Dive Brief:
- Ford Motor Co. has recalled over 1.4 million vehicles due to a condition where the backup camera display may show a distorted, inverted or blank screen when shifting into reverse, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- The recalled vehicles include model year 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-250, F-350 and F-450 Super Duty pickups, 2016-2019 F-550 Super Duty and Transit, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator and Expedition; 2015-2018 Edge and Transit Connect; 2017-2019 Econoline and 2019 Ranger pickup.
- Ford will cover the cost for dealers to inspect and replace the rearview cameras on the vehicles as needed. The company will mail interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk starting on Sept. 22, and will mail additional letters once a remedy is available.
Dive Insight:
Ford blames the issue on its camera supplier, Magna. According to the report, a Magna sub-supplier conducted an unauthorized change to the camera’s printed circuit board header tooling, resulting in loose terminal connections that led to corrosion and electrical issues. If the fault occurs, drivers will see a message on the center display screen that the backup camera is unavailable.
Ford estimates 2.7% of the recalled vehicles have the defect.
Since 2014, Ford has used nine different camera part numbers in the recalled vehicles, all of which were sourced from Auburn Hills, Michigan-based Tier 1 supplier Magna. However, all of the previous designs were removed from series production as of December 2018.
Still, on April 3, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group again reviewed additional rearview camera concerns affecting 2015-2019 Ford vehicles with Magna-supplied camera hardware. In December 2024, the NHTSA’s Office of Defect Investigations had given Ford seven vehicle owner questionnaires from customers alleging rearview camera failure on 2015-2018 Lincoln MKC models. That led to an April recall of nearly 161,000 pickups and SUVs for an electrical issue that may cause a black screen or distorted image.
Given these previous concerns about backup camera faults, from April to August, Ford investigators researched potential causes, including camera hardware and SYNC infotainment hardware/software issues. Ford also collected cameras from customer vehicles on the road to better understand the root cause of the failures.
The automaker’s probe included reviewing supplier documentation and warranty data before December 2018, when Ford introduced the change to the camera printed circuit board header. The new design had improved header tooling and solder pads, according to the recall report.
During their research and investigation, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group updated the NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation about its findings in monthly meetings. Based on these findings and the history of backup camera problems, Ford’s Critical Concern Review Group approved the latest recall.
Backup camera faults have plagued Ford over the past several years, which have led to several prior recalls. In this year alone, the automaker recalled over 2.5 million vehicles for backup camera issues.
Previously, in February 2022, Ford recalled nearly 331,000 Mustangs for backup cameras that intermittently displayed or showed a blank or distorted image. Starting from September 2024, the automaker issued five additional recalls for various backup camera faults.
In September 2024, Ford recalled over 144,000 Maverick pickups for a condition where the rearview backup camera’s screen could freeze when shifting into reverse. In November 2024, Ford recalled 25,000 F-Series trucks because of water intrusion into the tailgate parking sensor module, which can cause the rear camera display to work intermittently.
In May, Ford issued another major recall of over 1 million vehicles, including 2021-2024 F-Series trucks, for camera software that may cause the infotainment screen to freeze, be delayed or black out when shifting into reverse.
In July, Ford recalled another 200,000 vehicles for backup camera issues, including blank screens or image retention. This recall included the 2018-2024 F-150, Explorer, Bronco Sport, Maverick, Ranger, Mustang, Expedition and other models.
As of mid-August, Ford is aware of 44,123 warranty claims related to backup cameras, the first of which was received on May 6, 2014. The automaker is also aware that the NHTSA has received 195 vehicle owner questionnaires related to the concern, and that 18 accidents have happened as a result (though no injuries).
This latest recall is Ford’s 111th since the start of the year, potentially extending to over 9 million vehicles. It’s the highest number of recalls for any automaker in a single year.
