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Our accident in the new Mercedes CLA: UNCUT footage & manufacturer response

Throughout a recent What Vehicle? group test, the new Mercedes CLA's Autonomous Emergency situation Braking (AEB) system acted suddenly and resulted in an accident in between it and a Tesla Model 3. In this video, we reveal the complete, uncut footage of the crash, discuss why the CLA's security systems triggered a "phantom braking" event, and share the main response from Mercedes concerning the event. We likewise discuss a separate event that happened on the public road and ask the challenging concern: are contemporary active safety systems triggering more problems than they fix?

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Comments

68 responses to “Our accident in the new Mercedes CLA: UNCUT footage & manufacturer response”

  1. @TrueLeadership777 Avatar
    @TrueLeadership777

    AEB is very sensitive in some circumstances and weather conditions. I usually reduce the sensitivity if allowed or try deactivate if allowed 😂

    Reply
  2. @gjssjg Avatar
    @gjssjg

    Nobody has heard of Tesla phantom braking, it’s been a topic of controversy for quite some time now.

    Reply
    1. @sargfowler9603 Avatar
      @sargfowler9603

      It’s why I don’t use ACC on my Tesla.

      Reply
    2. @gjssjg Avatar
      @gjssjg

      @sargfowler9603 My experience of it (Model 3), its never been that violent usually happens on multilane highways on a bend when oncoming traffic on the opposite lanes appears on a direct collision course

      Reply
    3. @herrbert7210 Avatar
      @herrbert7210

      I drive a Tesla M3 Highland, have now 60.000km on it and never experienced phantom braking so far. I’m from Germany btw

      Reply
    4. @sargfowler9603 Avatar
      @sargfowler9603

      @gjssjg I got it when a lorry went up to the line on the inside lane. Tesla thought it was going to crash. The car behind wasn’t impressed, but understood (I think)

      Reply
    5. @I5bit Avatar
      @I5bit

      @herrbert7210 Come up to Norway and you’ll get to experience it. Narrow roads and large trucks are the combination that really triggers it, especially combined with low sun that casts long shadows. Obviously you should really not be using AP on those roads, but the safety systems are also active with cruise control, which you should be using.

      Reply
  3. @Motormad2510 Avatar
    @Motormad2510

    My Nissan Ariya used to slam the brakes on everytime somebody was stood at the side of the road – had to be very wary and slow right down to stop this usually getting flashed from somebody behind. Getting fed up with all the tech on cars – lane departure warning and correction another irritating feature.

    Reply
    1. @raheeb1 Avatar
      @raheeb1

      Should have gotten a Tesla bro …

      Reply
    2. @drfisheye Avatar
      @drfisheye

      @raheeb1 Funny. The internet is littered with people complaining about phantom braking by Tesla’s.

      Reply
  4. @HamsterClamper Avatar
    @HamsterClamper

    Had a similar incident a few years ago on the M1: my car interpreted the ‘50’ speed-limit sticker on the rear of a lorry I was overtaking at about 70mph as the actual speed limit and applied the brakes quite forcefully. Fortunately, nobody was behind me.

    Reply
    1. @ToastInMotion Avatar
      @ToastInMotion

      That’s scary😳

      Reply
    2. @hedydd2 Avatar
      @hedydd2

      That’s a very good reason for delinking the car’s system so it does not automatically reduce its speed to a maximum of the speed limit on that road. They all sometimes get it wrong. I switch this feature off in the dash of all my cars that have the feature. I’ve not seen a car yet with this where it can’t be permanently switched off using the dash or touch-screen.

      Reply
    3. @bxniels0 Avatar
      @bxniels0

      I’ve read the reverse of that. A car behind a truck with a maximum speed sign on the back (100km) as it was entering a township with a lower speed limit and setting the maximum speed to 100 instead of 50. This was in Australia and I believe those kinds of signs are now taken into account.

      Reply
    4. @CoxJul Avatar
      @CoxJul

      Yet some lawmakers are suggesting these systems should be mandatory and always on… This probably explains why my VW under ACC decided to accelerate to 85 while driving in a 50 zone.

      Reply
    5. @karmanline2005 Avatar
      @karmanline2005

      It’s software, and all software contains bugs. More importantly, sw also is limited by the design spec, so unforseen circumstances are not prompted by the algorithm. In the case of car control sw, it’s impossible to cover all possibilities. What if there was a pedestrian and the car didn’t brake?

      Reply
  5. @andrewhill8840 Avatar
    @andrewhill8840

    So what about moterbikes Mercedes?

    Reply
    1. @stephenclutton Avatar
      @stephenclutton

      That was my thought when they read the explanation from MB. I’ll make sure I hang well back if I’m following any MB that is following a bike. I presume it will be the same programming for all their cars

      Reply
    2. @oreillymj Avatar
      @oreillymj

      ​​​@stephencluttonThe cameras in the MB are likely using face detection to determine what is a pedestrian. A biker with a helmet would likely not be classified as a pedestrian. It would likely need something like Lidar to determine that the detected object is moving away from the vehicle and not towards. I would wonder if a dog in the boot of a car would trigger a similar braking response.

      Reply
    3. @thebiglevski Avatar
      @thebiglevski

      Exactly my thinking also… What they described is actually a person on a bike. SO will the Merc stop like this if a biker comes in front of it? Bullshirt response from Mercedes.

      Reply
    4. @nathanwood9017 Avatar
      @nathanwood9017

      @oreillymj what about a picture ad on the back of a van or lorry?

      Reply
    5. @likelikelikelikelikelike3971 Avatar
      @likelikelikelikelikelike3971

      This is useful as a motorcyclist. I always keep my distance from the car in front even if an Audi is trying to crawl into the exhaust pipe. I’ll be increasing the distances. This tech is dangerous.

      Reply
  6. @andrewedgar4262 Avatar
    @andrewedgar4262

    My Tesla model 3 did similar when a bicycle approached a junction. He had his foot down so no risk but my car slammed on and locked up. Both cyclist and I were shocked.

    Reply
  7. @Art-554-m1c Avatar
    @Art-554-m1c

    Had an incident a few years ago with my Audi A4 where it continually was doing emergency stops out of the blue – was found that the radar was faulty. All of the cars I’ve had seem to pick up pedestrians and show dashboard collision warnings. The systems are too sensitive!

    Reply
  8. @stelp7617 Avatar
    @stelp7617

    I have come very close to being in the same situation once in a Mercedes Actross.
    Aussie truckie here, and I regularly do oversize work up and down the east coast of Australia. On my trip back one day while traveling at 100km/h, with another 2 trucks behind me, single carriageway, single lanes, nice and sunny afternoon. Ahead of me there was a car that was at least 10m away from the roadside, who had seen us three approaching, so they rolled towards the road quite slowly. By the time I was about to pass the car, they were still 3-4m away from the road, and almost at a stop, but because they were still rolling that little bit, the truck’s AEB went off, it gave the big red screen on the dash, collision alarm going off, and then suddenly it just brakes. So hard I thought I was going through the windscreen with my seat still attached to my puckering arse. I had a split second to mash the accelerator past the kickdown click and force the truck to move on. The truck behind me almost ran up the back of my trailer with tyre smoke everywhere, and the truck behind him had to go into the wrong side of the road to avoid hitting the middle truck. They both got on the UHF and gave me a serve for what happened, I just apologised and told them the fucking truck nearly took us all out in the name of safety, and luckily they were understanding of the BS modern trucks are capable of.
    Since then, it’s the first thing I turn off once the truck is running. With all the near miss head-ons from idiots on their phones, red light runners, steer tyres blowing, that was one of my most frightening moments on the road, in my 3+million km, in that moment, with all that going on around me, being completely taken out of the picture, and having the vehicle take over was the worst thing so far.

    Reply
  9. @turbogeek.421 Avatar
    @turbogeek.421

    Goes to show, with these modern systems you should ALWAYS be prepared for the car in front to pull an emergency stop. The “Why?” doesn’t matter.

    Reply
    1. @anandajanaarthanan4576 Avatar
      @anandajanaarthanan4576

      You will have to exercise it know why is matter – the sudden shock to your body and potential injury. If it designed to prevent potential death or injury to others, it should also consider the driver & passengers too

      Reply
    2. @hadtopicausername Avatar
      @hadtopicausername

      “should ALWAYS be prepared for the car in front to pull an emergency stop”

      This has always been the case, long before any sort of automated braking systems were ever developed. If the vehicle in front of you performs an emergency stop, and you slam into the back of it, you weren’t maintaining a safe following distance. End of story.

      Reply
    3. @stephenhulbert3500 Avatar
      @stephenhulbert3500

      @hadtopicausername Couldn’t agree more. These guys were driving too close to each other even for 30mph. As this inadvertent test proved. But given how alegedly clever these systems are, why can’t they prevent you from ever getting too close in the first place?

      Reply
    4. @hadtopicausername Avatar
      @hadtopicausername

      @stephenhulbert3500 Guess they weren’t using the cruise control which would have kept them at a safe distance.

      Or common sense. There’s always that option.

      Reply
  10. @duileyah Avatar
    @duileyah

    I had the same thing happen while riding in an E class a couple of months ago. We were slowly moving into an empty intersection in broad daylight after the light turned green when the car suddenly braked to a stop. We were lucky no body was behind.

    Reply
  11. @vsriram5007 Avatar
    @vsriram5007

    I own a 2024 Mercedes EQB and I’m experiencing the same issue. I have reported this to Mercedes multiple times. Each time, they kept my car for a few days for checks, but returned it without providing any clear explanation or evidence of a thorough inspection.

    This issue has occurred while driving on the motorway and has led to several life-threatening situations. I’m extremely concerned about safety and would like this matter to be taken seriously.

    Reply
    1. @augustincraciunescu8399 Avatar
      @augustincraciunescu8399

      Have been experiencing similar behaviour with a 2024 Mercedes EQA, but happening in urban traffic. I recall trying to override the “full braking” by pressing the accelerator pedal harder, but with no result. The car completed the full stop even though the vehicle in front was distancing away .

      Reply
    2. @gunterrr2302 Avatar
      @gunterrr2302

      I’ve had this issue once with my EQB, was driving completely alone in a city street and the car suddenly slammed on the brake for no good reason whatsoever. Luckily there was nobody driving behind me.

      Reply
    3. @Erathnage Avatar
      @Erathnage

      Switch off AEB in settings

      Reply
    4. @matthewsmith4638 Avatar
      @matthewsmith4638

      @Erathnage Yeah, but you have to do this every time you start driving!!

      Reply
    5. @graemetaylor4149 Avatar
      @graemetaylor4149

      ​​@matthewsmith4638hugely frustrating as despite having “profiles” the only setting my CLA remembered was the choice of digital dash display. Auto braking and Lane assist are not easy to disable being in sub, sub, sub menus. I only did it if going on a long run but then had to reset everything if I stopped for fuel or coffee! Terrible car! I just got rid of it as Mercedes could not resolve any of the very many issues I had and, I might add, obviously didn’t care either!

      Reply
  12. @neddkelly5732 Avatar
    @neddkelly5732

    My new CLA did exactly the same in 30 mph traffic.
    It jolted my neck, but luckily the car behind stooped in time.
    It happened as I passed a car to my left at a junction, who was not over the line, but it was the only thing that could have triggered it.
    I haven’t spoken to MB about this but will do following your experience.

    Reply
  13. @robbie1403 Avatar
    @robbie1403

    I have a 2023 Mercedes A250e and I’ve adjusted the AEB to react late because of two incidents that almost caused accidents. One was me approaching a right hand bend in the road which had a road merging from the left. There was a car in the road waiting to pull out. I didn’t start to steer into the bend late but my car assumed I was going to drive into the side of the car waiting to emerge into the road and slammed the brakes on. If anything had been following me I think it might have collided with the rear of my car. The other incident was when I was passing a parked vehicle at walking speed but an approaching vehicle on the other side of the road caused my car to perform an emergency stop. The driver of the vehicle behind me who must have been shocked and perplexed as to why I had suddenly stopped held his hand on the horn as a display of anger. Honestly, if I could completely disable the AEB I would as even setting the system to react late (whatever the late setting means in Mercedes world) I don’t trust it to not do something unexpected again.

    Reply
    1. @matthewsmith4638 Avatar
      @matthewsmith4638

      I have the EQE SUV and it has done similar things to me, to the point where my wife is reticent to drive it! There was no danger in any of the circumstances yet it performed an abrupt emergency stop. It’s so intrusive that parking in car parks or parallel parking next to footpaths is fraught with danger the moment anyone walks within a few feet of the car. Then they look at you as if you’re overreacting for slamming the brakes when it was the car that did it! I won’t have another Mercedes.

      Reply
    2. @DerrickSmith-v5e Avatar
      @DerrickSmith-v5e

      Hi I have also reported this. This happened to my wife’s AMG CLA 35 when it was a week old with 100 miles on the clock. It emergency braked like yours on a bend. like Wills with the kids in the car when somebody was merging and also when somebody drove too close. Unlike the owner of the EQE that has responded my wife point blank refuses to drive the car. I know I could have rejected the car but I am happy with it since the auto braking is on its lowest setting.

      Reply
    3. @MichelOM1995 Avatar
      @MichelOM1995

      S Class is the same, I hate that electronic things, I would like to disable that thing forever but u can’t, at least put a button to do it easy and quick, but no, u have to go to setting and blablabla

      Reply
    4. @matthewsmith4638 Avatar
      @matthewsmith4638

      @MichelOM1995 Yeah, like the button to disable the speed limit warning. If it was this simple I’d be happy, but it’s buried within submenus 🙄

      Reply
  14. @JNeto-n2z Avatar
    @JNeto-n2z

    I have the EQE 350+ for two years and this happened also quite a number of times.
    Also quite frequent the Dashboard black out and all services disengaged in sequence. After 3 services, and several days in Mercedes they could not understand what is wrong!

    Reply
    1. @razvanyke Avatar
      @razvanyke

      And that is truth, they don´t understand the technology which they are using.

      Reply
    2. @matthewsmith4638 Avatar
      @matthewsmith4638

      I have the EQE SUV and it also has done it numerous times. Parking is a nightmare if people walk near the car! It has been in so many times for various multimedia system issues, screen goes black, Apple CarPlay not working etc, I will never have another Mercedes. They seem to have no idea what the bugs are, they just have it in for the day perform a reset and shrug their shoulders!

      Reply
  15. @beausexon7546 Avatar
    @beausexon7546

    This is an unbelievable coincidence seeing this video – about 3 weeks ago I had exactly the same Mercedes model do some kind of weird “brake check” on me when we were driving at about 50 miles per hour and it was in front. It did the hard brake when there was a car on the side road waiting to pull out. I wasn’t too close behind, but after the “brake check” the lady waved her hand as if to apologize and pulled over. When I overtook her to give her a bit of an annoyed glance, she just had a look of shock and bewilderment on her face as if she had no idea what was going on. I now suspect this is what happened to her.

    Reply
    1. @stevejewiss532 Avatar
      @stevejewiss532

      I think people are misunderstanding what happened , I’ve had cars do the quick brake check thing , but this wasn’t that , this car came to a stop , that’s not the same thing .

      Reply
    2. @matthewsmith4638 Avatar
      @matthewsmith4638

      This is definitely what will have happened. My EQE has done it numerous times and it scared the life out of my kids, not to mention the person behind me! It also does it when you’re trying to park and people walk near your car. It slams the brakes on then people look at you like you’re being over dramatic!

      Reply
    3. @vespa7265 Avatar
      @vespa7265

      You wouldn’t want to be a motorcyclist behind that Mercedes.

      Reply
    4. @manuelkong3611 Avatar
      @manuelkong3611

      There is another possibility here. If you put your foot on the break pedal very quickly modern cars sometimes think you are too shy to really push full force and do it for you. I had that happen to me in different new cars and had to adjust. So maybe she was just quick on the break pedal and provoked emergancy breaking that way.

      Reply
    5. @richardhunt4576 Avatar
      @richardhunt4576

      Tesla MY. 2021. Never use enhanced autopilot if anyone is behind me. Random emergency braking (rare) will cause an accident. Even with AP switched off, parked cars in a layby on a right hand bend has caused similar braking issues. Ditto MG ZS EV as I take left filter lane with stationary traffic ahead.

      Reply
  16. @planetfall-0_0 Avatar
    @planetfall-0_0

    “Your car has malfunctioning AEB software”
    Mercedes: “No, that’s a feature.”

    Reply
    1. @sunrise7236 Avatar
      @sunrise7236

      If you wait the whole video

      Reply
    2. @DrRobotnik. Avatar
      @DrRobotnik.

      It is a feature, it just doesn’t work very well. And when safety systems don’t work well, they can become a liability, yet for some reason these systems aren’t thoroughly scrutinized.

      Reply
    3. @PeterBarri Avatar
      @PeterBarri

      It’s the current equivalent of the elk test.

      Reply
  17. @robo6548 Avatar
    @robo6548

    Ah, the comforting embrace of the ‘you’re the only one complaining’ refrain. Just before a scandal breaks, usually.

    Reply
  18. @DerrickSmith-v5e Avatar
    @DerrickSmith-v5e

    Emergency braking occurred to my wife in her AMG CLA35 on three occasions during the first two weeks of ownership. On  the third occasions the car travelling close behind nearly went into the back of my wife’s car. We took it back to a Mercedes dealer. The person at the dealers changed the setting of collision detection from the mid point to the lowest setting. The car now has 5600 on the clock and it has not happened since, From the point of the third emergency braking my wife refused to drive the car again. Since it was adjusted I have been the sole driver and I had to buy my wife a different new car. Mercedes are welcome to inspect my car.

    Reply
    1. @sssssneaker Avatar
      @sssssneaker

      clearly misjudged calibration, whether well intetioned or not.

      Reply
    2. @林振华-t4v Avatar
      @林振华-t4v

      ​@sssssneakeryeah. The logic was backward. When gap increase, system shall be continue gice out waring with no brake actualtion till beyond set piont. Or more commonly like the tesla or GM system that war ing stop once the system judge collision risk no longer exist

      Reply
    3. @sssssneaker Avatar
      @sssssneaker

      @林振华-t4v In the case of the video, the system detected a pedestrian (the film crew in the open boot), which sent it to the “pedestrian in 10m, emergency stop” branch of logic. Flawed too of course, and especially disappointing in a Mercedes.

      Reply
    4. @patrickf2386 Avatar
      @patrickf2386

      Same thing happened to me at least 3 times in a Tesla Model 3, over a weekend, for which I rented the car. Every time, completely unannounced on a not very busy motorway. Every time, I was almost rear-ended by someone behind me. All Tesla owners I’ve spoken to have admitted that this happens to them regularly. It’s interesting to see, that Mercedes seems to be no better than Tesla… My BMW has been almost faultless over two years now. It’s only given me a few weird/confused warning signs, without emergency braking.

      Reply
    5. @simonmasson7923 Avatar
      @simonmasson7923

      Had a 74 plate Skoda Superb from last October until June this year and it would do 5he exact same thing. Picking up my new one in January so hopefully it’s now been sorted out.

      Reply
  19. @ru95 Avatar
    @ru95

    FYI – for tracking filming cars like you picture, having the boot open may affect the structural integrity of the vehicle if it’s involved in a crash, so may not be safe. That’s why Top Gear used to use land rovers with just the upper portion open.

    Reply
    1. @siraff4461 Avatar
      @siraff4461

      If the structure gets affected at 20mph I think they have other things to worry about.

      Reply
    2. @ru95 Avatar
      @ru95

      @siraff4461not always going just 20mph though are they

      Reply
    3. @siraff4461 Avatar
      @siraff4461

      @ru95 No. They also explained what they do for faster shots in the video.

      Reply
  20. @BigusMickus Avatar
    @BigusMickus

    What if a Van has a picture of a person on the rear?

    Reply

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