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Auto braking driving me nuts

50K views 94 replies 42 participants last post by  JCB22 
#1 ·
I'm now getting seriously fed up with the auto braking :x . I've already set it to its lowest setting but it still went off twice yesterday in 10 minutes. The first time I got the big red scary warning in the middle of the dash, the warning sound, but oddly no brakes. Also, oddly, nothing anywhere in sight. The second time the brakes did slam on, as usual, in a country lane but this time I couldn't see any overhanging vegetation which is the usual culprit. Nearly gave me a heart attack :shock: . I'm now getting overly conscious of it rather than having it sit in the background like ABS.

In two months it's now happened on about 9 or 10 occasions and it's only a matter of time before it causes the accident it's trying to prevent. Any advice? Should I log this as an official safety problem with SEAT HQ. I don't want to have to go through the faff of turning it off every start up because it's not as simple as pressing a button like the Stop / Start. Also, if I turn it off and I run someone down, can I ever argue that it wasn't my fault?.
 
#27 ·
Excalibrates said:
This is not an intermittent fault as some are saying. Just because it doesn't happen to them doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
'
What's your definition of an intermittent fault? :?

Excalibrates said:
I've been driving the car now for 8 months and 5000 miles and I've had regular incidents of the alarm AND braking.
'
If you're perfectly confident you're able to take a garage technician on a test drive and replicate those problems then you don't suffer from an intermittent problem. If tobydogs car can't replicate the errors he is experiencing when the technician drives it then wouldn't you agree his car is suffering from an intermittent problem?

Intermittent problems are always a real bugger. The camera idea seems very sensible to me.
 
#28 ·
Golfmk56 said:
Excalibrates said:
This is not an intermittent fault as some are saying. Just because it doesn't happen to them doesn't mean it doesn't happen.
'
What's your definition of an intermittent fault? :?
Something that goes from a working state to a failure state repeatedly and unpredictably.

Golfmk56 said:
Excalibrates said:
I've been driving the car now for 8 months and 5000 miles and I've had regular incidents of the alarm AND braking.
'
If you're perfectly confident you're able to take a garage technician on a test drive and replicate those problems then you don't suffer from an intermittent problem. If tobydogs car can't replicate the errors he is experiencing when the technician drives it then wouldn't you agree his car is suffering from an intermittent problem?

Intermittent problems are always a real bugger. The camera idea seems very sensible to me.
I can't guarantee to replicate them on demand but I know the roads where it does happen from time to time. Let's say it's triggered for me about 20 times since I've owned the car and 5 times with the braking. In 8 months and 5000 the technician will get bored sitting alongside me...

I can also pretty much guarantee the technician, even if they did experience it first hand, would just stroke their chin and at best relay the report back to Seat. Obviously he would have no insight into the inner workings of the software behind the system.

Fundamentally, I don't think this system is "going wrong" and it is working as designed. It is also doing it deterministically according to the software heuristics. It's just that any semi-intelligent system is also half stupid by definition! And when it triggers a false positive you really notice it. The software has opportunities for optimisation, but I don't think it's a fault per se.
 
#29 ·
I had this kick in today on a "normal" corner coming back to the village after picking my son up from the school bus a few miles away. ABS came on momentarily and I thought it was my son farting after the shock of the first day back. Funny how they always wait till they're in your car...
 
#30 ·
Well who would have guessed it? :roll:. First entry on my new 'warning' log. Nothing really close in front but system appeared to be spooked by an overtaking car :? . The daft thing is that having the big red warning sign appear in the instrument binnacle makes me look down rather than ahead at what I might supposedly hit. The warning is actually a distraction. My car should have 5 NCAP stars for not having this system rather than having it.
 
#31 ·
tobydog said:
My car should have 5 NCAP stars for not having this system rather than having it.
Every test video I've seen has had them driving on a wide open runway. Perhaps someone needs to tell them to revise the test.
 
#32 ·
Had visual warning come on many times in 10k but brakes applied for the first time today. Heart missed a beat, really glad my wife wasn't driving. Coming up to a roundabout, 3 lanes, stationary traffic on left as I changed to middle lane it was triggered by the side impact frame of an HGV. I wasn't even close!
 
#33 ·
Yesterday I went to the dealership to take a few internal measurements for my Mobility Scooter fitting and there were three Atecas on the showroom floor. I had a chance to speak with the Motability Sales Executive about many of the problems thus far encountered and presented him with a checklist with an explanation of the numerous problems that been voiced by our membership. He was grateful for the list and said that it would be a useful tool moving forward.
One of the problems was the emergency braking, which I described as a major safety issue. He owns and drives an Ateca himself and confessed that the braking had happened to him on three occasions. One was on a crowded roundabout, one in a multistorey car park and once when an approaching car was sensed on a left hand bend. I asked him how he has dealt with it. His response was that in town, he switched the autobraking off and re-engaged it for dual carriageways and motorways. I do not, as yet, own an Ateca (three weeks away), but this sounded sensible to me, for in an urban setting the likelihood of serious injury is a little less, but where the frequency of accidents is greater. What do others feel about this approach.
I also pointed out the tailgate closure and he said that this has been recognised, investigated and put right by means of a slight reconfiguration of computer. Anyway he has the list and I have asked that all items be checked prior to me picking it up. I will also go through the checklist with my son, a policeman, to ensure all is well. He was, by the way, very impressed by the forum's views and sensible comments.
 
#34 ·
Had it happen to me twice in a month less than 300m from home on same bit of road! Nothing around to trigger it, no trees or bushes, no rain (I wish!) to dirty front of car, just open land! Scared the c**p out of me the first time, second time just annoyed me! As it is a bit difficult explaining this to a mechanic at our local branch (10mins away!) who speaks less English than I do Spanish, I'm leaving it until it happens again, then I'll take it back to the main dealer office (45mins away), where there is a very good multi language service manager, who has a similar Ateca as a company car, see if the same thing has happened to him!
 
#35 ·
I had several similar experiences driving along narrow country lanes in Devon and Cornwall. I was really concerned the first time that it happened and wondered what the hell the big red warning light was! That was back in June. Since returning home and driving on more normal roads, I've only experienced it once and I'm not really sure what triggered it on that occasion. I did consider turning it off but as it isn't a regular occurance now and I know what it is, I haven't bothered. Perhaps if I was living in a more rural area I would be inclined to turn it off.
 
#37 ·
Hmmm I have a 2017 plate and had it for a few weeks and only time I had it really did need to happen due to someone breaking suddenly in front of me...so I'm still in the camp that its really good...but if it kept happening to me I would hate it. I have mine set to medium.
 
#38 ·
In my experience it's highly dependent on the environment. For me it's only ever triggered on narrow, twisty B roads with dense foliage on the side of the road. Unfortunately, our car spends 50% of its time on exactly these sorts of roads.
 
#39 ·
I have drive quite a bit on very small B roads and no warnings, I really do think some of these must be more sensitive then overs....as in the camera or radar has been fitted slightly off center or something......saying that i have only had it for a few weeks so could be just lucky so far....
 
#40 ·
This morning it had its first full activation, rather than just the warning. I was approaching a bend I drive almost every time I go out. It was certainly disconcerting. Between a few trees and some road signs, it didn't like it today.
 
#41 ·
How soon before someone piles into the back of your new ateca as a result of the auto braking kicking in?

I know it would be their fault for not being alert but would be a real pain if not much worse.

This is the single biggest issue making me hold back from ordering right now until I can see a resolution.
 
#43 ·
A few people have commented on it, but it seems to be the exception rather than the rule right now - will see if that continues.
 
#44 ·
Touch wood, I've done over 3k miles and never experienced auto braking... yet! The sensors have given some warnings but no actual action.
 
#46 ·
I am glad others have had experience of the front assist warning light coming on and immediately the emergency brakes kick in. I thought perhaps I had caught the brake pedal and accelerator as both are close together (or I have big feet). It has happened three times now whilst travelling along country lanes at about 10 miles ph. I am going to pop into my local dealership to see whar they say. It is unerving and takes the pleasure away from driving such a lovely car in every other respect.
Dafydd
 
#47 ·
Have done circa 6k miles in ours and found it only really triggers when you would expect it to. Only had full autobraking once and it was reasonable. Had the brakes applied a few times in ACC/Traffic assist again well timed. Also had the warning come on a few times probably in the right place.

I believe you can adjust the autobraking sensitivity as a setting, you might want to play about with that, but I have found it to be excellent thus far.
 
#48 ·
Hi.
You will have to excuse me as I havent read all of this thread.
The auto braking is also a big problem on the Tiguan forum as they both use the same system/parts.
Theres 14 pages about it in the thread, badges have been replaced (no good) sensors been replaced (no good) Dealers cant replicate the problems so they are saying there is no fault, its down to driving style etc. Altering the sensitivity on most has not fixed it.
There was mention of a software update, but this has not come about.
One owners car has been to VW's main place, where they fixed it but the owner had to sign a non disclosure agreement.
VW must be aware of it otherwise they would not have made him sign the agreement.
Heres the thread if anyone wants to read it.
https://www.tiguanforums.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=351&hilit=auto+braking
 
#49 ·
I don't believe this is just a VAG issue. I drove a Volvo V90 for a fortnight in Norway earlier this year and it happened to me twice. On both occasions I was going round a sharp left hand bend where it seemed to detect a car parked at the side of the road as a hazard.
 
#50 ·
We also have this fault and the car pulled an emergency stop from about 30 mph for no reason (captured on the dash-cam). It was so severe that the seat-belt caused bruising to my elderly Mother.

Despite the video evidence the dealer and Seat UK claim there is no fault.

Just to respond to one comment made here 'turning it off' is not a solution, (this part of the system can't be switch-off according to the dealer), nor should it be as it is part of the cars specification and simply should work like any other part of a new car!

I have reason to believe that the VW Audi Group know about this fault, but are committed to covering it up for fear of triggering an expensive recall. We are now pursuing legal action.
 
#51 ·
As the original poster of this topic, I thought I would provide a recap and update.

You may recall that when I visited the dealership to have the system checked out, they couldn't find a problem. To be fair, this was expected with an intermittent problem. When I received the car, the Auto Braking sensor was set in the middle - Medium I think. After numerous scary moments, and ABS braking, I had altered this to Later thinking that this would mean the brake didn't kick in so soon. The dealer then changed this to Earlier meaning that the car would assess the situation sooner and not slam the brakes on at the last moment. Some of this made sense and some of it seemed counter-intuitive.

The dealer told me to see how the alteration changed the car and report back. I had no further incidents for a few weeks until I went to Cornwall and the brakes locked on 3 times. To be fair, all these occasions were on roads that the sat nav had sent me down that seemed narrower than the car!!. It was no surprise it picked up greenery and high banks. Since I returned a month ago I have had no further incident except where I wasn't paying attention and the Auto Braking actually saved me.

Based on this, I would suggest anyone still having the issue to set the sensor to Earlier (or whatever it is) and see what happens.
 
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