[Director]

Not a fan. Ive had it activate 3 times for really no hazard ( low hanging leaves) and its not a subtle brake application. With the back up camera, audio plus visual alerts and the good old fashion watching what you're doing, i could definitely live without this feature.

 

[Orestes85]

You can turn it off.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

You can turn it off.

I just want to clarify for the OP. You can only turn RAB off under certain conditions (check page 372 of your manual), and it will revert to ON the next time you start your car. There is no way to have it default to off.

 

[Gueromeister]

I just want to clarify for the OP. You can only turn RAB off under certain conditions (check page 372 of your manual), and it will revert to ON the next time you start your car. There is no way to have it default to off.

Uh, what is RAB? :nerd:

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Uh, what is RAB? :nerd:

Reverse automatic braking

 

[Director]

You can turn it off.

You can turn it off.

I just want to clarify for the OP. You can only turn RAB off under certain conditions (check page 372 of your manual), and it will revert to ON the next time you start your car. There is no way to have it default to off.

Yes...i looked that one up immediately. If i could permanently disabled that single feature it would be done already.

 

[dennis boone]

I am older and cant turn around to look out the back like I used to. I need all the help I can get. I've not had any problems with this system and frankly, it was one of the reasons we bought the Ascent. Having already backed into a car that I had forgotten was parked in my driveway, if it works one time, I figure it has paid for itself.

 

[sloheim]

I paid for the Option Package that included RAB, and it has already paid off for me. My son never moved his hockey net back into the yard after shooting a couple of days ago, and I totally missed it in my backup camera. The RAB scared the crap out of me when it engaged, but I'm ecstatic that it did... otherwise I'd have some nasty scratches down the side of my 5-week old Ascent!

 

[Sue Bea]

I paid for the Option Package that included RAB, and it has already paid off for me. My son never moved his hockey net back into the yard after shooting a couple of days ago, and I totally missed it in my backup camera. The RAB scared the crap out of me when it engaged, but I'm ecstatic that it did... otherwise I'd have some nasty scratches down the side of my 5-week old Ascent!

Wow! Sounds like a must have especially for someone like me coming from a smaller car to the much larger Ascent. Which package includes RAB? Does it come standard in touring? Thanks for your help!

 

[GMG]

I am very much looking forward to the RAB feature. My wife, while backing out of the garage, has hit my car two times on separate occasions damaging two cars. Hopefully with the Ascent this will not happen again.

 

[sloheim]

Wow! Sounds like a must have especially for someone like me coming from a smaller car to the much larger Ascent. Which package includes RAB? Does it come standard in touring? Thanks for your help!

It was an add-on for the Premium. I would imagine its standard in the Limited and/or Touring.

 

[Nemesis099]

Not a fan. Ive had it activate 3 times for really no hazard ( low hanging leaves) and its not a subtle brake application. With the back up camera, audio plus visual alerts and the good old fashion watching what you're doing, i could definitely live without this feature.

I found this feature to stop within inches of the item you are going to hit. This makes a lot of sense that it would stop for tree branches or even a pillow as the system can't measure density.

If you are having issues with tree branches I would think it would make more sense get those cut back instead of possibly scratching the bumper.

Now the forward system I think needs to be tweaked as I can't pull into my garage sometimes and have to back out and try again.

 

[Director]

Not a fan. Ive had it activate 3 times for really no hazard ( low hanging leaves) and its not a subtle brake application. With the back up camera, audio plus visual alerts and the good old fashion watching what you're doing, i could definitely live without this feature.

"I found this feature to stop within inches of the item you are going to hit. This makes a lot of sense that it would stop for tree branches or even a pillow as the system can't measure density.

If you are having issues with tree branches I would think it would make more sense get those cut back instead of possibly scratching the bumper."

Unfortunately the branches are in places that doesn't belong to me so i don't have any business messing with it. While i understand the application is to move people towards autonomous driving i personally think automatically applying full brakes last second is annoying,It can't be good for my car and also catering to people's awful driving habits.

 

[Gueromeister]

I just want to clarify for the OP. You can only turn RAB off under certain conditions (check page 372 of your manual), and it will revert to ON the next time you start your car. There is no way to have it default to off.

Is it adjustable? The Force of the braking or the sensitivity?

 

[Jimmy D]

Saved me the embarrassment of backing into my grandson's car and having to pay for both repairs that I insure. It's a keeper.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Is it adjustable? The Force of the braking or the sensitivity?

No, not by us... but if you think it's performing incorrectly, you can bring it in. There's probably service parameters that can be checked, but, I've only studied part of the new systems such as the RAB system, and am far from knowledgeable about what parameters they can adjust (or when or if they'd do it).

Here's what I do know that may be helpful for you and others:

1. What you can do is depress the brakes or re-press the gas to disable it when it's active, instead of having to long press the RAB on screen button.
2. Also, different approach speeds cause different results. I can crawl to within an inch of anything whereas it will stop me sooner if I am at more than a crawl.

Now, one thing that seems to be different is RAB activities from cross traffic alerts (those are caused by radar hits, and not the sonar sensors). The car seems more prone to stop at a distance for that to prevent a cross traffic collision event. Those sensors are located left and right of the tailgate, under the bumper cover, above the bumper line (you can't see them).

Short version is, try method #1 or #2 for standard backing into a parking spot/garage/etc, where the sonar sensors are triggering a RAB event. And for cross traffic stuff... you're stuck with it (or have to turn it off).

 

[leky411]

When you are backing up are you getting the red indicators on the object before RAB slams on the brakes?

When I backup in my garage it picks up the corner of the garage at a yellow level. Once the bumper passes it, they disappear.

I've gotten very close in the red and have never had it turn on. From my test drive I've noticed that RAB has to think you are going to hit it. If you are applying brake pressure when you backup it should wait till the last possible moment before it slams on the brakes.

It is an emergency braking feature which is why it is not gentle. It is not a autonomous driving feature, it is an accident avoidance feature. If your car is being set off by objects then it is going to work as designed. It gives plenty of alert and then brakes when the driver doesn't respond.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Not a fan. Ive had it activate 3 times for really no hazard ( low hanging leaves) and its not a subtle brake application. With the back up camera, audio plus visual alerts and the good old fashion watching what you're doing, i could definitely live without this feature.

It is an emergency braking feature which is why it is not gentle. It is not a autonomous driving feature, it is an accident avoidance feature. If your car is being set off by objects then it is going to work as designed. It gives plenty of alert and then brakes when the driver doesn't respond.

Alas, @Director's situation is quite different. How it detects foliage causes things exactly like he's experiencing.

I don't have a situation where I am driving through/near foliage in reverse on a regular basis, but, a week or so ago, I was on a photo shoot and pulled into a grassy lot (wild grass a foot high). I couldn't back up to turn around without turning off RAB. The car kept jamming on the brakes because of the grass.

It was quite unexpected, since it wasn't solid, but, I guess the way the sonar bounces off of it makes it look like a nice big object I'm backing into. It's weird. Suddenly, the car instantly thinks something is there, in crash distance and simultaneously sounds the alert, draws the red boxes and slams on the brakes. Noth...OBJECTBRAKE... out of nowhere.

Sadly, other than mowing/trimming/parking elsewhere, there's no solution other than turning off the system. I couldn't even crawl into them like I can crawl up to the wall in my parking spot at work.

 

[pilot1226]

Personally I would rather have RAB activate in error than miss an event where it needed to stop. That’s my opinion. I respect yours.

 

[zulater]

Unfortunately the branches are in places that doesn't belong to me so i don't have any business messing with it. While i understand the application is to move people towards autonomous driving i personally think automatically applying full brakes last second is annoying,It can't be good for my car and also catering to people's awful driving habits.

My thoughts are that it would help people fix their awful driving habits. Kinda like getting made fun of when making a mistake. You won't make that mistake again! Harsh applications of the brake and it's a kid in your backup camera, I bet you look harder next time. But my wife would say I'm too logical and people will keep being idiots.