March 11
By Ananta Agarwal and Shubhendu Deshmukh
(Reuters) -U.S. auto-safety regulators on Monday launched a preliminary probe into emergency braking issues in certain Honda vehicles following complaints of crashes and fires.
The problem affects the 2019-2022 models of the Honda Insight, a hybrid electric car, and the Honda Passport SUV, and involves 250,712 vehicles, according to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
The NHTSA report also states that the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) received 46 complaints, which included reports of three crashes or fires and two injuries.
Inadvertent activation of the automatic emergency braking system can increase the risk of a collision, resulting in injury and property damage, according to the NHTSA.
“Honda has already been in communication with the agency on this topic and will cooperate with the NHTSA through the investigation process, while continuing our own internal review of the available information,” the company said in an email.
A preliminary evaluation, or the first phase of an NHTSA investigation, involves a review of consumer complaints or manufacturer service bulletins, which suggest a safety defect may exist.