Issues with crash-avoidance features were “substantially more common” following windshield replacements or repairs involving crash damage, IIHS found. About two-thirds of owners whose repairs involved windshield replacement and nearly three-quarters of owners whose repairs involved crash damage said they had issues with the technology after the repair.
In contrast, fewer than half of those who had repairs done for other reasons faced problems afterward, the survey showed.
Certain repairs such as a windshield replacement can require service technicians to calibrate the cameras and sensors that the features rely on to work properly. About two-thirds of those surveyed by IIHS said calibration was included in the repair.
Those respondents also reported a higher incidence of post-repair problems, suggesting that technicians might be struggling with the calibration process, which can be complicated and require specialized training and equipment, the study showed.
“Calibration software is subject to frequent updates, making it difficult for shops to keep their tools up to date,” IIHS said. “This is further complicated by a lack of standardization of calibration processes.”
IIHS said its researchers are tracking these problems to determine whether they improve over time. It also recommended that manufacturers simplify and standardize the calibration process and ensure repair shops know how to fully restore functionality to affected crash-avoidance features.
“An affordable, centralized database of repair and calibration specifications and instructions from all automakers should be made available to all technicians,” IIHS said.
