However I have been looking online and this seems to be a very known issue with Honda. I hope it doesn’t continue to happen. This is very dangerous for me and my family as well as anyone else on the road ways. A extreme safety hazard. Now I’m more worried about my new car purchase instead of being excited.
Phantom braking. Really dangerous
When traveling with cruise control enable the vehicle random slams on the brakes by itself even when their is no vehicle present in front. This has happened mutiple times on the highway and interstate. It has almost gotten me rearened from a vehicle deiving behind me. This is extremely dangerous. I made the dealership aware of the issue and they refused to address it.
braking system warnings and possibility of brake failure warning. Dealership thought it was sensor issue and replaced sensors but it happened again and I’m also experiencing a phenomenon referred to as “phantom braking” as my car will stop as if an object is directly in front of me while I’m driving, which has happened a few times on the interstate now and I’m afraid to drive. This is a serious safety risk for all involved.
Phantom braking, has occurred over a dozen times. Caused me to spill hot coffee all over my face and neck causing mild burns.
Bought my 2020 Honda Civic si at 48 k miles. Noticed mild clutch slip and vibration on the shift knob. Dealership states I don't know how to drive manual transmission. I've driven manual transmission for 18 years. I'm not stupid. Dealership states it's wear and tear and not part of the warranty. My window motor auto feature does not work. Bluetooth connectivity issues. Collision braking system activated with no vehicle in front of me while I was going 40 miles an hour. Could have been rear ended. I'm at 50k miles not a good buy and bad service from the dealership. Mossy Honda lemon grove ca
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: master cylinder
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Civic, 2020-2023 Ridgeline, 2021-2023 Passport, 2021-2022 Pilot, and 2020 Acura MDX vehicles. The tie rod fastener that connects the brake booster and the brake master cylinder may have been improperly assembled during manufacturing, which can cause the brake master cylinder to separate from the booster assembly.
- Risk
- Brake master cylinder separation can cause a loss of brake function and increase the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and repair the brake booster assembly as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 7, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are VEU, AEV, and ZET.
Recall number 23V458000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Honda (America Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2023 Civic, Acura RDX, Acura Integra, and 2022 Honda Accord vehicles. A ball valve in the vehicle stability assist (VSA) modulator may leak brake fluid, which can result in unintended vehicle movement when the brake hold feature is engaged or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel.
- Risk
- Unintended vehicle movement or an unexpected increase in brake pedal travel can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the VSA modulator, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 24, 2023. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's numbers for this recall are OEJ, XEK, AEY, XEX and OEW.
Recall number 23V430000 · Recall details
Parking brake
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain model year 2016 Honda Civic two door and four door 1.5L turbo and 2.0L vehicles. The electric parking brake (EPB) may not engage if it is applied immediately after turning the ignition off.
- Risk
- If the EPB is not applied, the vehicle may roll away, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Honda will notify owners, and dealers will update the vehicle's software to allow the EPB to engage immediately after the ignition is turned off, free of charge. The recall began on November 8, 2016. Owners may contact Honda customer service at 1‑888‑234‑2138. Honda's number for this recall is KC6.
Recall number 16V725000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: wheel speed sensor/tone ring
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, the wheel speed sensor housing uses an o-ring seal to prevent leakage to or from the wheel bearing. If assembled improperly, the o-ring may not seal properly allowing water to enter the wheel bearing and eventually cause damage to the bearing, especially in areas where use of road salt is prevalent. If the driver continues to drive with this condition it is possible for the wheel bearing to become loose, which could cause the bearing to fail.
- Risk
- This could cause a wheel to fall off of the vehicle, possibly resulting in a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect the rear ABS sensors and wheel bearings for damaged parts and replace them free of charge. The recall began on september 25, 2007. Owners may contact honda at 1‑800‑999‑1009.
Recall number 07V399000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: power assist: vacuum: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
- What is wrong
- A soapy lubricant was used to insert the check valve into the vacuum hose which causes the brake booster check valve to stick.
- Risk
- This condition can cause a loss of the brake's power assist resulting in a reduction in braking performance increasing the potential for a vehicle accident.
- Remedy
- Dealers will clean the check valve by washing the vacuum hose with hot water.
Recall number 96V106000 · Recall details
Questions about the Honda Civic phantom braking
Which Honda Civic years have brakes engage by themselves (phantom braking) problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2019 (5 complaints), 2020 (4 complaints) and 2021 (2 complaints).
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