NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Preliminary Evaluation PE13-024: Inappropriate autonomous braking
- Closed
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation opened Preliminary Evaluation PE13-024 on June 25, 2013 and closed it on November 4, 2013. NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2007–2008 Honda Odyssey for it and links recall 13V-500 to it.
Updated daily from NHTSA's investigations file
Key facts
- NHTSA number
- PE13-024 (also written PE13024)
- Investigation type
- Preliminary Evaluation The first stage of most defect investigations: NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation gathers basic information about a possible safety defect, including from the manufacturer.
- Status
- Closed November 4, 2013
- Opened
- Closed
- Vehicle or equipment manufacturer
- Honda (American Honda Motor Co.)
- Component
- Electronic Stability Control
- Recall linked by NHTSA
- 13V-500: Brakes may Unexpectedly Apply, reported
- Vehicles and equipment
- 2007–2008 Honda Odyssey
NHTSA's summary
As NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation wrote it for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-024.
In a letter dated October 31, 2013, Honda Motor Company (Honda) submitted a recall notice to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation describing a defect in the Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) system in approximately 344,187 model year (MY) 2007 and 2008 Honda Odyssey vehicles produced from August 8, 2006 through September 8, 2008 (NHTSA Recall 13V-500, Honda Recall JC5).
The report describes a defect condition caused by a combination of VSA system components and software that is unique to the MY 2007-2008 Honda Odyssey vehicles.
The condition may result in unexpected brake application by the VSA system with no brake lamp illumination.
The braking forces resulting from the condition can approach the maximum braking capability of the vehicle.
Honda's investigation determined that (1) if the yaw rate sensor off-set exceeds a certain value, (2) the sensor calibration is not completed before the vehicle starts moving after start-up, and (3) the vehicle is driven in a specific manner; the VSA system may build hydraulic pressure in the brake system resulting in heavy, unexpected braking without the driver applying the brake pedal.
Honda estimates that the parts necessary to correct this condition will not be available until March 2014.
Pending part availability, Honda will send interim letters to affected owners including instructions to avoid the defect condition using a procedure to ensure proper VSA system calibration after each vehicle start-up, as well as instructions about what to do if unexpected brake application occurs while driving.
Once the remedy parts are available, Honda will send a second notice advising owners to bring their vehicle to their dealer for installation of a redesigned yaw rate sensor.
This investigation is closed.
Vehicles and equipment listed for this investigation
NHTSA's investigations file lists these vehicles and equipment for Preliminary Evaluation PE13-024. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. Model years with a try.vin recall page link to that page's NHTSA investigations section.
Honda
All Honda recallsWhat an NHTSA investigation is
NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) looks into possible safety defects in vehicles and equipment, often after owner complaints. An investigation usually starts as a Preliminary Evaluation, or as a Recall Query when it concerns whether an existing recall covers the right vehicles or fixes the problem, and ODI can upgrade it to a more detailed Engineering Analysis. A Defect Petition asks NHTSA to open an investigation, and Audit and Equipment Queries are administrative investigations into whether companies complied with federal vehicle safety requirements, such as reporting, recall and certification rules.
An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.
To see whether a specific vehicle has an open recall, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Honda VIN check: decode a VIN to see its year, make and model.
Sources
NHTSA's investigation record for PE13-024
Investigation details come from NHTSA's investigations file, which try.vin imports once a day. The investigation types are described from the U.S. Department of Transportation Inspector General's May 2023 report on NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation, NHTSA's petition rules (49 CFR Parts 552 and 557) and NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation procedures. How try.vin reads NHTSA investigations.