FCW Caused Accident! - Forward Collision Warning Malfunction?

[rsmeanie]

Ya can't - it's on UConnect now so they could save $2 on printing the full manual.

I got one, it's like 700 pages though.

 

[jdmartin]

I keep my manual on my "Google Drive", which means I can access it on my phone from anywhere. I do have a regular manual in the glove box but I think I've looked at it once; the one on the phone is more convenient.

 

[Jtr]

My only advice based on my own experiences regarding the forward auto braking collision settings (and I keep ever option on at the max distance) is that if you typically drive aggressive or drive aggressive combined with congested traffic, you will probably want to turn it off or limit the assistance to just audio or visual warning.

I am a defensive driver and seldom drive in congested areas and I have only noticed a couple times when the system braked on forward detection when I did not want it to. Those couple times were my fault where I did not brake on an upcoming vehicle that was turning (I assumed their turn would be completed prior to me being close). Because of these couple of instances it probably has actually improved my defensive driving because I am more mindful to brake so as not have the system kick on.

Please see my previous post where the forward collision system saved my butt from running into a pack of deer. I believe in the system, but it may not be an option for all.

 

[JustAnotherGuy]

I wouldn't call ~6 feet "room to maneuver." Sounds like you attempted an unsafe lane change while the auto braking system was sensing your proximity to the vehicle in front of you.

I'm going to have to agree with him ^. If you follow drivers education training and defensive driving techniques to the letter, then automatic baking is a great tool. However, most drivers, myself included, do not. I have the warning on but braking disengaged because I know how I drive. The system almost caused me to have an accident in my SRT Jeep when I first got it. If you understand how it works and have a general grasp of its limitations, you'll start to understand how the system can easily get confused with even slightly aggressive driving.

The one the always gets me is when there's a car in front of me changing lanes, I can see they're on their way over, I have room to maneuver if there's trouble, so I keep my full speed. The system thinks I'm going to rear end the car because it doesn't understand they're in the process of changing lanes. As a result it slams on the brakes and risks you getting rear ended. That right there is why my automatic braking stays disabled.

Good luck. But it sounds like the system did what it was designed to do.

PS> This wouldn't have helped with the 18wheeler, but if you don't have a trailer hitch installed, get one and leave it in at all times. It's not good for the vehicle behind you but it will save you a whole lot of hassle and keep your truck spotless in the event of a rear collision.

 

[Rob5589]

The "far" setting on FCW is the most sensitive, meaning that it will warn you of a possible collision with a vehicle in front of you when that vehicle is at a farther distance than the default "medium" setting. I have mine set to "near" because even at the medium setting I found it was aggressive in applying the brakes for my liking in situations where a car in front of me was slowing down and turning right.

From the manual:
View attachment 33613

By the responses in this thread, seems many have not taken the time to educate themselves on the system....

Thanks for posting. Maybe it will save somebody else from an "accident."

 

[J-Cooz]

I'm going to have to agree with him ^. If you follow drivers education training and defensive driving techniques to the letter, then automatic baking is a great tool. However, most drivers, myself included, do not. I have the warning on but braking disengaged because I know how I drive. The system almost caused me to have an accident in my SRT Jeep when I first got it. If you understand how it works and have a general grasp of its limitations, you'll start to understand how the system can easily get confused with even slightly aggressive driving.

The one the always gets me is when there's a car in front of me changing lanes, I can see they're on their way over, I have room to maneuver if there's trouble, so I keep my full speed. The system thinks I'm going to rear end the car because it doesn't understand they're in the process of changing lanes. As a result it slams on the brakes and risks you getting rear ended. That right there is why my automatic braking stays disabled.

Good luck. But it sounds like the system did what it was designed to do.

PS> This wouldn't have helped with the 18wheeler, but if you don't have a trailer hitch installed, get one and leave it in at all times. It's not good for the vehicle behind you but it will save you a whole lot of hassle and keep your truck spotless in the event of a rear collision.

Am I the only one that can't stand when people leave trailer hitches on? I think it looks terrible and seems like a great way to smash your shins

 

[Edwards]

I'm going to have to agree with him ^. If you follow drivers education training and defensive driving techniques to the letter, then automatic baking is a great tool. However, most drivers, myself included, do not. I have the warning on but braking disengaged because I know how I drive. The system almost caused me to have an accident in my SRT Jeep when I first got it. If you understand how it works and have a general grasp of its limitations, you'll start to understand how the system can easily get confused with even slightly aggressive driving.

The one the always gets me is when there's a car in front of me changing lanes, I can see they're on their way over, I have room to maneuver if there's trouble, so I keep my full speed. The system thinks I'm going to rear end the car because it doesn't understand they're in the process of changing lanes. As a result it slams on the brakes and risks you getting rear ended. That right there is why my automatic braking stays disabled.

Good luck. But it sounds like the system did what it was designed to do.

PS> This wouldn't have helped with the 18wheeler, but if you don't have a trailer hitch installed, get one and leave it in at all times. It's not good for the vehicle behind you but it will save you a whole lot of hassle and keep your truck spotless in the event of a rear collision.

I get why people think a hitch will help in a collision but I've seen too many to count where it just punched through whatever rear ended them and then their bumper/tailgate was smashed up just the same. The contact area on a 2" ball mount is far too small to stop anything. It will definitely add to the rear-ender's damage though.

 

[jdmartin]

Am I the only one that can't stand when people leave trailer hitches on? I think it looks terrible and seems like a great way to smash your shins

I like leaving mine on because it discourages tailgaters. Or people that want to park too close in a parking lot. And helps prevent damage from people pulling too close. If you smash your shins on other people's hitches, you're probably walking too close to their vehicle anyway . I usually take mine off because it doesn't fit in the garage right if it's on, though.

True story: my driveway is a steep slope. Years ago I was working on something on my van's brakes. I started the van and just as I stepped on the brake pedal and put it in reverse the pedal went straight to the floor (found out next day the differential valve split in half, losing both front and rear brakes). No brakes! The wheel was cut to the right, and it rolled off my driveway and straight down the bank with me in it, door not even shut. When it bottomed it should have rolled the van, but somehow the van turned almost completely around and ended up 6 inches backwards from my neighbor's house before I got it stopped (in neutral). I left it there and went back up to my house to change my shorts . The next day I found the split brake differential valve, but couldn't figure out why I didn't roll the van when it went over the bank. I looked at the bank and found a huge dig straight down. My trailer hitch had gone straight down into the earth and likely stabilized it just enough that it caught on the wheels.

 

[JustAnotherGuy]

Am I the only one that can't stand when people leave trailer hitches on? I think it looks terrible and seems like a great way to smash your shins

I was one of them. ON my SRT Jeep I just risked it, but it ruined the lines of the vehicle. For me, a truck is a truck. I nailed the crapped out of shins a good 20+ times before I finally got used to it being on there (this was a few trucks ago). Another member is correct that it won't always save you, but I've personally been saved twice with a hitch. Once in a Jeep cherokee when a guy rear ended us in the rain a long time ago. And more recently in my chevy when a distracted driver rammed me in bumper to bumper traffic. Typically I'm aware and move out of the way if someone doesn't have room to brake, but I was already stopped completely and there was no where to go. Both times zero damage to my vehicle. theirs was bad.

We didn't put one in my wife's escalade because it looks bad and sure enough she was rear ended in the rain a couple of months ago by a teenager. Too bad we didn't have the hitch. Gotta love Houston traffic.

 

[Rob5589]

Years ago I was rear-ended in my Ford Ranger at freeway speed by an old Mercedes. After he hit me I pulled forward and saw the car, totally demolished. I was 20, it was my first newish vehicle, and my heart sunk. I got out to check; the reinforcement ring on the end of the receiver was bent and his grill emblem left a "Mercedes scar" in my tube bumper (yep, tube bumpers back then baby!). Those things can take a hit, that's for sure.

 

[AndreiV]

I can tell you that after installing superbumper step and reflector tape cars behind keep their distance. And it can absorb impact over larger area.

 

[Str8Cracker]

I had issues with the auto-braking coming on when pulling out of my driveway. After the 3rd time of scarring the crap out of me, I had to unfortunately turn it off. I too don’t want my truck to be less safe than what’s possible, but false alerts that scare the crap out of you make you question the that technology as it is on our RAM’s today. My wife has the sane features on her 2019 Volvo XC90 and it has never been an issue.

 

[SacRebel]

Let's see some pictures of the collision.

 

[DavidNJ]

That accident could have much worse. The semi probably weighed more than 10x as much as your truck. If the semi had braked a few seconds later, with your brakes applied holding your vehicle in place, it could have subjected you to significant injury.

The system should have deactivated as soon as there was no car in front of you. If you had multiple stabs at the throttle before impact...it was operating incorrectly. FCA doesn't build this they buy it.

Your truck, even if repairable, will lose significant value.

Virtually all rear-end accidents are charged to the first car in the accident. The car at the end and the cars in the middle (many are chain crashes where the last car doesn't stop for a red light). The equipment failure should get you out of the ticket if one was written.

The semi will attempt to collect any damage to the semi or is cargo from your insurance company. Your insurance company will have many reasons to support a claim against FCA. They should replace your truck.

 

[bhurst10]

I have never had system act that with those circumstances but mines one day when I was coming home it was raining really hard and traffic was moving between 25 and 35 mph. I had some distance between me and and the vehicle in front of me and all of sudden my FCW starts going off then this freaking applied the breaks in the middle of the interstate and it wasn't just a one time thing it did it a few time I finally had to pull over and turn off cause I was afraid it was going to make me have an accident.

 

[taz2016]

I would not recommend driving around with a trailer drawbar or other device installed in your trailer hitch. It might help protect your bumper in a very minor accident but in a major one you risk much greater damage than a crumpled bumper or tailgate. Your vehicle is designed to take a hit without a drawbar installed.

 

[Ellisstrong]

I have never had system act that with those circumstances but mines one day when I was coming home it was raining really hard and traffic was moving between 25 and 35 mph. I had some distance between me and and the vehicle in front of me and all of sudden my FCW starts going off then this freaking applied the breaks in the middle of the interstate and it wasn't just a one time thing it did it a few time I finally had to pull over and turn off cause I was afraid it was going to make me have an accident.

When it put on the brakes did it make you come to a complete stop?

 

[bhurst10]

When it put on the brakes did it make you come to a complete stop?

No it keep applying the brakes and letting off of them but I want to be clear it has only happen that one time and it was raining EXTREMELY HARD that day. So I pulled over and turned the FCW off. I afraid it was going to make me hit someone or maybe make someone run in the back of me.

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

 

[Jtr]

Let's see some pictures of the collision.

OP has been largely quiet on this whole thread. His name just "Rammed" so I am suspicious of some puppetry or trolling so I would also welcome pics. And my advanced apologies to OP if my suspicions are wrong.

 

[WasatchBack]

I'm frankly shocked I don't read about this exact scenario more. My wife's Durango and my Ram both do this all the time, hence why the systems are disabled. Most frequent setup is a car making a right turn in front of us, we move to left side of lane to go around at 20 mph and the car auto brakes. System is garbage, it's still better than 98% of drivers today though unfortunately.