Symptom explainer · every vehicle on the site
Forward collision warning goes off or the camera drops out
Most reported: 2019 Honda Odyssey with 125 reports. Across the 287 model years on this site with at least five, owners filed 4,664.
- 4,664owner reports
- 287model years affected
- 25,000median miles
- 501involved a crash
- 4involved a fire
This group is about the forward collision warning itself. Owners describe alarms with nothing ahead, a forward camera that fails or reports itself blocked, and other safety features shutting off at the same moment. A lot of them happen at highway speed, and a lot end with a dealer who couldn't reproduce it.
Which cars report it most · By model · When it happens · What it is and what to do
The 25 vehicles with the most reports
Each row is one model year. The bar is its count of false collision warning reports; the share is how much of that car's complaint file this problem takes up. Bigger sellers draw more reports, so read the share alongside the count. Red dots mark crashes and fires in these reports; amber marks a recall on the same system.
- 12019 Honda Odyssey2 crashes12513% of its complaints60k mi
- 22018 Honda Odyssey3 crashes11512% of its complaints46k mi
- 32021 Tesla Model Y13 crashes1 firerecall10410% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 4964% of its complaints33k mi
- 59320% of its complaints58k mi
- 62018 Honda Accord2 crashes925% of its complaints40k mi
- 72023 Tesla Model Y24 crashes928% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 82022 Tesla Model 39 crashesrecall9112% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 92023 Fisker Ocean5 crashes9110% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 102021 Ford Mustang Mach-E1 crash8124% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 112025 Hyundai Tucson15 crashes8028% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 122021 Tesla Model 32 crashes1 firerecall7611% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 132022 Tesla Model Y15 crashesrecall759% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 142019 Honda CR-V2 crashes605% of its complaints32k mi
- 152019 Honda Pilot1 crash566% of its complaints88k mi
- 162021 Honda Pilot2 crashes5312% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 17513% of its complaints45k mi
- 18459% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 19445% of its complaints70k mi
- 202020 Ford Escape2 crashes423% of its complaints30k mi
- 212018 Tesla Model 313 crashesrecall384% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 222024 Honda Prologue2 crashes385% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 233821% of its complaints4k mi
- 242024 Tesla Model Y11 crashes3712% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 252020 Ford Explorer5 crashes353% of its complaintsfew mileages
Where it dominates the complaint file
Model years with at least 25 reports, ranked by the share of all their complaints that describe false collision warning. That takes most of the sales-volume effect out (small sellers still swing more).
- 12025 Hyundai Tucson15 crashes8028% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 22021 Ford Mustang Mach-E1 crash8124% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 33123% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 42021 Hyundai Elantra1 crash2822% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 53821% of its complaints4k mi
- 62025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid3 crashes2820% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 79320% of its complaints58k mi
- 82019 Kia Optima7 crashes3014% of its complaintsfew mileages
- 92019 Honda Odyssey2 crashes12513% of its complaints60k mi
- 103313% of its complaintsfew mileages
By model, every year together
The 12 models with the most reports. Each chip is a model year; the darker chip is its worst year.
- Honda CR-V311
- Honda Accord283
- Honda Pilot234
- Nissan Rogue181
When it happens
561 of the 4,664 reports state a mileage. The middle half fall between 7,216 and 51,537 miles; the median is 25,000. Each column is a 20,000-mile band.
Reports by model year
Every report of false collision warning, grouped by the model year of the car. 501 involved a crash and 4 a fire. 234 people were hurt.
What owners describe
Share of the 4,664 reports that use each phrase. One report can use several.
What got replaced
Reports that name the part, across every vehicle.
What it is and what to do
What the system is supposed to do
NHTSA describes forward collision warning as a system that monitors your speed, the speed of the vehicle ahead and the distance between you, and warns you if you're closing too fast. It only warns. Automatic emergency braking is the related system that applies the brakes itself. IIHS notes these systems use cameras, radar or lidar to see ahead, and that front crash prevention is becoming close to universal: 20 automakers committed to making it standard, and NHTSA has finalized a rule requiring it on nearly all new light vehicles by September 2029.
Owners in this group often report lane keeping and adaptive cruise going dark at the same moment as the warning, which fits systems that share one set of forward sensors. The parts named in these reports are the forward camera, the radar sensor, the windshield and the software.
What a shop checks first
Ask for a scan of the camera and radar modules and a check of the sensor area for damage, dirt or anything mounted in the way. Tell them about any windshield replacement or front-end repair. Delphi's technical team points out that replacing a windshield on a car with driver assistance requires a static or dynamic calibration afterward, and that skipping that kind of step can leave a system showing the same fault or performing with reduced safety.
When to stop relying on it
A false warning is distracting, and if your car also has automatic braking, a false alert can come with a hard brake you didn't ask for. If it happens more than once, look in the owner's manual for how to turn the system off, and drive with extra following distance until it's fixed. A system that has shut itself off isn't protecting you, so don't count on it.
What to tell the mechanic
Write down the date, speed, road, weather and what was ahead (a bridge, a turning car, a sign). Say whether the car braked or only warned, and what message appeared. A dash-cam clip or a phone video of the message helps a great deal with a fault that won't repeat in the shop.
Recalls, bulletins and warranty
Check your VIN at NHTSA's recall page for open recalls, which are repaired free, then search your year, make and model to read the service bulletins and other manufacturer communications filed with NHTSA. If the dealer can't duplicate the fault, ask for your complaint to be written on the repair order anyway. That dated record matters if the problem comes back after the warranty's months or miles run out.
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints on the 1,040 vehicle model years that have a page here, grouped by the word patterns described on the method page. A vehicle needs five matching reports to be counted in this ranking. Checked Sep 27, 2026. All problem explainers.