Why Does My VW Say Front Assist Not Available? Reasons Explained

Has your VW’s “Front Assist Not Available” message startled you???

You know the message has something to do with the vehicle’s road safety mechanism… but you don’t understand exactly what it means. Well, don’t worry… we’ve got your back. So, what exactly does this message mean and what can you do about it so that your road safety doesn’t get compromised? Read through to find out.

Front Assist: How Significant Is It?

To put it in a nutshell, as a crucial element of your Volkswagen’s driver assistant system; Front Assist warns the driver when the vehicle gets alarmingly close to an obstacle, pedestrian, or another vehicle. The system relies on a network of radar sensors, cameras, pedestrian monitoring systems, and yes… audio/visual indicators.

Although a technical glitch in this system may not have any significant impact on your Volkswagen’s overall operations. It does, however, jeopardize your road safety. So, if you are someone who cares about road safety, you should take care of your Volkswagen’s Front Assist system and other important driver assistance features. But, how can you tell when your Volkswagen’s Front Assist has hit a bump? Well, you can look for the following signs…

Sign #1- Front Assist Not Available Warning

Sign #2- ACC malfunction warning

So, what can cause a Volkswagen’s Front Assist to fail and the corresponding warning message to flash? Let’s find out…

VW Says Front Assist Not Available: Possible Explanations

Explanation #1- Inclement weather conditions

Sometimes the flashing of the “Front Assist Not Available” message doesn’t have anything to do with a technical fault… it is the effect of bad weather conditions. Yup, that’s right… Adverse weather conditions such as heavy rain, snow, and fog can impair the ability of radar sensors and cameras to perform their respective functions. This may result in the above warning indicator starting to flash. So, if it is snowing outside or you are in the middle of a heavy storm and the Front Assist Not Available message starts flashing, there is no reason to worry.

Explanation #2- Something off with the camera

Front Assist is a very complex system, made up of many different parts including a set of cameras. It is because of these cameras that the Front Assist system can check whether there is any pedestrian or obstacle in the way. If there is something off with any of these cameras, Front Assist along with other driver assistance features will become useless and the corresponding warning indicators will start flashing.

Explanation #3- Weak battery

Be it Front Assist or any other driver assistance feature — these systems require a continuous supply of electricity to function. And, guess what??? It is the job of the battery to ensure that the said systems get all the power they need to function smoothly and efficiently. But once it reaches its maximum useful life or becomes weak due to adverse weather conditions or any other reason, it will not be able to meet the power demand of various driver assistance features including Front Assist. As a result, the said warning message may start flashing.

Explanation #4- ACC is faulty

ACC or Adaptive Cruise Control malfunction can also set off the Front Assist Not Available warning on the dash of your Volkswagen. You see… Front Assist is a part of a much larger driver assistance system that includes the ACC. If for some reason the ACC or any other driver assistance system components fail, Front Assist’s operation will be greatly reduced. This in turn may activate the “Front Assist Not Available Message”.

Explanation #5- Defective radar sensor

In addition to cameras, your Volkswagen is equipped with radar sensors to monitor pedestrians, vehicles, and other obstacles along the way. If there is something amiss with any of these radar sensors, the Front Assist won’t be able to do its job the way it is supposed to and may even fail to function altogether.

Summing Up

It’s okay to feel a little uncomfortable seeing the “Front Assist Not Available” message flashing on the dashboard of your Volkswagen. There are many different reasons that may lead to the appearance of this warning indicator. Whatever the case, you need to get to the bottom of it and get it repaired so it doesn’t contribute to another costly repair.