2021 Honda CR-V Hybrid Brakes Problems

While traveling northwest at 37 mph, the automatic brake system engaged jolting the driver. The camera shows no objects in front of but there were two vehicles traveling southeast in the opposite lane prior to the brakes applying. There were shadows from trees. If there was a vehicle behind, and the driver did not react fast enough, this would have been a rearend collision. This is the third time that the automatic brake system engaged for no reason since we have owned this vehicle (Dec 2021) and each time it has been reported to the NTSB. In the past two cases, there were no vehicles or shadows from trees, since we were in the desert. The previous two times, the vehicle was inspected by the dealership with no defect noted (under warranty). There were no dashboard warning notices indicating an issue. The vehicle will be resubmitted to a dealership for inspection for this third incident (not under warranty).

I was driving the vehicle on route I287 and all of a sudden the break system got activated without touching any button and the car speed was damped down and as a result the car was pulled aside to see what had happened. The break system completely collapsed with a break sign on the dashboard appearing persistently which could not be deactivated or was not able to remove from the dashboard with several attempts made in restarting the engine. Due to the involuntary break activation on highway driving, my life as well others would have been in extreme danger and jeopardized the whole situation in continuing driving further. The car was towed on a flat bed to the the dealer The Honda Princenton, New Jersey for further investigation and got analyzed for the root cause and they suggested a fix of head gasket replacement, a major repair, asking us to fix the vehicle at the cost of 6000 dollars. Previously, I had driven several Hondas and never experienced break issues on the cars and we had invested in buying this time the Honda CR-V and what we went through this vehicle something like this is not fair for the customer has to go through a major repair on the vehicle at such a low milage of 127,000 put on the car which never was involved in an accident and driving the car on high way every day to the work place. We want a complete restoration of the vehicle at free of cost and get it certified and drivable safely on the road.

A code came up with VSA for braking system. With 27,002 miles I was informed it needed a brake module with booster to the tune of $2500.00. The mechanic informed me he has seen this in many hybrids. My nephew who is s lead mechanic for Kia informed me he has replaced a few in Kia hybrids. Further investigation revealed Honda recalling a half million hybrids in Japan for the same issue. No recall for Europe or America for this issue and Honda has no intention of covering this. If the manufacturer of this part is the same for many Japanese makers and this issue appears across the board, why hasn’t a recall or proper fix been established?

On at least 5 different instances (possibly one or two more) as I was turning and slowing down either to park in a parking space or else backing slowly out of a parking place, my car seemed to jump (or jolt) and then accelerate out of my control. The brakes did not work. The most recent incident (after a year or so of no problems) was on [XXX] when the car accelerated as I was pulling into a parking space, crashed into a woody bush, and destroyed it and came to a stop—possibly because I got the brakes to work though I was fairly panicked so I don’t remember—so it did not take out the low fence behind it though I may have hit it. I was terrified that I would hit a woman coming out of the bank as I didn’t know how to get the car to stop. She saw what happened and asked if I was okay. I have taken the car to the Honda dealer in Fairfax, Virginia every time this happened in the past but was told either that my foot must have been on the accelerator or else the technician was unable to duplicate the incident and therefore they could do nothing. After the last incident I took the car to Honda of Chantilly, Virginia where a technician has been looking at it since yesterday so it is still there. If they do not find the cause of this random, erratic sudden acceleration I am going to sell the car (probably back to Honda) because I do not believe it is safe to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The car is less than 2 years old and needed complete rotor replacements due to brake pads sticking to calipers. No reason for this - pads sticking to calipers - to have occured. Car had normal driving and was parked in a garage. As well, brake fluid needed replacing a year earlier than scheduled. Again, no reason for this to have occured. Dealership could offer no explanation as to why the calipers/rotors failed and fluid was so poluted so early. After researching, it is clear that this car has issues with its braking system. I had to replace rotors and fluid at my own cost, though car is less than 2 years old. I have reported this to manufacturer, but have not recieved a response as of yet. There were also no warning lights to alert me that the brakes had failed, though the dealer says that there should have been. I have documentation of the repair.

I attempted to park my vehicle. The brakes did not work they, seemed to have no pressure. The engine then accelerated. I did not press the gasoline pedal. The vehicle moved forward and it struck a wall. Damage to the radar system and front grille of vehicle. I took the vehicle to the dealership and all they did was zip tie a component that came loose from under the steering column and give me a referral to a body shop. As of this time the problem has not been reproduced and the vehicle has not been inspected. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. No warning lights or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.