- A new Ford recall targets 422,000 SUVs, including the Explorer as well as the Lincoln Corsair and Aviator with 360-degree camera systems, for an issue that can cause the rear camera video output to fail.
- Two previous campaigns in 2021 and 2023 also covered the same issue.
- Ford says it will notify owners about the problem on June 26, 2023.
- At this time, the automaker does not have a fix in place, nor does it yet know the root cause of the failure when it does happen.
A new Ford recall covers SUVs with potential rearview camera display issues, including some already recalled.
Some Ford Explorer, Lincoln Corsair and Lincoln Aviator owners are experiencing black or blue screen conditions when using the camera feed through the infotainment screen. This problem impacts 422,201 2020-2023 models with a 360-degree camera system equipped. According to what Ford told regulators this past week: “Customers may intermittently experience either a rear camera blue image or a full blue or black image on the SYNC screen when the vehicle is placed in reverse, or when the 360-degree view is selected and available (during low-speed operation).”
Two previous recall campaigns in 2021 and 2023 aimed to sort out the same issue, though those clearly did not remedy the situation for all the affected vehicles. In its earlier efforts, the company updated the image processing module (IPMB) software to try and fix the problem. According to NHTSA documents, Ford is “working together with suppliers to identify root cause and provide the correct remedy as quickly as possible.”
Since Ford has not homed in on exactly what’s causing the problem, there is no permanent solution in place at this point. When it does identify the root of the issue, it will notify owners through the mail and instruct them to take their vehicle to a Ford or Lincoln dealer for repair.
Prior to that, Ford will mail out notices alerting customers to the problem around June 26, 2023. The company did already alert dealers about this latest rearview camera recall.
Of course, the defect will impact rear visibility while it persists, increasing the risk of a crash. To date, the automaker notes 17 reports of minor accidents related to the issue and 2,100 warranty reports, but no injuries or fatalities.
The NHTSA, for its part, is investigating an earlier Ford recall for another camera issue, wherein the automaker recalled 620,246 vehicles. That investigation is ongoing to determine if the automaker was out of compliance with federal motor vehicle safety standards by failing to recall enough vehicles, or handle the recall in a timely manner.
For more information, you can use the NHTSA’s recall website. Ford’s number for this recall is 23S23, while the NHTSA uses the number 23V-342 for this campaign.
