BehaviourUrgency: Garage soon

Automatic emergency braking activates for no reason: causes and the faults that trigger it

12 documented faults cause it in 12 cars. The most important:

High severity: Campaign over false alarms from emergency braking (CMBS) · Honda CR-V IV
High severity: Oversensitive driver assistance (sudden braking, lane warning) · MG MG4
High severity: Software faults in the emergency braking (FCM) and stability control (ASC) · Mitsubishi ASX I

What it means

The autonomous emergency braking system interprets a risk situation that does not exist and brakes the car abruptly and unexpectedly, with no real obstacle ahead.

General explanation from MotorFiable. How it shows up in each engine, with sources, is in the list of faults.

What to do now

Garage soon

Keep a safe distance from the car behind, contact an authorised dealer and check whether your vehicle is affected by any manufacturer campaign related to this system.

Reviewed on 29 October 202615 sources How we work

Faults that cause it

Suspension, brake, electronics and other faults on specific cars, from most to least important.

- High severityFrequency: OccasionalHonda CR-V IVCampaign over false alarms from emergency braking (CMBS)Collision warning and sudden braking with no obstacle.
Source for the symptom in the Honda CR-V IV^[1]
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalMG MG4Oversensitive driver assistance (sudden braking, lane warning)The adaptive cruise control may brake abruptly and unexpectedly on detecting a vehicle in an adjacent lane or during a lane change, with no real obstacle ahead.
Source for the symptom in the MG MG4^[2]
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalMitsubishi ASX ISoftware faults in the emergency braking (FCM) and stability control (ASC)The system may start a sudden braking event when there is no real obstacle, or brake for longer than necessary.
Source for the symptom in the Mitsubishi ASX I^[3][4]
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalMitsubishi Eclipse Cross IAutomatic braking and stability control softwarePossible sudden braking if the system misinterprets.Repair: €0
Source for the symptom in the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross I^[5]
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalMitsubishi Outlander IIISoftware faults in the emergency braking (FCM) and stability control (ASC)The system may start a sudden braking event with no real obstacle, or brake for longer than necessary.
Source for the symptom in the Mitsubishi Outlander III^[6][7]
- High severityFrequency: OccasionalŠkoda EnyaqDriver assistance systems that brake or correct the steering for no apparent reasonAutonomous emergency braking can activate on the motorway with no real obstacle, according to one testimony collected.
Source for the symptom in the Škoda Enyaq^[8]
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalNissan Micra VUnintended activation of the automatic emergency braking (recall)The autonomous emergency braking system brakes the car abruptly and unexpectedly with no obstacle ahead.
Source for the symptom in the Nissan Micra V^[9][10]
- Medium severityFrequency: OccasionalNissan Qashqai IIAutomatic emergency braking that activates without reason (software recall)The car brakes abruptly with no obstacle present.
Source for the symptom in the Nissan Qashqai II^[11]
- High severityFrequency: RareHonda HR-V IIIUnintended activation of automatic emergency braking (phantom braking)The owner refers to repeated “phantom braking”; the entry does not say when or at what speed it happens.
Source for the symptom in the Honda HR-V III^[12]
- High severityFrequency: RareSuzuki Jimny IVAutomatic emergency braking (AEB) can activate for no reason when passing a guardrailThe car brakes and the ESP intervenes when passing close to a guardrail, with no vehicle ahead, correcting the trajectory unexpectedly.
Source for the symptom in the Suzuki Jimny IV^[13]
- Medium severityFrequency: RareCitroën C3 Aircross IITraffic sign recognition faults and unwarranted emergency brakingEmergency braking with no obstacle and wrong reading of speed limit signs.
Source for the symptom in the Citroën C3 Aircross II^[14]
- Medium severityFrequency: RareVolkswagen ArteonDriver-assistance failure: front camera and adaptive cruise control (ACC)Braking or slowing down for no apparent reason, with the camera or the ACC misreading the surroundings.
Source for the symptom in the Volkswagen Arteon^[15]

AEB activates by itself by brand

Mitsubishi

Other symptoms: behaviour

All symptoms

Has this happened to you? Tell us which fault it was, at how many kilometres and how much you paid: it helps other owners know what to expect. Report your fault.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to its source. If you find an error, let us know.

Honda CR-V IV (RM) – Typische Probleme & Schwachstellengebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 29 October 2026 · in German
Opiniones del MG4 Urban: ¿es uno de los coches eléctricos más interesantes o tiene defectos?Autopista.es · Motoring press · published 22 September 2026 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in Spanish
Mitsubishi ASX (2017 – 2020): alerta A12/00923/21 (software del FCM)car-recalls.eu (reproduce la alerta de Safety Gate) · Other source · published 28 June 2021 · consulted 5 October 2026
Mitsubishi ASX (2018): alerta A12/1658/18 (software de ASC y FCM)car-recalls.eu (reproduce la alerta de Safety Gate) · Other source · published 9 November 2018 · consulted 5 October 2026
Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: ProblemeGebrauchtwagenberater · Motoring press · consulted 29 October 2026 · in German
Mitsubishi Outlander (2016 – 2020): alerta A12/00923/21 (software del FCM)car-recalls.eu (reproduce la alerta de Safety Gate) · Other source · published 28 June 2021 · consulted 5 October 2026
Mitsubishi Outlander (2017 – 2018): alerta A12/1658/18 (software de ASC y FCM)car-recalls.eu (reproduce la alerta de Safety Gate) · Other source · published 9 November 2018 · consulted 5 October 2026
Tous les problèmes sur Skoda Enyaq 2021 (15 témoignages)Fiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Fiabilité Nissan Micra V (dès 2017) : pannes recensées par les propriétairesFiches-auto.fr · Reliability study · consulted 27 September 2026 · in French
Nissan Micra: Typische Probleme, Schwachstellen und MängelGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · published 23 February 2022 · consulted 27 September 2026 · in German
Nissan Qashqai J11: Probleme, Schwachstellen und RückrufeGebrauchtwagenberater.de · Motoring press · consulted 29 October 2026 · in German
Fiabilité Honda HRV (2022) (9 témoignages)fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 9 October 2026 · in French
Problemas para el Suzuki Jimmy: la frenada de emergencia actúa cuando no debeDiariomotor · Motoring press · published 20 December 2018 · consulted 9 October 2026 · in Spanish
Tous les problèmes sur Citroën C3 Aircross II 2025 (14 témoignages)fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 5 October 2026 · in French
Tous les problèmes sur Volkswagen Arteon 2017 (28 témoignages)fiches-auto.fr · Other source · consulted 5 October 2026 · in French