2018 Honda Accord automatic emergency braking problems
458 of the 1,998 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2018 Honda Accord name the automatic emergency braking (NHTSA’s “Forward Collision Avoidance” heading — forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, including phantom braking). Filed under the same heading: 2 NHTSA investigations. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the automatic emergency braking
Source: NHTSA complaint database7 of the 458 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 16 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2019: 3 · 2020: 11 · 2021: 39 · 2022: 130 · 2023: 76 · 2024: 91 · 2025: 70 · 2026: 38
Half of the 58 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the automatic emergency braking problem between 23,000 and 66,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,998 complaints in all about the 2018 Honda Accord, 38 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Forward Collision Avoidance” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Honda Accord automatic emergency braking problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the automatic emergency braking. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
I was driving in between 40 and 50 miles per hour and the automatic braking got activated automatically for a few seconds. The road was clear and there were no vehicles or obstacles anywhere. It was about 9.15 am and approx temp was 40 F. This is the second time it occurred.
Emergency braking happened several times with NO obstacle in the way. Perfect driving conditions in daylight. Twice it slowed down my vehicle on the highway. A few other times the braking light came on but didn’t seem to actually put on the brake
The contact owns a 2018 Honda Accord. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Forward Collision Avoidance feature was activated; however, the Forward Collision Avoidance feature failed to function as intended. The contact stated that the Forward Collision Avoidance was activated while there were no vehicles nearby.
We purchased the vehicle new from our local dealer. The vehicle has randomly applied the brakes for no reason. It doesn't happen predictably and can sometimes be a severe or a strong application of the brakes. It is typically a quick application then quick release. Sometimes it will apply the brakes for a close vehicle in another lane.
Question 1. When driving the vehicle in straight line on the highway and I come up on another car in either the right or left hand lanes, sometimes (not all the time) the car breaks very slightly (but strong enough to feel it) even though there is no chance of a collision.
What is on file about the automatic emergency braking
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigations
- EA24002 Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Brakingopened Apr 15, 2024 · open
- On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no a…
- PE22003 Inadvertent Automatic Emergency Brakingopened Feb 21, 2022 · closed Apr 18, 2024
- On February 21, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Preliminary Evaluation (PE22003) to assess reports of inadvertent activation of the Collision Mitigation Braking System (CMBS), an automatic emergency braking (AEB) system, in model year 2017-2019 Honda CR-V and 2018-2019 Honda Accord vehicles. The reports allege that activation of the AEB system occurs while driving with no a…
Other systems with a record on the 2018 Honda Accord
Source: the same files- engine problems 607 complaints
- fuel system problems 495 complaints
- electrical problems 313 complaints
- brake problems 271 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre automatic emergency braking problems common on the 2018 Honda Accord?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 458 owner complaints naming the automatic emergency braking on this model year (23% of everything owners filed about it), and 2 NHTSA investigations are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the automatic emergency braking on the 2018 Honda Accord?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 6 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do automatic emergency braking problems show up on the 2018 Honda Accord?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 37,000 miles; half of them between 23,000 and 66,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Forward Collision Avoidance" heading cover?
Forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking, including phantom braking. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.