An overactive automatic emergency braking system has led U.S. investigators to open a Preliminary Evaluation of the 2018-2019 Volkswagen Atlas. Authorities report that they are aware of one potentially mortal incident, and five allegations of minor injuries.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that it has received 59 complaints, 1 Early Warning Reporting Death and Injury record, and several Early Warning Reporting field reports about the automatic emergency braking system in these vehicles inadvertently activating.
The safety system is intended to apply the brakes when the vehicle detects a stopped or slowed object in its path. While the systems have been shown to improve safety when operating correctly, the fact that they cause vehicles to slow suddenly can increase their risk of being rear-ended.
Read: Model 3 Owner Sues Tesla Over “Frightening And Dangerous” Phantom Braking
Although that’s normally considered a worthwhile trade-off when there is an obstruction to avoid, it is less worthwhile when the vehicle “detects” something that isn’t actually there, a phenomenon colloquially referred to as “phantom braking.” While the nature of VW’s alleged defect has not been determined, miscalibration of these systems can lead a vehicle’s software to become confused.
NHTSA’s preliminary evaluation could impact up to 184,199 Atlases from the 2018-2019 model years. Whether the problem could be solved with a software update, or exists within the hardware that detects objects around it remains to be seen.
With its probe, the regulator plans to determine the scope and severity of this problem, and to assess its potential to affect the safety of road users. Depending on the results of its evaluation, it may determine that a recall is the appropriate plan of action.
