2018 Honda Fit Driver Assist & ADAS Problems

Multipurpose camera stopped working in normal conditions. Dealership says the camera is faulty. Several safety functions such as lane keep assist, collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control no longer work.

Component/System Involved: The multi-purpose camera system on my 2018 Honda Fit has malfunctioned, disabling critical safety features such as Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Lane Keep Assist System (LKAS), and Collision Braking Warning System (CBWS). Safety Risk: The failure of these systems creates significant safety risks. Without ACC, the vehicle cannot maintain a safe distance from other vehicles. The LKAS no longer provides steering assistance to help stay in the lane, and the CBWS cannot detect or warn of potential collisions. These malfunctions increase the likelihood of accidents, especially during highway driving or in heavy traffic. Problem Reproduction and Confirmation: The issue has been reproduced and confirmed by Norm Reeves Honda Cerritos during an inspection on 8/13/25. Inspection Details: The vehicle has been inspected by a dealer/service center, which diagnosed the problem. However, the manufacturer has not offered a resolution, nor has the vehicle been inspected by police, insurance representatives, or other parties. Warning Indicators: Before the failure, warning messages appeared on the dashboard, including alerts for ACC, LKAS, and CBWS system malfunctions. These warnings initially appeared on 8/12/25 and became more frequent over time. I believe this issue may be a design or manufacturing defect affecting other vehicles of the same make and model. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter to determine if it represents a broader safety concern.

The contact owns a 2018 Honda Fit. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the infotainment screen failed to illuminate. The contact stated that the failure occurred intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the failure could not be duplicated; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V046000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 89,075.

I have had my Honda fit for almost 7 years now and every winter I have an issue with the ADAS system. The car will throw a warning saying the sensor is obstructed and to clean off the windshield. Every time I check to make sure there's nothing obstructing the sensors. If I had to guess, the plastic covering is trapping heat from warming up the car and fogging the glass but I can't do anything about it since the plastic is not removable. It seems like a flaw in the design that operating the car with the heat on in winter can cause issues with the ADAS.

The automated braking system deployed at maximum braking without warning 3 times in 60 miles of highway driving (this was the first time I had driven this car on a highway). The road in front was completely clear of both cars and debris for several miles, it was sunny without glare, and the road was dry. The one common factor was that all 3 times occurred while passing a semi truck, as I pulled level with the cab. I was thrown forward against the seatbelt while the car slammed on its brakes while beeping and flashing the orange 'BRAKE' warning, dropping from highway speeds by about 25 mph before I was able to intervene. Thankfully there was also no traffic behind me, so I was able to recover control of the vehicle, but otherwise this would have absolutely caused a collision. Prior to this incident, there were no warning signs or indications of a problem. I had purchased the vehicle as a Certified Pre-Owned vehicle less than a week before, at which point it had been thoroughly inspected by the dealership and certified as free from issues. I have reported the issue to the dealership, but from cursory searching online it appears this is a known, unremediated issue - a quote from Wilde East Towne Honda (not my dealer): "You may find that CMBS is giving you notifications and even feedback when no threat is detected. That is normal on occasions...CMBS picks up 'optical illusions' occasionally"