A method to determine a distance of an object to a motor vehicle using a PMD sensor, includes measuring a phase shift of a measurement signal reflected on the object for at least one modulation frequency, the modulation frequency is selected so that in a detection range beginning at the motor vehicle a distance is unambiguously determinable from the phase shift; performing a runtime measurement for an individual signal reflected on the object during a time interval beginning at a first time point where the individual signal is emitted and ending at a second time point corresponding to a time required by the individual signal to travel twice the detection range when the reflected individual signal is measured during the time interval, determining a distance from the phase shift; and when the reflected individual signal is not measured during the time interval, discarding the phase shift without determining a distance.