REGULARLY, PERHAPS EVERY 2 MONTHS, MY CAR'S AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEM WILL ACTIVATE WITHOUT CAUSE. IT HAS ALWAYS HAPPENED ON A HIGHWAY AND IT SEEMS TO BE RELATED TO WHEN I PASS A LARGE TRUCK. THE SYSTEM WILL TRIGGER, CAUSING A BEEPING NOISE AND AN IMAGE OF A CAR TO SHOW UP IN THE HEADS-UP DISPLAY. ABOUT HALF THE TIME, THE BRAKES WILL BE APPLIED VERY HARD. THIS SITUATION ONLY LASTS FOR PERHAPS A SECOND OR TWO AND THEN DISAPPEARS. THERE IS NEVER A CAR IN FRONT OF ME SO THERE IS NO THREAT AND NO REASON FOR THE SYSTEM TO TRIGGER. AS I MENTIONED, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS FALSE (OR PHANTOM) TRIGGER COINCIDES WITH PASSING A LARGE TRUCK. PART OF MY FRUSTRATION WITH THIS IS THAT WHEN I SPEAK WITH BMW SERVICE, THEY SAY THEY ARE UNAWARE OF ANY SUCH ISSUES WITH THE SYSTEM BUT THAT I'M WELCOME TO HAVE THEM REVIEW IT FOR SEVERAL HUNDRED DOLLARS. SINCE I'M NOT CONFIDENT THAT THE MECHANICS AT MY LOCAL DEALER CAN OR WILL FIND ANY ISSUES WITH THE SYSTEM I DON'T WANT TO SIMPLY THROW AWAY THIS MONEY. I'M ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT THESE NEW SAFETY SYSTEMS BUT THE MANUFACTURERS SHOULD SUPPORT THEM FOR PERHAPS 10 YEARS. THEY SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO INVESTIGATE FALSE TRIGGERS AND ALSO TO ANNUALLY CHECK THE SYSTEM IS WORKING RELIABLY. WITHOUT THIS, PEOPLE WILL BEGIN TO TURN THESE SYSTEMS OFF AS THEY BEGIN TO FEAR THEM AS I DO.
NHTSA ODI 11414214