The contact owns a 2021 Honda Passport. The contact stated that while driving 45 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance activated, and the vehicle stopped. The contact stated that the braking was aggressive. The contact stated that the failure was persistent. The contact stated that the vehicle was the only form of transportation. The contact stated that the vehicle was unsafe to use while transporting minor children. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that an unknown recall repair was performed previously; however, the failure occurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
2021 Honda Passport: false forward collision warnings
10 of the 146 complaints about the 2021 Honda Passport describe false forward collision warnings.
- owner complaints
- 10
- of this car's complaints
- 7%
- recalls
- 1
False forward collision warnings by model year
What owners say
The multipurpose front camera on my 2021 Honda Passport failed without warning, causing mutliple Honda sensing safety systems to become inoperative. Warning messages appeared indicating failures of the collision mitigation braking system, adaptaptive cruise control, lane keeping assist system, road departure mitigation system, and other driver assistance features. The vehicle has not been involved in a front end collision and the camera failure was diagnosed by a Honda dealership as requiring replacement of the multipurpose camera assembly. This is a significant safety concern because the failure of a single component disables numerous advanced driver assistance systems that are designed to help prevent crashes. I have learned that similar front camera failures have been reported by owners of other Honda models using comparable Honda sensing technology. Because this failure affects critical safety systems and appears to be more than an isolated incident, I am submitting this complaint so it can be documented and investigated.
I purchased a used 2021 Passport the end of May 2025. While driving, the 'collision mitigation braking system' or CMBS would activate the braking system and would intermittently just brake, causing panic for not only myself, but I'm sure drivers behind me for suddenly braking with no imminent threat in from of me. This happened multiple times without receiving any warning or notifications, just suddenly. It would happen without warning, or sometimes nearing a bridge or a cover plate on the road, which almost caused accidents multiple times to get rear ended. I have driven for decades and never felt anxiety until I drove this vehicle for a few months. I felt scared driving this vehicle, feeling uncertain when it would suddenly just brake. Eventually after a few months of driving, I got a reading that said CMBS problem on the screen. I scheduled an appointment with the dealer. The dealer suggested a near $3000 replacement for a camera (on a 2021 vehicle). At the appointment, I ultimately returned this vehicle to the dealer where I bought it and unfortunately lost out on thousands of dollars after having the vehicle about 6 months. I have always liked Honda, and have had 2 prior Hondas, but with this vehicle purchase, I felt the most unsafe I have ever felt in a vehicle, and moving forward will not feel comfortable purchasing Honda.
CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System) Problem
When I turn on the car, the "BRAKE SYSTEM" warning light appears, along with several alerts that disable all Honda safety features, including: 1. Road Departure Mitigation System Problem 2. Auto High-Beam Problem 3. Adaptive Cruise Control Problem 4. Lane Keeping Assist Problem 5. Collision Mitigation System Problem After taking the vehicle to a Honda dealership, the diagnosis was a failure of the Multipurpose Camera Unit and/or the Millimeter Wave Radar. Unfortunately, this is a common issue affecting several Honda models, including the Clarity, Fit, Pilot, Passport, and CR-V. Due to high demand and limited supply, the camera unit is currently sold out nationwide with no estimated restock date. Repairing this issue is expected to cost approximately $2,600, with no set timeline for when the parts will become available.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Passport. The contact stated while driving at 22 MPH, "The Collision Mitigation Braking System" warning message illuminated. The contact stated the vehicle applied the emergency brakes independently. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 25,950.
- Automatic braking system flashes warnings for no reason, with no cars around me - Parking break hasn’t taken a handful of times - No collision warning when parking brake didn’t take, front end is now damaged ** I have dash cam proof I hit the parking brake before I collided with the vehicle in front of me in the school line. Husband glued the grill pieces together to keep them from overlapping.
Forward Collision Warning (FCW): At random intervals, the FCW will give a false positive warning of an imminent collision with a car approaching from the opposite direction. This has occurred at various times over the past 2+ years. Comments to this effect to the Honda service representatives have indicated that this anomaly has been reported previously. They have not provided a fix or software update to correct this issue. The event is a safety issue because of the distraction from focusing on the road ahead. Although the automatic braking system has not been employed, the driver may in response to the false warning apply the brakes and cause an accident inadvertently.
The contact owns a 2021 Honda Passport. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance system erroneously activated. The contact stated the brake warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The contact continued to experience the failure. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer and the distance of the Forward Collision Avoidance system was extended. The vehicle was repaired but continued to experience the failure. The contact stated the vehicle had been taken to the local dealer three times, but the vehicle continued to experience the failure. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.
Tl* the contact owns a 2021 honda passport. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the collision mitigation braking system inadvertently and forcefully activated and the steering wheel would shake. The brake warning light was illuminated. Norm reeves honda superstore vista (401 w vista way, vista, ca 92083) was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the collision mitigation braking system activated in error, sensing a possible collision. The contact was also informed that the failure occurred occasionally with curves in the roadway or when a metal sign was detected. The contact was informed that the feature operated as designed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,300.
Service bulletins that may apply
Related recalls
Back over prevention: display function
- What is wrong
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.) is recalling certain 2018-2023 Odyssey, 2019-2022 Pilot, and 2019-2023 Passport vehicles. Due to a faulty Media Oriented Systems Transport (MOST) communication coaxial cable connector, the rearview camera image may not appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
- Risk
- A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the MOST cable harness and install a straightening cover over the vehicle cable connector, 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 EEL, ZEM, and SFC.
Recall number 23V431000 · Recall details
Questions about the 2021 Honda Passport collision warning
Is false forward collision warnings a common problem on the 2021 Honda Passport?
10 of 146 owner complaints about the 2021 Honda Passport (7%) mention false forward collision warnings. The model year with the most reports is 2019.
Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2021 Honda Passport?
There is 1 recall and 19 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.
Other symptoms on the 2021 Honda Passport
Knocking 8Adaptive cruise 6Loss of power 6Phantom braking 6Stalling 6Check engine light 5Engine failure 5Lane assist 5
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