Complaint 2196708

Complaint Summary

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

Owner Narrative

I drive a 2022 Kenworth T680 equipped with a Bendix collision mitigation / automatic emergency braking system. On multiple occasions, the system has applied the service brakes hard with no real obstacle in front of the truck, creating a serious rear‑end collision risk for vehicles behind me. The events typically occur in rain, fog, or under overpasses and signs at highway speeds with cruise control engaged. The truck suddenly brakes without warning or driver input, dropping speed rapidly in the travel lane while traffic is following. I have documented dates, locations, weather, and traffic conditions for these incidents. In each case, there was no stopped or slowing vehicle in my lane that justified automatic emergency braking. This appears to be a “false positive” AEB activation similar to those NHTSA is already investigating on other Class 8 tractors, where the system misidentifies harmless objects or roadway features and commands an unnecessary stop. These false activations put me and other motorists at risk of a rear‑end crash. The dealer has indicated they are limited in how much they can disable the system for liability reasons, so I am submitting this as a safety defect report and requesting that NHTSA investigate this behavior on Kenworth T680 trucks with this collision mitigation system.

Owner-submitted narrative on file with NHTSA. Complaint narratives are self-reported and have not been verified.