# Automatic emergency braking is scary!



## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

I was pulling out of my garage today, like I do every day, and all of a sudden the Tiguan slammed on the brakes, a brake warning message showed up on the dashboard, and the e-brake was automatically engaged. My wife and I were freaked out! I thought I hit something so I got out to inspect but there was nothing in front of the car. There is a slight dip when I exit my garage and I think the front bottom sensor must have picked it up and thought I was going to hit the ground or something. Every time I go out of the garage, the front sensors beep but it has never used the auto brake before. I'm glad the feature works but it was pretty scary.

Has anyone else had the automatic emergency brake engage falsely or in a real dangerous situation?


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## JSWTDI09 (Feb 22, 2009)

Just curious, were you backing out of the garage or were you pulling out forward? I ask because there are different sensors involved.

Have Fun!

Don


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## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

JSWTDI09 said:


> Just curious, were you backing out of the garage or were you pulling out forward? I ask because there are different sensors involved.


Pulling out forward so I think the front bottom or side sensors were at work.


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## scirockalot8v (Sep 16, 2006)

My wife gets it sometimes randomly when backing or moving forward up our driveway. No obstructions, fairly flat too. I actually thought the LED motion light mounted on the house could be effecting it.

Sent from my SM-G935V using Tapatalk


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## vdubs kopfschuss GLI (Sep 25, 2014)

i get this everytime backing out of my garage too. 
no matter the angle i take it always activates while backing out of my garage.

now i have the habit of backing in when i park it.


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

Two times this has happened and both were complete unnecessary and both nearly caused an accident. 

The most recent was the other day in a traffic jam on the highway. I was rolling slowly with traffic and my foot hovering over the brake and well aware of the distance to the car in front of me. The car in front of me gently tapped it's brakes but the the gap was barely closing. I didn't apply my brakes because the car in front of him was clearly accelerating and the car in front of took their foot off the brakes to accelerate as well. In that split second the Tiguan screeched to a halt and the car behind me had to swerve to the left to avoid rear-ending me. 

The first time it occurred there was a car turning right from a normal back road. I was coasting and ready to accelerate as I usually would when they completed their turn from the road and there was plenty of room to gently turn around them if needed. Screeching halt again and the same issue with a car behind me having to slam their brakes and swerve as the stop was completely not needed.

I really like the safety feature and understand the importance of leaving it active but these two near-accidents in just three months were the closest calls I've had than in my 26+ years of driving. I'm debating turning it off.


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## Smokeybeetleman (Aug 13, 2018)

The whole system is flawed. This has happened to me a few times while pulling into the garage. 
There was a time when it should have went off and it didnt. Someone in front of me started going from a stop then stopped abruptly. I started to go and if I didnt stop quick I would have went into the back of them. Not one sensor/warning went off.


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## mgoburn (May 22, 2019)

We had ours kick in yesterday on the highway. A biker pulled off into a rest stop pretty abruptly, which caused the emergency braking to kick in hard, even though we were well behind him, and he was pretty much off the road by the time he started braking. Good thing we didn't have anyone riding our asses at that time, because we slowed down fast.


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## n0thing (Mar 30, 2014)

The VW system isn't nearly as intrusive as the Honda system is. Coming from a 2018 CR-V I was so happy to finally be able to drive in traffic and not have the car emergency stop literally any time someone slowed down to turn in front of me. The Honda system would also slam on the brakes for shadows and for those metal plates in the road as it confused them for people and cars. 

I'm very much happy with the VW system.


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## socialD (Sep 19, 2011)

I haven't had it actually brake on me yet. A few times the warning has come up a bit unnecessarily like when the car in front is turning off the street and there's already room for me to proceed past...just not in the sensor's opinion. Same deal with the reverse with it beeping when I start backing out after a car has already passed.


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## gerardrjj (Sep 4, 2014)

dragonpalm said:


> I was pulling out of my garage today, like I do every day, and all of a sudden the Tiguan slammed on the brakes, a brake warning message showed up on the dashboard, and the e-brake was automatically engaged. My wife and I were freaked out! I thought I hit something so I got out to inspect but there was nothing in front of the car. There is a slight dip when I exit my garage and I think the front bottom sensor must have picked it up and thought I was going to hit the ground or something. Every time I go out of the garage, the front sensors beep but it has never used the auto brake before. I'm glad the feature works but it was pretty scary.
> 
> Has anyone else had the automatic emergency brake engage falsely or in a real dangerous situation?



Have you changed the point of intervention for breaking to "late"?


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## jwvetere (May 12, 2019)

*Yes - In a parking garage while backing into a spot*

Yes - this happened to me once - when the car was fairly new. I have a very tight parking garage at work - where I have the misfortune of parking everyday. Terrible garage - so small. (That's city living for ya...!)

But I was backing into a spot - no obstructions behind or to the side - except on the PAX side, there are metal guard rails for a pedestrian walkway. I think those might have triggered the sensors - because the car freaked so hard that the tires squeaked on the sleek surface, and gave me a good jolt. It was so abrupt that I *thought* I hit the guardrails. Got out and checked - not even close to making contact - a good five feet away or more. (Yes - I know that's close - but I was literally riding the break idling backward into the spot.) So, mistake on the car's part? Not sure. I'm very careful parking in that garage (especially in my beautiful new VW!) and I wasn't on course for a collision w/ any obstacles. So - yeah - I guess it was a mistake on the sensor/car's part.

That was the only time I had it activate on me. No other instances of close calls/or cases where it should have activated, but didn't.


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## noka648 (Sep 3, 2001)

socialD said:


> I haven't had it actually brake on me yet. A few times the warning has come up a bit unnecessarily like when the car in front is turning off the street and there's already room for me to proceed past...just not in the sensor's opinion. Same deal with the reverse with it beeping when I start backing out after a car has already passed.


I have had the same exact experience a couple of times with both forward and reverse sensors. It didn't really bother me, although emergency braking in these specific situations would have been unnecessary. I actually appreciated the warning beep when backing out of a parking spot and someone passed by. So far, it has not been very intrusive.


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

n0thing said:


> The VW system isn't nearly as intrusive as the Honda system is. Coming from a 2018 CR-V I was so happy to finally be able to drive in traffic and not have the car emergency stop literally any time someone slowed down to turn in front of me. The Honda system would also slam on the brakes for shadows and for those metal plates in the road as it confused them for people and cars.
> 
> I'm very much happy with the VW system.


The other vehicle I drive, even more frequently than the Tiguan, is a 2018 Accord Sport. I've had a similar experience in that car to the one where someone was turning off the road and it slammed the brakes when I had plenty of room to go around. I haven't even looked in to if I can keep all audible alerts but disable the intrusive application of the brakes or if it's all or nothing on either or both vehicles.


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## i_am_sam_i_am (Nov 2, 2017)

CTGeoff said:


> Two times this has happened and both were complete unnecessary and both nearly caused an accident.


Based on your descriptions of both incidents, I'm going to counter that the vehicle performed exactly as it should have.



> The most recent was the other day in a traffic jam on the highway. I was rolling slowly with traffic and my foot hovering over the brake and well aware of the distance to the car in front of me. The car in front of me gently tapped it's brakes but the the gap was barely closing. I didn't apply my brakes because the car in front of him was clearly accelerating and the car in front of took their foot off the brakes to accelerate as well. In that split second the Tiguan screeched to a halt and the car behind me had to swerve to the left to avoid rear-ending me.


In this scenario you describe rolling with traffic, but state that the gap between you and the vehicle in front of you was closing and you were not applying the brakes. Now although you can see that traffic ahead is beginning to move, your vehicle does not. All that your vehicle knows is that the distance between it and the object in front is shrinking and that in order not to collide it must intervene. The vehicle in front may have taken their foot off the brake, but our vehicle isn't programmed to read the anticipated actions of another driver. It only measures distance and speed.



> The first time it occurred there was a car turning right from a normal back road. I was coasting and ready to accelerate as I usually would when they completed their turn from the road and there was plenty of room to gently turn around them if needed. Screeching halt again and the same issue with a car behind me having to slam their brakes and swerve as the stop was completely not needed.


Here again, it sounds like your vehicle did exactly what is was supposed to do. Since it calculates speed and distance, it sounds like you were closing in on the vehicle making a right turn at a rate that required intervention. The Tiguan does not know the vehicle is making a turn, only that there is an object in front of it. More importantly, it is not programmed to survey the area around you and determine if there is enough room to "gently turn around them if needed". It only knows speed, distance and velocity.

From your descriptions, it sounds like you have a specific way of driving/following which may not be in line with what your vehicle considers safe. That being said, you mentioned that both incidents required the driver behind you to swerve which simply means they were following to closely.



> I really like the safety feature and understand the importance of leaving it active but these two near-accidents in just three months were the closest calls I've had than in my 26+ years of driving. I'm debating turning it off.


I personally like and trust the system, as it's saved me from collision both while backing up and when driving. In fact, I had a situation very similar to yours where a vehicle was turning right and suddenly stopped when they saw a pedestrian. I was anticipating the car completing it's turn and my vehicle ensured that I was able to stop in time. 

I think it's a good feature and hope that it functions better for you in the future. Most importantly, I hope you, and all of us, stay safe out there.


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## zackdawley (Oct 4, 2011)

The only false alarm I've had was I was following a car with a busted tail light housing and when they braked I think it thought it was a headlight 

I totally agree that at least when set to 'late' if it starts screaming I probably am following to close or not slowing fast enough, regardless of how comfortable I am with the spacing.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

i_am_sam_i_am said:


> Based on your descriptions of both incidents, I'm going to counter that the vehicle performed exactly as it should have.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I pretty much agree on all counts, which is why I'm considering turning this system off. I'd rather not have the brakes slammed unexpectedly when there is no danger, potentially causing a driver that is following too closely behind to crash into me.


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## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

Interesting stories. There are situations where it seems the system is working as intended but there are also situations where it’s not, such as many of the parking/garage situations.

My understanding of VW Front Assist and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is that it uses a radar located in the front VW logo to determine speed and distance of an object and the system is supposed to warn you first before engaging AEB as a last resort. My question is, why would the AEB engage without warning in slow speed pulling out of the garage or parking lot situations? There’s no documentation that I found stating that the parking sensors, which are different than the front radar, can engage AEB. The parking sensors are just audible alerts and only the front radar should engage AEB. Any thoughts on this?


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## mc7719 (Mar 20, 2019)

dragonpalm said:


> Interesting stories. There are situations where it seems the system is working as intended but there are also situations where it’s not, such as many of the parking/garage situations.
> 
> My understanding of VW Front Assist and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is that it uses a radar located in the front VW logo to determine speed and distance of an object and the system is supposed to warn you first before engaging AEB as a last resort. My question is, why would the AEB engage without warning in slow speed pulling out of the garage or parking lot situations? There’s no documentation that I found stating that the parking sensors, which are different than the front radar, can engage AEB. The parking sensors are just audible alerts and only the front radar should engage AEB. Any thoughts on this?


My wife insists it auto-stopped her in reverse... she was backing out of a driveway, and there was a delinator (tall plastic pylon thing) behind her across the road in opposite driveway which she didn't see. As she was crawling backward, all of a sudden the car slammed the brakes, and in the rear window she saw the pylon swaying slightly, immediately behind her. She figures an inch or two off her rear bumper.


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## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

mc7719 said:


> My wife insists it auto-stopped her in reverse... she was backing out of a driveway, and there was a delinator (tall plastic pylon thing) behind her across the road in opposite driveway which she didn't see. As she was crawling backward, all of a sudden the car slammed the brakes, and in the rear window she saw the pylon swaying slightly, immediately behind her. She figures an inch or two off her rear bumper.


I think in the case of AEB in reverse, the backup camera assists in the rear cross traffic system. Or maybe the rear sensors can engage AEB, which would suggest so can the front sensors.


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## jimothy cricket (Jul 9, 2008)

LOL. This has happened to us also. I think it has to do with the speed at which you're entering or exiting the garage. Super anoyying.


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## OZ.IN.USA (Jan 29, 2011)

zackdawley said:


> The only false alarm I've had was I was following a car with a busted tail light housing and when they braked *I think it thought it was a headlight *
> 
> I totally agree that at least when set to 'late' if it starts screaming I probably am following to close or not slowing fast enough, regardless of how comfortable I am with the spacing.
> 
> Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk


The Forward Collision Warning and autonomous braking does not operate by sensing headlights.


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## schagaphonic (Aug 24, 2008)

You're scared, I'm scared... I switched setting from Early to Late!


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## Smokeybeetleman (Aug 13, 2018)

Its interesting I posted on this the other day and today my wife was driving, was 2 cars lengths behind a car, already had her foot on the brake and the car warning went off and hit the brakes. Thats a first.
Luckily someone wasnt behind her close. The system almost sounds like it has a mind of its own.


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## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

I'm curious to know how the VW AEB system compares to other manufactures. This is the first car I've had this technology so I don't have a baseline to compare. From what I've read, other systems also exhibit strange behavior similar to these stories.


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## phlegm (Apr 24, 2019)

dragonpalm said:


> I'm curious to know how the VW AEB system compares to other manufactures. This is the first car I've had this technology so I don't have a baseline to compare. From what I've read, other systems also exhibit strange behavior similar to these stories.


I have a 2012 Volvo, which was my previous experience with autonomous braking. It was very rare to have it activate, so much so that I'd test it from time to time by slowly driving towards a cardboard box. I cannot recall any false alarms, so that's good, but maybe it was too far to the other side (late)?

It only happened purposefully for me once, in bumper-to-bumper when I wasn't paying attention.


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## azzurro (May 6, 2001)

*My Atlas has done the same thing once or twice*

I start backing out of the garage, and the brake triggers. I assume it's landscaping or something that trips the sensor. I'm temporarily staying at a place with a tiny garage that just barely fits the big car, so it's not surprising.

Overall, I like the feature and feel much safer knowing it's there. I feel naked now when I drive the R32 or other vehicles and realize it's up to me to pay attention!


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## bob72601 (Jun 5, 2019)

It was interesting to find your post here today. We had the same, basic problem yesterday with our 2019 Tiguan. We were at the corner of our street. There is a curb and a stop sign. As we started to make the right turn, I heard the sensors start beeping then we came to an abrupt STOP. The Emergency braking system kicked in and stopped us in our tracks. Apparently, we were too close to the curb or stop sign. I also noticed today, as we were entering a parking lot with a high slope that the sensors beeped lightly. I would hate to have had an emergency stop in this condition as there were vehicles coming in the highway that would have hit us.


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## pjunk1 (May 13, 2010)

*just the other day...*

traffic in front of me stopped abruptly so i engaged the brakes pretty firmly but no real danger of hitting the car in front of me. emergency braking kicked in just to make sure. i was a bit surprised. also, i had the audio and dash warning come up recently as i was backing out the drive way as it detected an approaching car. that time, no emergency braking was applied. i know it's not a perfect system and there are many opinions of it but overall, i think it's a good system to have for so many other drivers out there that are not paying attention while messing with their phones.


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## Bilgola (Jan 5, 2019)

dragonpalm said:


> I was pulling out of my garage today, like I do every day, and all of a sudden the Tiguan slammed on the brakes, a brake warning message showed up on the dashboard, and the e-brake was automatically engaged. My wife and I were freaked out! I thought I hit something so I got out to inspect but there was nothing in front of the car. There is a slight dip when I exit my garage and I think the front bottom sensor must have picked it up and thought I was going to hit the ground or something. Every time I go out of the garage, the front sensors beep but it has never used the auto brake before. I'm glad the feature works but it was pretty scary.
> 
> Has anyone else had the automatic emergency brake engage falsely or in a real dangerous situation?


Hi I have a Passat Wagon and the same thing has happened to me. Our driveway has recently had some bamboo planted...its quite young and not very stable. After a stormy night I was driving slowly up the driveway, putting my seat belt on as I drove, not concentrating (very slack I know) the car was stopped dead when the emergency brake jumped into action. It was just the leaves of the bamboo hanging across the driveway. My reaction was the same as yours...just very glad to fined the system worked.


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## kirk_augustin (Jul 21, 2012)

Automatic braking has NOT been approved or certified by the ICC and likely never will be.
So automatic braking systems are NOT legal in the US.
You should complain to the dealer and have it disabled until the ICC certifies the system.


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## Hedgehodge (Nov 7, 2008)

All i want to know is if Forge lift kit solves these issues, seeing as how the body is higher up from the ground. 

Also very easy on off mod.....can vw recall to add this idea . I've had this issue a few times.

I plan leaving driveways like this now to have ZERO incoming traffic


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## Always VW (Aug 10, 2004)

*Tiquan sudden braking*

I have a 2019 Tiquan I had the same scary event happen pulling out of a parking lot that a sloping pavement


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## IbsFt (Dec 15, 2018)

Smokeybeetleman said:


> Its interesting I posted on this the other day and today my wife was driving, was 2 cars lengths behind a car, already had her foot on the brake and the car warning went off and hit the brakes. Thats a first.
> Luckily someone wasnt behind her close. The system almost sounds like it has a mind of its own.


Mind of its own for sure. And without full disclosure from the mfgs it will be a crap shoot to the driver when it will operate. 

-
-


dragonpalm said:


> Interesting stories. There are situations where it seems the system is working as intended but there are also situations where it’s not, such as many of the parking/garage situations.
> 
> *My understanding* of VW Front Assist and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) is that it uses a radar located in the front VW logo to determine speed and distance of an object and the system is supposed to warn you first before engaging AEB as a last resort. My question is, why would the AEB engage without warning in slow speed pulling out of the garage or parking lot situations? There’s no documentation that I found stating that the parking sensors, which are different than the front radar, can engage AEB. The parking sensors are just audible alerts and only the front radar should engage AEB. Any thoughts on this?


Thoughts? Yes, the automakers should be forced to fully disclose EXACTLY how their systems work. What EXACTLY will trigger them and under what conditions? That another vehicle will trigger them is assumed, but what else? A person? A box? A dog? A squirrel? A snow berm across the road? A swirling cloud of fallen leaves? I can recall many scenarios from real world events that would have me questioning the nannies operations. Sure in the big picture they may do more good than harm, but that also depends on the driver. As drivers get more and more distracted and irresponsible, these systems give greater benefits. Conversely, a alert driver is more likely to have these systems activate inappropriately. In the posted examples in this thread where the car stops suddenly in traffic, well here in Michigan where everybody tailgates and trucks can weigh up to 164,000 lbs, any system that can slam on the brakes without knowing what is behind you is a bad idea. Paying attention while driving is the best solution!


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

dragonpalm said:


> I'm curious to know how the VW AEB system compares to other manufactures. This is the first car I've had this technology so I don't have a baseline to compare. From what I've read, other systems also exhibit strange behavior similar to these stories.


There is no reason the VW system is any different.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

IbsFt said:


> ....Thoughts? Yes, the automakers should be forced to fully disclose EXACTLY how their systems work. What EXACTLY will trigger them and under what conditions?....!


That might work with European owners but not in the USA. USA owner's eyes would glaze over after the first three or four words.


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## mikeindc (Apr 1, 2016)

I have the auto braking on my 2016 Golf station wagon and have no problems and would never get a car without it. I've only had it trigger twice, both times appropriately about a second before I was beginning to brake.


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## noreastdub (Aug 6, 2018)

This is a good thread! opcorn:

I have an SE, so no parking sensors, but I happen to like the AEB feature. I am pretty much textbook when it comes to driving. I am not a "Sunday driver" by any means, but I don't follow too closely, usually stay < 10 over the speed limits, don't mess with my infotainment or phone, and don't keep speed when someone is turning off. I have rarely had it alert me, or kick in when it shouldn't have.

Those who are contemplating disabling the feature, I would beg you to reconsider. First off - read the manual to gain full understanding of how it behaves at different speed ranges. Second, go to the dealer and have them calibrate if you are certain its misbehaving. Third, if that doesn't work maybe try to modify your driving habits a bit... For starters, you should be able to slowly count to three to gauge the safe following distance between you and the car you are behind, following distance is not static, you need to adapt to the speed of the car in front of you constantly. To do this, watch as the car in front of you passes a road sign or other landmark, as it does slowly count to three, you should not pass that landmark before you have finished counting. 

Not to imply that you are all unsafe drivers... I mean, you could be terrible drivers, and it sounds like some probably are. The thing is, we are all driving around these seriously fast/heavy pieces of machinery with nothing but a few lights to signal other drivers what we intend to do next, or that we are slowing down. It really doesn't take much at that point for something to go terribly wrong (like in a split second or less). I personally feel a lot safer when I see the cars around me have sensors or a camera. I simply don't trust humans driving cars anymore, we are all way too distracted, even hands free phone conversations hinder your ability to react... Some people I see with their phones up in front of them while going 55+mph, this really really gets me, I'd love to pull them over and just smack them around and take their license away. I can't drive anywhere without at least one oncoming car crossing the double yellow these days. People tailgate no matter how far over the limit you are going, like its the norm. It is really dangerous out there, and honestly as much as I love driving, I can't wait until we go full autonomous, we will all be a LOT safer as a result.


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## rob454 (Sep 18, 2009)

This happened to me last month. There was a dead squirrel on the road. I went around it and then after the notification came up and slammed on my brakes taking a nice chunk of rubber out of my tires. Nearly ended up in the neighbor's yard.


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## dragonpalm (May 9, 2016)

IbsFt said:


> Thoughts? Yes, the automakers should be forced to fully disclose EXACTLY how their systems work. What EXACTLY will trigger them and under what conditions? That another vehicle will trigger them is assumed, but what else? A person? A box? A dog? A squirrel? A snow berm across the road? A swirling cloud of fallen leaves? I can recall many scenarios from real world events that would have me questioning the nannies operations. Sure in the big picture they may do more good than harm, but that also depends on the driver. As drivers get more and more distracted and irresponsible, these systems give greater benefits. Conversely, a alert driver is more likely to have these systems activate inappropriately. In the posted examples in this thread where the car stops suddenly in traffic, well here in Michigan where everybody tailgates and trucks can weigh up to 164,000 lbs, any system that can slam on the brakes without knowing what is behind you is a bad idea. Paying attention while driving is the best solution!


I totally agree. We need to know exactly how these systems work so that we can be prepared for false alerts.



noreastdub said:


> Those who are contemplating disabling the feature, I would beg you to reconsider. First off - read the manual to gain full understanding of how it behaves at different speed ranges. Second, go to the dealer and have them calibrate if you are certain its misbehaving. Third, if that doesn't work maybe try to modify your driving habits a bit... For starters, you should be able to slowly count to three to gauge the safe following distance between you and the car you are behind, following distance is not static, you need to adapt to the speed of the car in front of you constantly. To do this, watch as the car in front of you passes a road sign or other landmark, as it does slowly count to three, you should not pass that landmark before you have finished counting.


Actually, if you can find where in the manual it explains in detail how/when AEB engages, please do share. I couldn't find anything other than very general descriptions. In my case and similar to many other stories posted here, AEB engaged when the car was at parking lot speeds without warning and without danger. In my case, I believe the front parking sensors caused AEB to engage, but no where is it documented that the sensors can do that. Or was it coincidence and just a malfunction in the system? I'll never know because VW doesn't publish details on how the system works.


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## Urano17 (Jul 7, 2018)

I’ve had the warning pop up as I’m driving down a side street between two cars. Both sides of the street with parked cars and one lane to drive in between. I never had it engaged. I was driving 15 mph when the warning went off. Now in my wife’s Passat it save our lives. Going down the interstate about 75 and traffic came to a stop. If it wasn’t for the system it could of turned out horrible.


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## IbsFt (Dec 15, 2018)

Here is a video by VW discussing autonomous braking (go to page 4 for the braking video): https://knowyourvw.com/model/86/videos/asset=6156

“May” do this or that, “depending on vehicle”, no serious explanation of how the system specifically works and when it will engage. The video really brings up more questions than it answers.
The owner’s manual is only marginally better, still way more questions than it answers. And if one reads all the conditions listed where autonomous braking might not work correctly, or at all, one has to wonder when it will actually activate. 

Car and driver testing article: https://www.caranddriver.com/featur...es-automatic-braking-system-tested-explained/

IIHS video of autonomous brake testing with pedestrians (psa: do not walk in front of BMWs): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMFbMV5QNzk

The takeaway from all this is that while these systems may sound great on paper, do not bet your life, or anyone else’s life, on them!




noreastdub said:


> .....
> Not to imply that you are all unsafe drivers... I mean, you could be terrible drivers, and it sounds like some probably are. The thing is, we are all driving around these seriously fast/heavy pieces of machinery with nothing but a few lights to signal other drivers what we intend to do next, or that we are slowing down. It really doesn't take much at that point for something to go terribly wrong (like in a split second or less). I personally feel a lot safer when I see the cars around me have sensors or a camera. I simply don't trust humans driving cars anymore, we are all way too distracted, even hands free phone conversations hinder your ability to react... Some people I see with their phones up in front of them while going 55+mph, this really really gets me, I'd love to pull them over and just smack them around and take their license away. I can't drive anywhere without at least one oncoming car crossing the double yellow these days. People tailgate no matter how far over the limit you are going, like its the norm. It is really dangerous out there, and honestly as much as I love driving, I can't wait until we go full autonomous, we will all be a LOT safer as a result.


While I agree with some of the sentiment that we need autonomous vehicles because drivers have become so distracted (if I had my way cell phones would be blocked while in a vehicle and touch screens in vehicles would be forbidden), there are going to be many problems when going to autonomous vehicles. Until autonomous vehicles can handle every situation and any road condition (ie, rain, fog, snow, dirt roads, etc) on their own, they will be creating more incompetent drivers. These drivers will let the car drive them around spring, summer and fall while their skills decline. Then, under the worst possible conditions, the car will choke and ask the rusty driver to take over! Young drivers will lose out on much needed practice during good conditions will then be asked to drive in the worst conditions, maybe with only seconds to assess the situation and react correctly! Just imagine the carnage during the first snowstorm of the year! Talk about irony; in order to _*eventually*_ make the roads safer, they will actually get more dangerous! And don't forget, many of the mfgs are not planning on selling autonomous vehicles, they will retain ownership of them and turn us into a nation of ride sharers. There are way more issues with autonomous vehicles, but this discussion is about the seemingly random autonomous braking of our Tigs.......Just be glad we don't have Atlas vehicles which apply the brakes at the bottom of a hill where the road flattens out!


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

rob454 said:


> ......taking a nice chunk of rubber out of my tires.....


So, tell us how that would happen? Did the ABS not function? Did you hit something?


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## tkwei (Jul 26, 2019)

Recently got a 2019 SEL-P and encountered three auto brakings all happened while I was trying to pull out of plaza where there is a small dip. The front sensor suddenly beep quickly and then the auto brake kicks in. It was scary. I think the parking sensor is too low close to the ground. I searched a little and found out it was the maneuver braking function that trigger the auto em braking. Just turn the maneuver braking off and never have it happens again. It’s under the parking and maneuver menu. This function is not the same as the front assist warning thing, so disable maneuver braking won’t affect the front assist, only affect you from not auto brake when the car thinks you are about to hit something while you are moving at very low speed. Hope this help.


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## noreastdub (Aug 6, 2018)

dragonpalm said:


> Actually, if you can find where in the manual it explains in detail how/when AEB engages, please do share. I couldn't find anything other than very general descriptions. In my case and similar to many other stories posted here, AEB engaged when the car was at parking lot speeds without warning and without danger. In my case, I believe the front parking sensors caused AEB to engage, but no where is it documented that the sensors can do that. Or was it coincidence and just a malfunction in the system? I'll never know because VW doesn't publish details on how the system works.


From the manual under "Driver warnings and Autonomous Emergency Braking" I hope this helps!

Distance warning m/k/s403MK
If the vehicle is traveling within a speed range of about 40–155 mph (65–250 km/h), the system warns the driver with the m/k/s403MK symbol in the instrument cluster display if it detects that the vehicle is driving too close to the vehicle ahead ⇒ . No acoustic warning will sound.

The warning period varies according to the traffic situation and your driving style.

Increase the distance between your vehicle and the vehicle ahead.

Advance warning m/k/n381MK
If the vehicle is traveling within a speed range of about 18–155 mph (30–250 km/h), the system warns the driver with a warning chime and a message in the instrument cluster display (⇒ Fig. 141 ) if it detects a possible collision with a vehicle or a pedestrian crossing your path up ahead ⇒ .

The warning period varies according to the traffic situation and your driving style.

Brake or take action to avoid the vehicle ahead!

However, do not rely solely on Front Assist. Under certain conditions, the reactions of Front Assist may be unexpected or delayed from the driver's viewpoint. Always pay attention and take over if necessary ⇒ .

Immediate warning
If you fail to react accordingly to the advance warning within a speed range of about 18–155 mph (30–250 km/h), Front Assist may initiate a short active braking maneuver. In this case you will notice brief, jerky braking of the vehicle to warn you of an impending collision.

The timing of this alert can vary, depending on the traffic situation and the driving behavior.

Autonomous Emergency Braking
If you should also fail to react to the immediate warning, within a speed range of about 3–155 mph (5–250 km/h), Front Assist can initiate an automatic braking maneuver that will abruptly decelerate the vehicle with an increased braking force. The emergency braking maneuver occurs shortly before a potential collision to reduce vehicle speed and help to minimize the effects of a collision.

Autonomous Emergency Braking below 18 mph (30 km/h)
In case of an impending collision, within a speed range of about 3–18 mph (5–30 km/h), Front Assist can initiate an automatic braking maneuver without the advance or immediate warnings to reduce vehicle speed and help to minimize the effects of a collision ⇒ .

The automatic braking maneuver occurs simultaneously with a warning in the instrument cluster display ⇒ Fig. 141 .

Braking support
Front Assist can help to minimize the effects of a collision by providing additional braking force in case of an emergency braking situation within a speed range of about 3–155 mph (5–250 km/h), should the system detect that the force applied to the brake pedal by the driver is not sufficient to avoid a collision. In order for Front Assist to provide this additional braking assistance, it must have detected an impending collision with another vehicle ahead of yours and the brake pedal has to be hit hard and suddenly. However, this support only works as long as the brake pedal is depressed.

Front Assist considers the driver's response time to give warnings in time. This response time decreases automatically when the system, for example, detects movement of the accelerator or steering wheel. The system thus prevents unnecessary brake interventions, for example, when the driver passes another vehicle.

Front Assist cannot react when approaching standing objects ahead of you, for example, when driving up to a line of stopped vehicles in heavy traffic.

System deactivated m/k/n998MK
If the system is switched off, a text message and the m/k/n998MK symbol appear in the instrument cluster display. The yellow central caution light m/k/a008MK may also light up


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## noreastdub (Aug 6, 2018)

IbsFt said:


> While I agree with some of the sentiment that we need autonomous vehicles because drivers have become so distracted (if I had my way cell phones would be blocked while in a vehicle and touch screens in vehicles would be forbidden), there are going to be many problems when going to autonomous vehicles. Until autonomous vehicles can handle every situation and any road condition (ie, rain, fog, snow, dirt roads, etc) on their own, they will be creating more incompetent drivers. These drivers will let the car drive them around spring, summer and fall while their skills decline. Then, under the worst possible conditions, the car will choke and ask the rusty driver to take over! Young drivers will lose out on much needed practice during good conditions will then be asked to drive in the worst conditions, maybe with only seconds to assess the situation and react correctly! Just imagine the carnage during the first snowstorm of the year! Talk about irony; in order to _*eventually*_ make the roads safer, they will actually get more dangerous! And don't forget, many of the mfgs are not planning on selling autonomous vehicles, they will retain ownership of them and turn us into a nation of ride sharers. There are way more issues with autonomous vehicles, but this discussion is about the seemingly random autonomous braking of our Tigs.......Just be glad we don't have Atlas vehicles which apply the brakes at the bottom of a hill where the road flattens out!


You make some solid points. Appreciate the insight!


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## CTGeoff (Feb 24, 2015)

I just want to add that my wife had to do an Austin Powers-style turn around in our driveway that slopes downhill slightly the other day because it wouldn't let her back into the road. After testing, I've confirmed that because the left-most side of our driveway has the slight hill and the right doesn't, it's easy to back out if you stay right but will not let you if close to the left edge by about 6-18" if you are backing out to the left. Kinda comical, really. The other two vehicles owned and parked at my house and two guests have all tried and have no problem and not even a warning sound but the Tig just beeps and refuses to go in reverse. Easily avoidable by staying right, just a little odd to have to back across the driveway diagonally first.


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## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

*Yes.*

Streets around here have fairly deep gutters along the sides for rain runoff. As the car enters the street from a driveway or parking lot the front end dips into these gutters and the sensors sence nothing but hard concrete in front of them. The first time it happened it scared the bajesus out of us. Car abruptly braked to a stop and got audible alarm and notice on the dash. Wondering if there's a way to temporarily dissable it.


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## n0thing (Mar 30, 2014)

Diego012 said:


> Streets around here have fairly deep gutters along the sides for rain runoff. As the car enters the street from a driveway or parking lot the front end dips into these gutters and the sensors sence nothing but hard concrete in front of them. The first time it happened it scared the bajesus out of us. Car abruptly braked to a stop and got audible alarm and notice on the dash. Wondering if there's a way to temporarily dissable it.


There are two little icons in the park assist window when the alerts start popping up on the infotainment unit. One mutes the noise, the other turns the system off. I use those buttons quite frequently when we haul bikes on a bike rack on the back of the Tiguan as it won't let us back up otherwise.


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## GTINC (Jan 28, 2005)

Diego012 said:


> ....Wondering if there's a way to temporarily dissable it.


So, you didn't get the OM with your vehicle then?


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## jfedele22 (Jun 25, 2019)

Maybe I'm just in a lucky 98% percentile that hasn't ever had it go off randomly, but I will say it saved my a$$ once and I am an extremely attentive driver that never thought I would need an autonomous system to do anything for me. 

I drive 20-24k a year due to my family living so far from where I work. My first vehicle with Autonomous Emergency Braking was my 2017 Jetta SEL. I was heading home from work, the road is a 4 lane, 40mph commercial zone. I'm in the left lane, a pickup truck was weaving in and out of traffic behind me, impatient I'm assuming, and I was following behind a FedEx truck. 

I turned behind me to see if the pickup truck was close in traffic to me yet because I needed to change lanes and turn into my bank that was about a half a mile up the road. In that split second, the FedEx truck moved into the turn lane, and an oncoming Audi trying to turn in front of me to scoot into Walmart must not have seen me behind the FedEx truck and went for it. I will NEVER forget the Brake "Jolt" as they call it and the screech of the warning. However, if my little Jet hadn't done that, it would have been a nasty collision at 45-50 MPH. By the time I was slamming on the brake pedal my car was already screeching to a stop and I must have missed the Audi by inches.

I get these systems are far from perfect but I beg of you guys, after that incident, don't just shut it down completely. You can change the setting for the warning, it's easy to do, but after that I am forever grateful for that system. It's like those Subaru Eyesight commercials, you don't really get second chances, but that system made a possible life saving decision for me when I couldn't. And I just thank god I had my Jetta and none of my little ones in the car with me.


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## LymanVillage (Jul 30, 2015)

Having an issue with my 2019 Tiguan SEL that I've had for about 12 months and 10k miles. Occasionally (a few dozen times) and unpredictably my car will give a visual alert on the digital dash and immediately apply the brakes when exiting a parking lot into the street. The grade of the slopes is varied and the issue can't be replicated in the same location with any consistency. I've had the car at the VW shop twice and they say that everything is working fine and on spec. The issue is this leaves me stuck in the middle of the street until the system disengages. This is extremely unsafe and could lead to a collision with oncoming traffic. Luckily this hasn't led to an accident yet but it could only be a matter of time. I guess I need to file a complaint with the NHTSA so this issue gets on someone’s radar, no pun intended, as VW doesn't think there is a problem. Has anyone had VW service find a resolution to their similar problem?


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## blondevw9 (Aug 9, 2020)

*autonomous braking DANGER*

I am in a recently purchased 2020 VW golf. Driving along with no obstruction in front of me No cars near me This vehicle decided to jam on the brakes to come to a complete stop Nearly having a truck behind me rearend me horribly.

The car was unresponsive after this And would not function until I turned it off and started it back up again. I am taking it to the dealer To try and get them to permanently disable it Or I don't want the vehicle.

The second incident of this doing the same thing happened yesterday. Traveling from a grocery store to my place of employment a five block Drive,Two blocks into the journey it jammed on the brakes again bringing it to a complete stop for no reason at all again nobody around this time. The only thing I could see was a seagull on the sidewalk About a block in front of me.

Automated cars Is a big mistake.Having a Broken copilot that's going to jam on the brakes AnywhereIs a disaster In the works Rendering that vehicle absolutely unsafe to drive.

Now VW has been telling customers that they tested it and it's working as it should. Well if they put out a vehicle that jams on the brakes for no reason at all risking life and limb and accidents and lawsuits And that's their idea of it working properly Then they need to be sued until they are out of business.


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## blondevw9 (Aug 9, 2020)

LymanVillage said:


> Having an issue with my 2019 Tiguan SEL that I've had for about 12 months and 10k miles. Occasionally (a few dozen times) and unpredictably my car will give a visual alert on the digital dash and immediately apply the brakes when exiting a parking lot into the street. The grade of the slopes is varied and the issue can't be replicated in the same location with any consistency. I've had the car at the VW shop twice and they say that everything is working fine and on spec. The issue is this leaves me stuck in the middle of the street until the system disengages. This is extremely unsafe and could lead to a collision with oncoming traffic. Luckily this hasn't led to an accident yet but it could only be a matter of time. I guess I need to file a complaint with the NHTSA so this issue gets on someone’s radar, no pun intended, as VW doesn't think there is a problem. Has anyone had VW service find a resolution to their similar problem?


Their autonomous braking system is broken beyond words my vehicles only two weeks old and it has jammed on the brakes for no reason at all twice. it's going in tomorrow if they cannot permanently disable it I told them I do not want the vehicle.


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## gti_addict (Nov 22, 2000)

You can always change the setting if it's too sensitive for your environment.


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## Zabes64 (Aug 29, 2018)

blondevw9 said:


> I am in a recently purchased 2020 VW golf. Driving along with no obstruction in front of me No cars near me This vehicle decided to jam on the brakes to come to a complete stop Nearly having a truck behind me rearend me horribly.
> 
> The car was unresponsive after this And would not function until I turned it off and started it back up again. I am taking it to the dealer To try and get them to permanently disable it Or I don't want the vehicle.
> 
> ...


I've been going through the same thing. I had my Front Assist fault saying no Sensor view, VW required me to do a full alignment/calibration at a cost of $1229 because the front toe was off by 1 minute 0.007409" and the rear toe was off by 1 minute though thrust angle was straight forward and steer ahead was forward as well, or they wouldn't continue to fix the fault of it reoccurred.

On Friday evening 2 days after getting it back, the Crash Warning came on, car came to a stop and scared the **** out of me.

No cars around, no obstacles, and luckily no one behind me. Sadly dealership had unplugged my dashcam while it was in the shop for 30+ days and didn't reconnect it and I didn't notice, so didn't get a video of it.


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## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

2019 SEL. First time it engaged we were rolling across a dip in the street exiting a business. Scared the bajesus out of us. We've learned since to approach dips at a slight angle to keep it from engaging. Later on I was very happy it engaged. Buzzing along an interstate at 80 I was preoccupied by a vehicle I was passing doing some wondering in his lane. I didn't see traffic was coming to a stop in front of us due to an accident quick enough so the auto braking engaged and quickly slowed us down. It may have saved us a very bad day.


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## GregRob (Dec 16, 2020)

tkwei said:


> Recently got a 2019 SEL-P and encountered three auto brakings all happened while I was trying to pull out of plaza where there is a small dip. The front sensor suddenly beep quickly and then the auto brake kicks in. It was scary. I think the parking sensor is too low close to the ground. I searched a little and found out it was the maneuver braking function that trigger the auto em braking. Just turn the maneuver braking off and never have it happens again. It’s under the parking and maneuver menu. This function is not the same as the front assist warning thing, so disable maneuver braking won’t affect the front assist, only affect you from not auto brake when the car thinks you are about to hit something while you are moving at very low speed. Hope this help.


Finally, I think you have hit the answer. I never considered the Parking Assist the problem because I was trying to pull out into traffic. Same as you, I was pulling out from a driveway when the car was abruptly stopped at just the wrong time. I know I hate it when someone pulls out in front of me then stops for no apparent reason. Now my Tiguan is turning me into that A H! I use the parking assist when I pull into me garage so I don't want to turn it off but if I can eliminate the auto stop feature maybe the car won't get me killed.


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## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

n0thing said:


> There are two little icons in the park assist window when the alerts start popping up on the infotainment unit. One mutes the noise, the other turns the system off. I use those buttons quite frequently when we haul bikes on a bike rack on the back of the Tiguan as it won't let us back up otherwise.


Just to cross the t's...no park assist on my SEL. Thanks anyway. Don't even remember the last time we had to parallel park so it wasn't a factor in choosing.


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## Diego012 (Aug 14, 2019)

GTINC said:


> So, you didn't get the OM with your vehicle then?


Yes. I have an SEL without park assist.


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