The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released a poll of owners of vehicles equipped with front crash prevention, blind spot detection, rearview or other visibility-enhancing cameras. Of those who reported that at least one of those new-age safety systems had been repaired for any reason, about half said they had issues with the system after the job was completed. (autoinformed.com on: Tech-Aches – J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study)
“Most of the more than 3000 owners we contacted said they had never needed to have their crash avoidance features repaired, but for the minority of owners who did, the problems weren’t always resolved easily,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller, who designed the survey. “Many had issues with the technology afterward, and some said they had to have the same feature repaired more than once. Still, the vast majority said they would buy a vehicle equipped with the technology again and most were satisfied with the out-of-pocket cost.”
Many new vehicles are equipped with crash avoidance systems, which have been embraced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the insurance industry that funds IIHS. Their use is growing rapidly, particularly in higher priced vehicles. IIHS research has shown that front-crash prevention (aka – forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking), blind spot detection and rearview cameras all substantially reduce the types of crashes they are designed to tackle. Automatic emergency braking lowers police-reported rear-end crashes by 50%, IIHS and the associated Highway Loss Data Institute have found.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, for example, showed that the reduction in insurance claims associated with Subaru and Honda crash avoidance systems remained “essentially constant even in vehicles more than 5 years old.” However, vehicle repairs can make it necessary to calibrate the system cameras and sensors used to ensure they work properly — a complicated and expensive repair. For example, a simple windshield replacement can cost as little as $250. But a separate HLDI study found that vehicles equipped with front crash prevention were much more likely to have glass claims of $1000 or more. Much of the higher cost is likely related to calibration.
In the new study just released, IIHS surveyed nearly 500 drivers about their recent experiences with repairs to their front crash prevention, blind spot detection or driver-assistance cameras. Some of these owners had more than one of these items repaired, either separately or as part of the same job. Around 40% of the involved vehicles were from model year 2019 or newer.
People often had more than one reason for having these repaired. Most owners had received a vehicle recall or service bulletin about the safety, but that was rarely the sole reason that they brought their vehicle in for service or repair. Other common reasons, not mutually exclusive, included windshield replacement, crash damage, a recommendation from the dealership or repair shop, and a warning light or error message from the vehicle itself.
Post-repair problems with the technology were substantially more common among people who had systems repaired because of crash damage or in connection with a windshield replacement. About two-thirds of owners whose crash avoidance system repairs involved windshield replacement. Nearly three-quarters of those whose repairs were required due to crash damage said they had issues with the technology after repair. In contrast, fewer than half of owners who had repairs done for other reasons faced problems afterward.
Windshield repairs often make it necessary to calibrate crash avoidance sensors and cameras, though it’s a common step in many repairs, IIHS said. Automakers stipulate systems be calibrated anytime a sensor is removed and replaced or reinstalled. Likewise, calibration is typically an early step in addressing a malfunctioning feature. About two-thirds of respondents who had had repairs done said that calibration was included. Those respondents also reported a higher incidence of post-repair issues.
Repeated trips to a repair shop are not uncommon with other routine mechanical repairs, either, and most owners reported that their insurance or warranty covered the complete cost, minus any deductible. However, in the long run, post warranty, insurance companies might be responsible for their insureds. Hence the report is an attempt to mitigate the problem.
IIHS – Crash Avoidance Technology Works But Tough to Fix
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released a poll of owners of vehicles equipped with front crash prevention, blind spot detection, rearview or other visibility-enhancing cameras. Of those who reported that at least one of those new-age safety systems had been repaired for any reason, about half said they had issues with the system after the job was completed. (autoinformed.com on: Tech-Aches – J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study)
“Most of the more than 3000 owners we contacted said they had never needed to have their crash avoidance features repaired, but for the minority of owners who did, the problems weren’t always resolved easily,” said IIHS Senior Research Scientist Alexandra Mueller, who designed the survey. “Many had issues with the technology afterward, and some said they had to have the same feature repaired more than once. Still, the vast majority said they would buy a vehicle equipped with the technology again and most were satisfied with the out-of-pocket cost.”
Many new vehicles are equipped with crash avoidance systems, which have been embraced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and by the insurance industry that funds IIHS. Their use is growing rapidly, particularly in higher priced vehicles. IIHS research has shown that front-crash prevention (aka – forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking), blind spot detection and rearview cameras all substantially reduce the types of crashes they are designed to tackle. Automatic emergency braking lowers police-reported rear-end crashes by 50%, IIHS and the associated Highway Loss Data Institute have found.
The Highway Loss Data Institute, for example, showed that the reduction in insurance claims associated with Subaru and Honda crash avoidance systems remained “essentially constant even in vehicles more than 5 years old.” However, vehicle repairs can make it necessary to calibrate the system cameras and sensors used to ensure they work properly — a complicated and expensive repair. For example, a simple windshield replacement can cost as little as $250. But a separate HLDI study found that vehicles equipped with front crash prevention were much more likely to have glass claims of $1000 or more. Much of the higher cost is likely related to calibration.
In the new study just released, IIHS surveyed nearly 500 drivers about their recent experiences with repairs to their front crash prevention, blind spot detection or driver-assistance cameras. Some of these owners had more than one of these items repaired, either separately or as part of the same job. Around 40% of the involved vehicles were from model year 2019 or newer.
People often had more than one reason for having these repaired. Most owners had received a vehicle recall or service bulletin about the safety, but that was rarely the sole reason that they brought their vehicle in for service or repair. Other common reasons, not mutually exclusive, included windshield replacement, crash damage, a recommendation from the dealership or repair shop, and a warning light or error message from the vehicle itself.
Post-repair problems with the technology were substantially more common among people who had systems repaired because of crash damage or in connection with a windshield replacement. About two-thirds of owners whose crash avoidance system repairs involved windshield replacement. Nearly three-quarters of those whose repairs were required due to crash damage said they had issues with the technology after repair. In contrast, fewer than half of owners who had repairs done for other reasons faced problems afterward.
Windshield repairs often make it necessary to calibrate crash avoidance sensors and cameras, though it’s a common step in many repairs, IIHS said. Automakers stipulate systems be calibrated anytime a sensor is removed and replaced or reinstalled. Likewise, calibration is typically an early step in addressing a malfunctioning feature. About two-thirds of respondents who had had repairs done said that calibration was included. Those respondents also reported a higher incidence of post-repair issues.
Repeated trips to a repair shop are not uncommon with other routine mechanical repairs, either, and most owners reported that their insurance or warranty covered the complete cost, minus any deductible. However, in the long run, post warranty, insurance companies might be responsible for their insureds. Hence the report is an attempt to mitigate the problem.