Front assist - how sensitive is yours and do you think it would actually work for real?

[BoomerBoom]

Ever since I've had this car the front assist has been one of the more minor gripes, compared to the lane assist trying to kill me or the climate control trying to boil passengers, but a longer drive yesterday reminded me of the variable nature of front assist and if it would even bother to work?

My MK3 had similar, if not so severe, issues but the tenancy for this one to suddenly scream in fear is off putting and especially when similar situations elect no response at all from it, leaving me to wonder if it actually operates.

The most common response is when travelling at speed on an A or B road a vehicle in front indicates to turn off, I slow down and leave plenty of room to allow it to make it's turn and a generous safety margin to boot - but sometimes the front assist still screams in fear and flashes the red collision icon, but never actually braking. On other occasions the vehicle infront does something unexpected, like braking sharply before turning off, and the system makes no noise or reaction even though the distance is much less.

Anyone ever had a genuine emergency and the system braked before you and saved the day, my MK3 did once save me from a wheelie bin that blew out into the road - I'm just not sure I trust this one as much?

 

[Kaxolo]

If I understand it properly it only warns you if you are still acelerating. if you have your foot on the brake it will understand you are already breaking.

 

[Abs_1981]

I think I've only seen the screaming red light flash twice since owning the car 3 months on the motorway where I got to close to the car in front. Mine seems to work as it should, Before you get too close to an emergency, there is symbol that tells you that you are too close to the vehicle in front on the dash where the mileage number changes to the symbol of being too close.

 

[Alex667]

If I understand it properly it only warns you if you are still acelerating. if you have your foot on the brake it will understand you are already breaking.

Not true. Mine flashes up and beeps even if I have my foot on the brake - it just thinks I should be braking harder even though there’s plenty of gap between me and the car in front.

It even goes off at a roundabout near me where there’s 3 lanes (1 for left turn only and two for straight/right). It’ll almost always flash up if you’re in the left lane and there’s a queue of traffic in the lanes to the right if you.

 

[Kaxolo]

There is option to change how sensitive it is in the menu

 

[Alex667]

There is option to change how sensitive it is in the menu

Which resets itself back to default constantly. Even changing the setting to “late” will revert back after not even a day.

 

[Kaxolo]

Mine has stayed at late for a long time now

 

[Big G mfc]

Mines applied the brakes once when I was going round a fast bend, I think a parked car caused it I've since turned it to the lowest sensitivity up to then it had only occasionally beeped at me in two years, I drive a Toyota Corolla for work and it's way more sensitive but at least I can turn the lane assistant off permanently

 

[Piles]

Mine causes issues, nearly always on examples in this image, i drive up the road and it must see that middle sign as some obstruction and has full forced the brakes on numerous occasions. Which I'm going around a mild corner so its not such an issue, but what when a car rear-ends me because of it?

 

[gletts]

I have the same as you Piles - on a very similar piece of road with a bollard in the middle like that. The odd thing is the inconsistency - one day it will scream at me, the next day it will scream at me AND put the brakes on pretty hard, and the 3rd day it will do absolutely nothing at all. It doesn't make any difference if I am accelerating gently, hard, not at all, or braking. I think the technology is not perfected yet !

I've also had it slam the brakes on when turning left out of a tight car park entrance, with two large boulders either side of the entrance. I was sort of pointing towards one of them, but with the wheels turned on full lock left, so there was no way I was going to get close to it. My previous Leon MKIII did it too at that same spot, so it's not a new thing.

 

[adrianator]

My issue with this is when the car in front slows down to take a corner to an adjacent street. I usually slow down enough to keep my speed up to pass the car right after it took the corner. However, the car doesn't like that and it slows me down even more thinking that I will hit the car in front of me.

It's a little annoying but better safe than sorry, I guess...

 

[SRGTD]

My issue with this is when the car in front slows down to take a corner to an adjacent street. I usually slow down enough to keep my speed up to pass the car right after it took the corner. However, the car doesn't like that and it slows me down even more thinking that I will hit the car in front of me.

It's a little annoying but better safe than sorry, I guess...

In 2.5 years of ownership, I’ve had my VW warn me (audible warning and large warning sign on the instrument display) to apply the brakes in situations like you describe above as it ‘thinks’ there’s a risk of a collision, when in reality I able to see it’s not necessary to brake.

In these situations, I do touch the brake pedal lightly to avoid the car slamming the brakes on hard.

 

[llinasenc]

In some cases it stopped my Leon while parking in my own parking, but there were no car or obstacles that prevent from driving. I've also heard other people that it acted in a highway with no obstacles.

Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 9 Pro mediante Tapatalk

 

[Yern]

In some cases it stopped my Leon while parking in my own parking, but there were no car or obstacles that prevent from driving. I've also heard other people that it acted in a highway with no obstacles.

Enviado desde mi Redmi Note 9 Pro mediante Tapatalk

When parking if the bumper sensors detect a 'collision' at 3mph or more it will slam the brakes on. Does it to me sometimes when reversing into the drive too quickly, thinks I'm going to hit the gatepost and slams the brakes on. I just make sure I go slower. Saved me on the previous FR I had when some friends were talking/distracting me whilst reversing up to a wall and I didn't brake soon enough but the car slammed them on and stopped me hitting it...phew.