Ford has had some problems with its backup cameras in recent years, and the problems aren’t going away with a new recall announced today.
Certain Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with the 360-degree parking camera may lose the rear-view camera feed as a result of this recall.
Ford Recalls SUVs
The latest recall affects 462,000 vehicles globally, including 382,759 in the United States under NHTSA recall 23V-022. The recall affects the 2020-2023 Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and 2020-2022 Lincoln Corsair.
The fix entails dealers updating the image processing module software on the vehicles for free. This latest issue expands on a prior recall, and it pertains to vehicles that were previously serviced under recall 21V-735.
Owners will be alerted through mail around February 20 and can reach Ford customer support at 1-866-436-7332.
A Ford spokeswoman verified to Automotive News that about 383,000 vehicles were sold in the United States, with more than 39,000 sold in Canada and at least 5,000 sold in Mexico.
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Rear-View Camera Issue
According to the recall report and papers related to Ford’s internal inquiry, it is not assumed that the camera is malfunctioning.
The manufacturer feels that the video stream is failing to appear under certain conditions. That is, it may appear to be fine one moment and then fail the next time you try to reverse out of a parking space. However, once the problem appears, Ford expects it will be an intermittent issue until the necessary repairs can be made.
This entails a software push to update the image processing module. While modifying car code has recently become the typical first line of defense for recalls, it can sometimes accomplish little more than give an automaker time before hardware needs to be changed.
However, based on the data provided, it is possible that the unit (supplied by French company Valeo) is simply having difficulty communicating with the vehicle.
Customers who are affected may notice that their rear-view camera display has been replaced by a blue screen and are advised not to assume it is an isolated incident.
As of January 5, 2023, Ford reported that 21 NHTSA Vehicle Owner Questionnaires have been submitted by customers experiencing rear camera blue pictures as a result of the issue.
Since November 30, there have also been 2,115 warranty reports alleging a blue image in the rear camera display. Ford also revealed that the problem was responsible for 17 minor incidents.
Though it appears that the ultimate blame for those accidents lies with the driver of the impacted car for failing to take additional safeguards. Despite the fact that modern automobiles frequently have poor outside visibility, most driving has always been done without the assistance of rearward-facing cameras.
According to the recall report, Ford dealers will be alerted beginning January 31st, with owners notified beginning February 20.
If you’re worried about your SUV and don’t want to wait for a notification, you can contact the manufacturer directly or enter your vehicle identifying number (VIN) into the NHTSA’s database.
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