TROUBLESHOOTING REAR CRASH AVOIDANCE BRAKING FEATURES

Before you get started, make sure you are familiar with the different types of available rear crash avoidance braking features your vehicle may be equipped with. This will help you make sure you understand the specific rear crash avoidance braking functionality found on your vehicle, how the feature normally operates and what can cause unexpected and undesired rear crash avoidance braking events.

For example, Reverse Automatic Braking is designed to engage hard emergency braking when objects are detected directly behind your vehicle. Rear Cross Traffic Braking is designed to engage hard emergency braking when cross traffic is detected behind your vehicle. Both features use different radar sensors located around your vehicle, as well.

For more information, check out the Informational articles linked above and your vehicle Owner’s Manual.

• Keep the feature’s radars clean and free of obstructions. 
  • See the “Keeping Radar Sensors Clean” section below for more information.
• Automatic braking features may automatically brake the vehicle suddenly in situations where it is unexpected and undesired. It could respond to guardrails, signs and other non-moving objects. To override automatic braking, firmly press the accelerator pedal if it is safe to do so.

• Check your vehicle Owner’s Manual for a diagram that shows the location of the feature’s sensors and how to clean them. This can be found in the “Driver Assistance Systems” section of the Owner’s Manual.
• In general, sensors for rear crash avoidance braking features are located in the following areas:
  • Rear side corner bumpers

• The following conditions may affect the performance of rear crash avoidance braking features: 
  • Bad weather, poor visibility or poor lighting conditions.  
  • If there is not enough time to avoid a crash.
  • If the feature’s sensors are obstructed in any way, not properly cleaned or if the vehicle has been damaged in certain ways, the system might not perform as expected.
    • For example, this can happen if the sensors are covered with snow.
  • Rear crash avoidance braking features may have difficulty detecting the following objects:
    • Vehicles that are low to the road surface or have a small or irregular shape.
    • A truck or trailer that has no cargo in the cargo bed.
    • Vehicles with cargo extending from the back end. 
    • Objects attached to the rear of a vehicle detected behind your vehicle.
  • Weather conditions may also affect the performance of rear crash avoidance braking features:
    • Conditions that are associated with low visibility, such as fog, rain, snow or road spray, may limit the performance of the system.
    • Water droplets from rain or snow that remain on the radar sensors may also limit the system’s ability to detect objects.