Please recommend a car which doesn t phantom brake

[Ditsyruth]

So I bought a 2024 VW Tiguan. It has always done emergency stops in reverse for no reason and has now started doing it approaching roundabouts. According to VW Shrewsbury I need to adjust my driving style!!! It is going in to have the sensors checked but I don’t think I will ever trust it. I am always nervous someone might run up the back of me. On researching the problem I have discovered it if not only VW that have this problem with AEB.

I would be super grateful for any recommendations of cars that don’t have this problem. TIA

[Red9zero]

You should be able to adjust the sensitivity a bit. My CX5 used to be very sensitive and can still catch me out if someone turns off in front of me and then slows down once they have turned. My car thinks I am too close even though they are now on another road, and jabs the brakes. The joys of driving a modern car I guess.

[MitchT]

I recall reading a consumer column somewhere in which someone recounted their VW SUV emergency braking on narrow lanes in Cornwall as it constantly mistook the hedges at the sides as hazards. VW, predictably, wheeled out a generic "our st doesn't smell" response and refused to take the car back.

Also been reserching F3x BMWs in my hunt for a 4 Series Coupé. Someone reviewing a 4 Series Gran Coupé said it had done a completely involuntary emergency stop on a motroway exit slip. Fortunately the BMW system could be switched off and is an optional extra which is easily dodged. I guess it helps that it was an older car.

If you want to avoid cars that don't phantom brake, perhaps buy a used car made before these stupid things were hardwired in.

[Ditsyruth]

Unfortunately, the sensitivity cannot be adjusted on my car. There are no outstanding updates either. I can switch the system off completely but it has been suggested you would not be insured if you do this. You would also be liable if someone runs up the back of you. These systems just don’t seem to have been perfected yet. They are supposed to make driving safer but to me it feels like an accident waiting to happen,

[Ditsyruth]

I am definitely considering an older car until the gremlins get sorted on the new ones.

[sam.rog]

A hire Mercedes tried to kill me 2 years ago.
Temporary road works and the lanes were narrow. Old road markings slightly visible and temporary markings visible. The car tried to follow the old road markings and plow me under a hgv. This was lane assist in the car.
I rang enterprise and handed the car back saying what it had done. This was a long term hire during covid whilst waiting for my company car.

I will not touch another Mercedes after this. Every other car has been ok.

[Sebring440]

Ditsyruth said:

I can switch the system off completely but it has been suggested you would not be insured if you do this.

Well switch it off and move on.

Who suggested it would not be insured??? My car doesn't have this bollocks, and it's definitely insured.

[KTMsm]

sam.rog said:

A hire Mercedes tried to kill me 2 years ago.
Temporary road works and the lanes were narrow. Old road markings slightly visible and temporary markings visible. The car tried to follow the old road markings and plow me under a hgv. This was lane assist in the car.

I will not touch another Mercedes after this. Every other car has been ok.

Welcome to my world - except my experience was with ABS brakes

My new 406 wouldn't apply the brakes on wet leaves or 2mm of snow and my Forester XT wouldn't apply them on fast bumpy roads

You can shove all this hopeless tech - I don't want nor need it

[Ham_and_Jam]

Ditsyruth said:

Unfortunately, the sensitivity cannot be adjusted on my car.

Pretty sure it can be adjusted in the main settings to near, medium or far

[hidetheelephants]

I've driven a 2024 Kia Soul a fair bit recently and not noticed anything of this kind; it does have all the usual nanny state bonging nonsense and the lane keeping 'assistance' is rather irritating on normal roads(all can be switched off but it's a pain doing it every time you get in) but it has yet to try and kill me by emergency stopping for an invisible obstruction.

[Discendo Discimus]

Ham_and_Jam said:

Ditsyruth said:

Unfortunately, the sensitivity cannot be adjusted on my car.

Pretty sure it can be adjusted in the main settings to near, medium or far

I have a 2024 Skoda Superb and it's not adjustable on that either.
Main dealer says they're waiting for a software update but currently there's nothing you can do.

I wouldn't mind if it was sensible, but slamming the brakes on because the car thinks I'm about to hit a tree which is 10ft away is stupid.

[Jamescrs]

I have been driving a Volvo XC90 through work and have put a few thousand miles on it, it's a nightmare for these random braking episodes so I would definitely recommend avoiding Volvo's.

[Ham_and_Jam]

Discendo Discimus said:

I have a 2024 Skoda Superb and it's not adjustable on that either.

Is this restricted to specific models then?

I ve had 3 VAG cars since 2014 and they all could change the front assist setting to Near, Medium or Far within the menu system.

I currently have a 2025 Mercedes E Class and it also phantom brakes. Annoyingly it also pulls the seat belt tight and then flutters it at the same time which just about makes you jump out of your skin.

[ZX10R NIN]

Just turn it off.

[Mark Turmell]

Ham_and_Jam said:

Is this restricted to specific models then?

I ve had 3 VAG cars since 2014 and they all could change the front assist setting to Near, Medium or Far within the menu system.

That’s for adaptive cruise isn’t it?

The lane assist is horrible too, who thought that was a good idea?

[Crumpet]

I seem to remember VAG cars, or maybe even just VW, had big issues with this automatic emergency braking so they do appear to be the worst.

My Jaguar actually did it in anger one time, and it did a good job, but I’ve not had a problem with BMW, Porsche and Land Rover.

[JJ55]

My wife’s a class regularly thinks the side of the road on motorways is attacking it. Bloody dangerous when it brakes/ swerves.

[raspy]

I've driven and owned so many cars with AEB over the last 10 years (Audi, Toyota, MB, Vauxhall and now BMW)

Never had any kind of phantom braking when it comes to AEB with any of them.

[AB]

My Q7 was terrible before I turned the sensitivity down. 3 point turn on an open country road, blade of grass behind it would have it slamming on in reverse. Coming through the gates slowly would have anyone in the car thinking I'd hit something.

[Torquey]

Mazda are pretty rubbish with AEB. I've had 3 instances in 18 months where if a car had been behind me we'd be toast.

Googling for fixes only reveals other mazda owners with the same problem.