Emergency braking malfunction

ICE, Equipment, Options
Sandsoftime
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:59 am
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by Sandsoftime »

Hi, I’m hoping someone can help me get the problem with the ‘Intelligent’ emergency braking system on our 2018 Qashqai N-CONNECTA sorted as I seem to be getting nowhere.
Having bought the car from a Nissan main dealer in March last year we were very pleased with it, however... since last November we’ve had four instances where, without warning the red impact warning light and buzzer have gone off along with automatic braking severe enough to momentarily lock the wheels. Each of these have been at between 30 to 40 miles an hour, on different roads, in daylight with dry conditions, no upcoming junctions or road furniture and with no vehicles directly in front or coming towards us.
Having at the time only had one braking malfunction the car went to the main dealer in January this year (2020) for a full service and software update which I was told would correct the malfunction. Within a week or so of getting it back the emergency braking had incorrectly activated twice again, the second time was when I was passing some adults and children on the pavement and, until I realised exactly what had happened, I really thought I’d hit a child that had had run into the road in front of me.
Needless to say the car went back to the main dealer in February who said they had replaced a sensor, although I have no paperwork from them to show it. Due to lockdown the car had little use since then until a couple weeks ago we were on a ’staycation’ when it happened again. Luckily the van behind managed to pull up without hitting us but it shook my wife up and she is very loath to drive the car on her own again. As we were several hundred miles from home we called out the breakdown vehicle who advised us to disarm the automatic braking system until we could get it to a main dealer.
The car spent yesterday being checked at a second Nissan dealership. Their diagnostics and a road test were unable to find any problems so I’m left with an expensive vehicle that unpredictably applies emergency braking for no reason and in my view is unsafe to drive.
A cursory search on the Internet shows that the owners of the American version have/are pursuing a class action against Nissan for the same problem. Has anyone come across any similar action over here or perhaps reported the fault to the DVSA.
I’d be grateful for any help you can give me.

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MikeGC
Posts: 1850
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Location: Stockport
Qashqai Model: Mk.3 Qashqai - J12 (2021+) New Model

Post by MikeGC »

Sounds like you need to get the car into a garage to me (although admittedly I’m regularly wrong about such things)

My emergency brake saved me a couple of years ago when the driver in front brakes hard - with no brake lights in working order so certainly worth having fixed.
And I imagine you might also have a brake problem, the car should have anti-lock brakes and never lock up.
March '22 - J12 1.3DIG-T 160 CVT Tekna+ with all wheel drive - Pearl Black
July '19 - J11B 1.3DIG-T 160 DCT Tekna - Vivid Blue
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Pandjh
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Joined: Sat Feb 04, 2017 11:34 am
Location: South-East England
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by Pandjh »

I've had 2 software updates on this and still occasionally get what I would consider false alarms, fortunately it no longer gets to the point where the brakes are applied. I believe I read that the driver can simply/briefly depress the throttle fully to override this, assuming you have presence of mind to do so.

Perhaps it would be worth logging this as a complaint with Nissan CS.
2019 1.3 DiG-T 160 Tekna, black (J11b)
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calnorth
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Joined: Mon Feb 11, 2019 2:01 pm
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by calnorth »

Its dangerous and there is evidence on this site and elsewhere that it happens irregularly/unexpectedly and is a known. Its impossible to determine why such false alarms arise. Its front end radar/camera sensing over about 100yds and software processing to both trigger warnings and at worse hard braking at a determinable point.

I don't think a dealer can deterministically recreate such events. Its not clear if the fault is simply random or is due to cumulative radar returns. Is it software behavioural errors? Only lab test gear might determine that.

Also. its likely that error codes don't arise so that diagnostics cannot be simply applied. However, Nissan is very aware of it so a fairly forceful email/letter to Nissan UK is in order stating clearly that it is a very dangerous condition. Meanwhile switch it off.
Last edited by calnorth on Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
1.6 Dig-T N-Connecta
phatboy
Posts: 166
Joined: Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:26 pm
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by phatboy »

Welcome to Qashqai ownership! Mine does it too... had all the software updates but it persists. I find it usually misfires when:
- there are people on a pavement, and a very slight bend / kink in the road
- a traffic island on a narrow road
- trying to overtake a truck
- multi-storey car parks, any trunking or other obstacles on the ceiling cause it.

Sometimes it's full on application of the brakes, sometimes just a red or yellow visual and audible warning.

There are a few hot-spots I know of now, so drive very slowly in those areas. Local dealership were aware of most of the places I told them about, being a small place.

Annoyingly, there is no way to disable the function permanently, and it must be done every time.

IMO the technology isn't road ready, and should be removed.
2018 Qashqai Tekna + DCT Dig-T 160
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calnorth
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Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by calnorth »

Additional Info - No Reason is a bit of a loose term really. I've yet to experience AEB (where fitted). Although they update my cars firmware, so I assume its fitted. I get odd pings from it...looks like its time of year dependant? Weird stuff that I don't like...Start/Stop being the other.

http://www.nissanproblems.com/aeb/

2020-09-04_11180.png

Last edited by calnorth on Fri Sep 04, 2020 10:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
1.6 Dig-T N-Connecta
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calnorth
Posts: 2719
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Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by calnorth »

Goto 10:30 mins in for an auto braking demo on a Mercedes truck. Not sure if this is a p*ss take?

Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
1.6 Dig-T N-Connecta
Sandsoftime
Posts: 2
Joined: Thu Sep 03, 2020 7:59 am
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by Sandsoftime »

Hi all,

Thanks for various info, it's good to know there are others in the same boat.

It happened again to me a couple of days ago, despite the service department finding no problem with the car it's obviously going to be an ongoing issue.

Calnorth, thanks for the in-depth info, I'll take your advice and contact Nissan customer service to see what they can do about it.

If it's any help to others, I'll post an update as soon as I get somewhere.
Unlucky
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Sep 24, 2020 7:20 pm
Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by Unlucky »

Hi Sandsoftime,
I don’t want to put you off calling Nissan Customer service but don’t expect to get the problem resolved. I have experienced exactly the same issues. Dealer found no problem, the software update was done before I got the car in 2019 so they wanted to change the sensor. The warranty team won’t allow it and advise the issue is symptomatic of the system! So no repair required. I love the car but not happy with this issue as my wife will not drive the car and I now turn the system off before I drive.
I’ve stepped up my action the the UK CEO’s office and so far had the same feedback, It can happen occasionally. It happens on my car at least a couple of times a week. So have asked for the definition of ‘happens occasionally’
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calnorth
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Qashqai Model: Mk.2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–2021)

Post by calnorth »

Unlucky wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2020 7:42 pm Hi Sandsoftime,
I don’t want to put you off calling Nissan Customer service but don’t expect to get the problem resolved. I have experienced exactly the same issues. Dealer found no problem, the software update was done before I got the car in 2019 so they wanted to change the sensor. The warranty team won’t allow it and advise the issue is symptomatic of the system! So no repair required. I love the car but not happy with this issue as my wife will not drive the car and I now turn the system off before I drive.
I’ve stepped up my action the the UK CEO’s office and so far had the same feedback, It can happen occasionally. It happens on my car at least a couple of times a week. So have asked for the definition of ‘happens occasionally’
"the issue is symptomatic of the system"

Which means (for all their sales hype) that its functionally unreliable. It misleads the public. Their get out is that drivers shouldn't rely on it/switch off. However, the system we know often triggers dangerously on False Alarms. The issue is likely wider than that to include False Negatives with False Positives. Or simply Triggering errors.

The argument can easily swerve off to "well, for most it works well". Technically they wouldn't know without electronic monitoring equipment aboard.
Mk2 Qashqai Facelift - J11b (2017–and onward)
1.6 Dig-T N-Connecta
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