A method for setting a detection threshold for a received signal of a frequency-modulated continuous-wave radar sensor of a motor vehicle is disclosed. In successive measuring cycles of the radar sensor in each case a radar signal is emitted into a capture zone of the radar sensor and a received signal is received, in each measuring cycle a frequency spectrum relating to the respective received signal is determined, wherein individual frequency bins of the frequency spectrum each correspond to a signal level in a range-resolution cell, and the detection threshold is set individually in each case for a subset consisting of at least one frequency bin, and in order to set the detection threshold, a noise level is determined from frequency bins of temporally preceding measuring cycles and/or from frequency bins of adjacent Doppler-resolution cells of the frequency spectrum.