NHTSA complaint: 2018 VOLKSWAGEN ATLAS — ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
ON MANY OCCASIONS, THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM AND BLIND SPOT DETECTION SYSTEMS HAVE ENGAGED AT INAPPROPRIATE TIMES. MOST RECENTLY, THE AUTOMATIC BRAKING SYSTEM ENGAGED WHEN SAFELY MERGING WITH PROPER SIGNALING FROM THE RIGHT LANE, WHICH WAS ENDING, TO THE NEXT TO THE LEFT LANE WHEN THE ONLY VEHICLE IN THE VICINITY WAS FULLY IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. THERE WAS ENOUGH SPACE BETWEEN OUR VEHICLE AND THE VEHICLE BEHIND TO AVOID A REAR END COLLISION BUT THE HARD BRAKING WAS UNNECESSARY AND COULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE OR MORE SERIOUS INJURIES THAN THOSE SUSTAINED BY THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER CAUSED BY THE SEATBELT LOCKING ON THE COLLARBONE AND CHEST BECAUSE OF THE SUDDEN APPLICATION OF BRAKES. ANOTHER RECENT INCIDENT WAS ON THE FREEWAY WHEN SAFELY CHANGING LANES WITH PROPER SIGNALING FROM THE FAR LEFT LANE TO THE CENTER LANE AND THE BLIND SPOT DETECTION SYSTEM PREVENTED CHANGING LANES WHEN THE CLOSEST TO THE RIGHT VEHICLE WAS IN THE FAR RIGHT LANE, ONE LANE FURTHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO CHANGE INTO. IF THIS HAD OCCURRED WHILE CHANGING LANES TO AVOID A COLLISION WITH DEBRIS OR ANOTHER VEHICLE, IT COULD HAVE CAUSED DAMAGE OR INJURIES.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration — Office of Defects Investigation