Forward Collision Warning Light. ADAS Calibration. From $240 Per System.
Does your dash say "Service Forward Collision", or did the collision warning light come on after a new windshield or bumper repair? Nationwide, we find the cause and re-aim any sensor that's out of line, so it sees straight. Send the VIN and the message.
- Your quote is confirmed in writing before anything is scheduled.
- Calibration runs to full manufacturer specification.
- A calibration certificate after the job.
Is it safe to drive with the light on?
Usually, yes. Your normal brakes and steering still work, but collision warning and automatic braking may be off.
So leave extra room and brake early. If a brake or steering warning shows too, have it checked before you drive on.
What the light means and what causes it
A flashing forward collision warning with beeps means brake now. A steady light usually means the system is off, limited by weather or a blocked view, or faulty.
It runs on a windshield camera, a radar behind the grille or bumper, or both. Emergency braking shares them, so one fault often turns on the automatic emergency braking light too.
These clear once their cause does:
- Dirty glass: dirt, fog, ice or stickers near the camera, or film inside the glass.
- A covered grille: snow, mud or bugs over the radar.
- Weather: low sun, rain, snow or fog.
- Heat or cold: a camera too hot or cold after parking.
These need you to act:
- Settings: switched off, by you or a repair. Switch it back on.
- A repair: new glass or front-end work can knock a sensor out of aim. We re-aim it.
What to do now
- Photograph the message. Clean the grille and the glass by the camera.
- Hot sun or frost? Let the cabin cool or warm, then restart.
- Check it's on in Settings. Light gone and no recent glass, front-end or alignment work? Nothing to book.
- New windshield or front-end collision repair? Ask about camera calibration or radar calibration, even if the light's off.
- No work done, and it says service or malfunction? Start with a diagnostic scan to read the stored fault.
What fixes it, and what it costs
After glass or front-end work, re-aiming the windshield camera or front radar usually fixes it. Send your VIN and we'll tell you which.
Calibration, per system
Coding a replaced part to your vehicle
Diagnostic scan
- Same price on a mobile visit, except rows marked Shop bay only.
- Prices are before sales tax. Whether labor is taxed depends on your state; any tax that applies is itemized on your written quote.
- Dynamic calibration runs on the road, so it can be done as a mobile visit. Static calibration needs a level, lit, measured space, so whether your job can be done mobile depends on what your car's documented procedure calls for.
- Rows marked Shop bay only are done in a shop bay. The bay-and-road camera price applies when your car needs both calibrations.
Find your make's message
Each make words it differently. A fault message needs a check, so send it with your VIN. A temporary one tends to clear by itself.
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Toyota
Fault: the warning light with a buzzer. Usually temporary: "Pre-Collision System Unavailable"
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Honda
Fault: "Collision Mitigation System Problem"
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Nissan
Fault: emergency braking "Malfunction"
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Subaru
Fault: yellow "EyeSight Off". Temporary: white "EyeSight Disabled Check Manual"
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Hyundai, Kia and Genesis
Fault: "Check Forward Safety system" or "Check Driver Assistance system"
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Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra
Fault: "Service Front Camera" or "Service Forward Collision"
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Ford
Fault: "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available"
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Ram
Fault: yellow "Service Forward Collision Warning" light
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Jeep
Fault: "ACC/FCW Unavailable Service Required"
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Mazda
Fault: "Smart City Brake Support Malfunction"
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Volkswagen
Temporary: "Front Assist: no sensor view!"
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Audi
Often no fault stored: "Audi pre sense currently restricted"
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Mercedes-Benz
Fault: "Active Brake Assist Functions Limited"
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Alfa Romeo
Fault: "Forward Collision Warning (FCW) Limited Functionality Front Camera Service Required"
Know your forward collision light
The words beside the light say if it's a fault. Write them down and send them.
The symbol varies by make:
- Toyota RAV4: two cars close together, a star above them, and OFF.
- Chevrolet and GMC trucks: the warning icon, with "Service Forward Collision", "Service Front Camera" or "Forward Collision Unavailable".
- Chevrolet: a green car icon is the system seeing a car ahead. Amber means you're too close.
The words after the system's name say more:
- A cause (blocked, obscured, temperature) means a temporary stop.
- Service, malfunction, problem or check (on a Subaru, with a yellow light): the car is reporting a fault.
- Only unavailable or limited: often weather.
Sources: GM bulletin, March 2026; Chevrolet, Forward Collision Alert vehicle support page; Subaru, 2026 Forester EyeSight manual.
- Ford: "Pre-Collision Assist Not Available" with nothing after it is the fault.
- Ram: "Limited Functionality" means something limits it for now. "Service Required" means a fault.
- Mercedes: "Functions Limited" is the fault. "Functions Currently Limited" means weather or conditions.
- Alfa Romeo: the fault message ends "Front Camera Service Required".
More in Toyota's pre-collision messages, Subaru EyeSight Disabled and Honda's "Clean Front Windshield".
Sources: Mercedes-Benz, 2020 GLC Operator's Manual; Ford, 2019 F-150 Owner's Manual; FCA US, Alfa Romeo service bulletin, August 2020.
FCA US brands (Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler)
A repair can switch the feature off. The off light then stays on, with no fault stored.
Other settings often change too, like the language. A scan tool restores them, with no parts needed.
Nissan's orange emergency braking off light
- Steady: off or faulty, so check Settings first.
- Flashing: a temporary stop, from glare, heat, a misted or frozen windshield or a dirty front sensor.
- Still flashing: the camera may sense it's out of line, so have it checked.
The 2023 Rogue manual says emergency braking "will be automatically turned ON when the engine is restarted." Lit after a restart? Have it checked.
Where the switch is
- 2023 Nissan Rogue: Settings, Driver Assistance, Emergency Assist, Emergency Braking.
- 2022 Jeep Wrangler: touchscreen, Safety & Driving Assistance, Automatic Emergency Braking.
Sources: FCA US, service case, August 2024; Nissan, 2023 Rogue Owner's Manual.
GM's statement says these add-ons "can all adversely affect ADAS system feature performance":
- tint, film, wraps or stickers
- hood protectors and magnets
- push bars, light bars, bike or cargo racks
- oversized roof cargo
A lift or leveling kit changes the height and angle the sensors look from. Bigger wheels do the same.
On an Audi, mismatched wheels or tires alone can bring on "Audi pre sense currently restricted".
Came on after an add-on? Remove it. If the light stays, the sensor may need re-aiming.
Sources: GM, Collision Position Statement on ADAS, September 2026; Audi of America, service bulletin, November 2024.
Forward collision warning beeps and flashes. Automatic, or autonomous, emergency braking also brakes for you. Both use one or two sensors:
- The camera sits high on the windshield, watching the lanes and the car ahead.
- The radar sits behind the grille, emblem or lower bumper, measuring distance and closing speed.
Some cars have the camera alone:
- 2020 and 2024 Chevrolet Equinox
- 2025 Chevrolet Trax
- 2022 Honda Civic
Some run mainly on the radar, like Volkswagen Front Assist on 2015 to 2019 models.
Sources: Chevrolet, Forward Collision Alert page; Honda, 2022 Civic press kit, June 2021; Volkswagen, tech tip, November 2019.
The car's procedure sets the method:
- Static: indoors, the car square to target boards on a level floor.
- Dynamic: on a road drive.
- Both: some cars need the two.
- Replaced sensor: often set up in the car's computer first, then calibrated.
With a windshield camera, new glass generally needs it. The RAV4 manual says: "After replacing the windshield, the front camera must be recalibrated."
After a wheel alignment:
- Nissan: after "even vehicle alignment, the proper calibration procedure must be performed".
- Honda: calibrations are "NOT required after a wheel alignment" unless its service information calls for them.
On most makes, the VIN shows the factory sensors. Your written quote confirms them.
Sources: Toyota, 2023 RAV4 manual excerpt; Nissan ADAS position statement, January 2026; American Honda job aid, August 2025.
Forward collision warning light questions
There's no reset button. The light goes off once the cause is fixed and any fault is cleared. Clearing codes alone hides a fault.
Clean the glass and grille, let the cabin cool or warm, and restart. Light stays on after glass or front-end work? Re-aiming the camera costs $300, the radar $330.
After new glass, the camera usually needs calibrating even when the light is off.
A different light on the dash? See the ADAS warning lights guide.
On many cars, yes, in the settings menu. Some switch it back on at the next start, and switching it off doesn't fix a fault.
On some cars, switching it off stops automatic braking too. Others keep a light on while it's off, so switch it back on before you book.
Each price covers one sensor. Front camera calibration is $300 and front radar calibration is $330 at a service center.
Prices are per system, before sales tax where your state charges it on labor, and the full rate card is on the pricing page.
One camera price covers an indoor or road-drive calibration. A diagnostic scan, when your job needs one, is priced and itemized separately.
Start with a diagnostic scan, $115 at a service center. It reads any stored fault, which usually points to the sensor.
It may need a calibration, a repair or neither. Get a quote with the exact message, and we'll name the next step.
Then re-aiming wasn't the fix. Common causes:
- a feature left off in the settings
- a cracked bracket, or a camera loose on it
- a wrong grille, emblem or windshield
- damaged wiring
The shop or dealer repairs the hardware, then the calibration runs again. We quote any extra work before it's done.
Check your policy. If a windshield claim or collision repair came before the forward collision light, ask the insurer if the calibration belongs on that claim.
Your quote lists each sensor and its price, ready for the adjuster.
Light still on in a clean car? Send the VIN
Add the exact message and any work done before it appeared. Your quote is confirmed in writing before anything is scheduled.
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