Driving on main road (not highway), no rain or other adverse conditions. Automatic Braking System unexpectedly engaged (hard brake). There was no reason for this to happen and could have caused a serious accident if we had been on the highway. Why is there not a recall? I have seen several complaints online at [XXX] for this same year & model. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Honda CR-V phantom braking problems
164 of the 16,122 owner complaints about the Honda CR-V describe brakes engage by themselves (phantom braking), most of them for the 2018 model year.
- owner complaints
- 164
- worst model year
- 2018
- typical mileage
- 19,200
By model year
Often reported together
Collision warning 21Adaptive cruise 17Warning lights 4Lane assist 4Jerking 4Screen failure 3Stalling 2Won't start 1
Trouble codes mentioned
P2583 2U3003 1
What owners say
Car automatically applies brakes for no reason. Happens at least once a month. Beside the startle factor, I am going to cause an accident by someone rear ending me because brakes are being applied for no reason.
The contact owns a 2022 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at a very slow speed in heavy traffic, the vehicle suddenly experienced "Phantom Braking" causing the vehicle to abruptly stop in the middle of the road, causing a second vehicle to almost crash into the rear end of the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 18,540.
I have experienced four instances of my vehicle braking (two very extreme) when nothing was nearby or in front of my vehicle. Two of these happened when passing through an intersection, but no other vehicles were nearby. Fortunately, no one was following close behind during two occasions, or I would have been rear ended. I mentioned this today while having my car serviced at the dealership(White’s Auto Mall in Hopkinsville, KY) but they wanted to charge me 207.00 for an inspection, which I didn’t think I should be responsible for paying. I have researched and found “phantom braking” to be a problem in my vehicle make and model.
Sudden braking. Car in front at a safe distance, car behind me and a car was in other lane (driving opposite direction) maybe 20-30 ft away. Car braked on its own with “brake” flashed on dash. Car fishtailed but I was able to gain control after a second or two. Occurred5:20pm on 6-18-26. Occurred one other time about 15-18 months earlier. Another incident occurred on 6-30-26 around 2:30 pm on clear day on divided highway with no one close in front of me. Flashed “brake” warning but did not brake.
2018 Honda CR-V had another phantom braking event this morning. While traveling on a local 4-lane road with 45-mph speed limit, the collision mitigation braking system activated with an actual hazard present and brought the vehicle to a complete stop, nearly resulting in a series read-end collision from the traffic behind the car. This created an immediate safety hazard and could have easily resulted in injuries or fatalities. The vehicle has experienced recurring phantom braking events and false activations of the emergency braking system. Because this has happened multiple times, we no longer have confidence that the system will behave predictably in normal driving conditions.
I was driving on the freeway on Saturday 5/23/26 when a helium balloon flew into my lane. The vehicle suddenly applied maximum braking on its own without any dashboard warning, alert sound, or driver notification. It was so severe the tires were screeching. The accelerator was unresponsive for several seconds before I was able to accelerate again. This created a dangerous situation because I could have been rear-ended by another car.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced phantom braking. Additionally, while driving with the cruise control set at 72 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated to 66 MPH before accelerating to 73 MPH. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
The automatic emergency brakes deployed for no reason while I was driving through traffic. There was nothing in the road and nothing that should have triggered the emergency brakes. It could have caused an accident
The contact owns a 2024 Honda CR-V. The contact stated that the first year the vehicle was purchased, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact experienced phantom braking. The vehicle was braking independently while there were no vehicles or pedestrians nearby. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed with the cruise control activated, the vehicle accelerated independently. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. Most recently, the contact became aware that the navigational system was disconnected. In addition, a white screen was displayed. The contact stated that the navigational system operated on the cell phone. The vehicle was taken to four different dealers. However, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that a corporate mechanic would be sent to inspect the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Honda CR-V phantom braking
Which Honda CR-V years have brakes engage by themselves (phantom braking) problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2018 (55 complaints), 2017 (35 complaints) and 2019 (33 complaints).
VIN decoder
See the problems and recalls for an exact car
Buying a used Honda CR-V?
Check the exact car before you pay: accidents, salvage or flood titles, odometer readings and previous owners.
Check its history