Honda Lawsuit Says One Camera Defect Can Disable Key Safety Features

Exposure To Scrutiny

After a separate lawsuit alleging “phantom braking” issues with Honda Sensing, Honda is now facing another legal challenge. This time, the Japanese marque is accused of a front-camera defect affecting several key safety features.

According to the lawsuit, the plaintiff argues that Honda knew about the alleged defect through consumer complaints, dealership repair records, warranty claims, and reports submitted to NHTSA, but continued selling affected vehicles without addressing the issue. The claimed front-camera defect could affect the operation of the brand’s advanced driver-assistance systems, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning.

If the problem occurs, the complaint alleges those functions can be disabled, triggering multiple dashboard warning lights, which the filing says can “easily overwhelm drivers.”

Zooming In On The Issue

The affected vehicles include the 2018–2025 Honda Civic, Clarity, HR-V, Odyssey, and Pilot. It is worth noting that Honda said in 2022 that the system was standard or available on all new Honda models, meaning more vehicles could be affected if the claims prove accurate.

For the uninitiated, Honda Sensing is similar in nature to Toyota Safety Sense and Ford BlueCruise. As a Level 2 driver-assistance system, it is not a replacement for the driver, so motorists must stay attentive and keep control of the vehicle at all times.

Still, the class-action lawsuit claims that losing access to these systems could deprive drivers of safety features designed to help prevent accidents, injuries, and property damage. Given the nature of the allegations, the plaintiff also criticized Honda for promoting the system as safe, reliable, and high-quality, which allegedly gave customers a “false impression.”

Losing Sight Of Safety?

The filing read, “The design of the system, which ties multiple safety features to a single sensing and processing architecture, coupled with the absence of a reliable fix, demonstrates that Honda failed to fulfill its responsibilities to ensure that its vehicles operate safely and as advertised.”

If certified, the lawsuit would cover U.S. buyers and lessees of the affected Honda models.

While waiting for further developments, Honda is also expanding a more advanced version of the system called Honda Sensing 360 as part of its goal of achieving zero traffic-collision fatalities involving its vehicles globally by 2050. Honda Sensing 360, with the Acura version branded as AcuraWatch 360, is slated to become standard across the brand's U.S. lineup by 2030.

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