Ford and Lincoln have collectively announced a safety recall for approximately 170,000 vans and SUVs manufactured between the years 2018 and 2023. These vehicles are equipped with a rear view camera issue that may experience intermittent image failure while the driver is in reverse.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has assigned recall number 23V-598 to this campaign. The affected vehicles are as follows:
- 7,649 units of the 2020 2023 Aviator, equipped with the standard rear-view camera, manufactured from October 19, 2019, to August 17, 2023.
- 70,600 units of the 2018 2021 Navigator, equipped with the 360-degree camera, manufactured from March 16, 2017, to December 23, 2021.
- 66,740 units of the 2022 2023 Transit, equipped with either camera system, manufactured from February 26, 2021, to August 17, 2023.
- 24,468 units of the 2021 Bronco, equipped with the 360 degree camera, manufactured from September 23, 2020, to December 22, 2021.
Ford has identified the defect in all 169,277 vehicles included in this recall. Although these vehicles have different technologies, they all share the same problem. The company states that “customers may intermittently experience either a rear camera blue image or a full blue or black image on the SYNC [infotainment system] screen when the vehicle is placed in reverse, or when the 360-degree view is selected and available.” Ford emphasizes that the loss of the camera image while backing up increases the risk of a crash.
The cause of the issue varies:
The cause of the issue varies among the different models. Ford has identified the camera hardware, the wiring retention, and the Image Processing Module – V (IPMB) software as contributing factors. The company explains that “fretting corrosion causes tin oxide formation on the internal camera connector due to [a] thermally-induced micro-movement between the tin-plated contact surfaces,” and that the rate at which tin oxide accumulates depends on factors such as temperature and humidity. Some of these issues have also been traced back to problems during the manufacturing process.
From October 2, Ford will send notifications to owners of affected vehicles by mail. Once parts are available, owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to replace the rear view camera. Transit models included in the recall will also receive a software update. Owners who have already paid for repairs can request reimbursement until June 30, 2024.
This is not the first time Ford has issued a recall related to a rear view camera issue.
The company previously recalled certain variants of the Bronco in November 2022. Another 462,000 units of the Explorer, Aviator, and Corsair in January 2023 for a similar issue. In February 2022, over 330,000 examples of the Mustang were recalled, followed by a recall of about 35,000 units of the Aviator in April 2021. Additionally, nearly 700,000 cars, trucks, and SUVs (including popular models like the F-150) were recalled across North America in September 2020.