Honda Elysion: ABS Light On + Dead Brake Lights Issue

Hey there! I have some experience working on cars as a hobby mechanic. I actually had a similar issue with my 2017 Honda Legend Hybrid last year (Honda makes such great hybrids, right?). Same symptoms, ABS light and brake lights not working. Turned out I hadn't fully pressed the brake pedal for a while when starting the car, which confused the brake light switch sensor. No repair needed, just had to press the brake pedal all the way down a few times with the ignition on. The warning lights cleared up right after. Cost me exactly zero since it was just personal error! Before jumping to conclusions though, Does your ABS light flash or stay solid? When did you first notice this issue? Have you checked your brake fluid level? This would help rule out other potential causes. While my fix was simple, these symptoms could point to different issues depending on the specifics.

Hey! Thanks for jumping in with the help. I'm at 115892 KM and had my last service about 3 months ago. The ABS light stays solid, no flashing. Checked the brake fluid and it's at the right level. The issue started just yesterday when I was heading out. Really hoping it's something simple like your experience! Interesting suggestion about the brake pedal, I'll definitely try that before taking it to the shop. Would save me a chunk of change if it works. Though given how reliable these Elysions usually are, I'm a bit worried it might be something more serious. Did your warning lights come back at all after you fixed it with the brake pedal trick?

Hey again! Thanks for the follow-up about your Elysion. Seeing those details definitely brings back memories of my Legend situation. No, the warning lights never came back after I did the brake pedal reset trick, it's been smooth sailing since then. But I get why you're concerned, especially since your car's got some decent mileage on it. You know what? Since you mentioned it started suddenly yesterday, I'm actually more convinced it could be similar to what I experienced. These modern hybrids have such sensitive electronics, sometimes they just need a "reset" to get their sensors back in sync. One thing I didn't mention before, when I had this issue, I also noticed that pressing the brake pedal didn't give that usual "click" feeling from the switch. If you're experiencing that too, it's another sign pointing to the brake pedal sensor getting confused. Give that pedal reset a try (press it all the way down about 5-6 times with the ignition on), but if it doesn't clear up, you might want to get it checked out just to be safe. These hybrids are fantastic but when electrical gremlins pop up, it's better to catch them early. Let me know how it goes! I'm really curious if it'll be the same simple fix as my Legend.

Thanks so much for the detailed follow-up! I just went out and tried the brake pedal reset trick you suggested. You won't believe it, it actually worked! After about 4-5 firm presses with the ignition on, both the ABS light and brake lights started working normally again. You were right about the "click" feeling too, it wasn't there before but now it's back. I'm so relieved it was just a sensor issue and not something more serious. Could've ended up spending a fortune at the shop for what turned out to be such a simple fix. These modern hybrids really are something else with their sensitive electronics! Really appreciate you sharing your experience, saved me both time and money. Will definitely keep this trick in mind if it ever happens again, though hopefully it won't! Thanks again for walking me through this!