Ford recalls nearly 1.1 million vehicles over rearview camera software issue

(Reuters) – Ford Motor is recalling nearly 1.1 million vehicles in the United States because rearview cameras may not display images due to a software issue, increasing the risk of a crash.
The recall covers some 2021 through 2024 model year Bronco, F-150, Edge, and 2023-2024 Escape, Corsair, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550 and F-600 vehicles, the automaker said Wednesday in a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The recall also impacts the 2022-2024 Expedition, 2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E, Lincoln Nautilus, 2024 Ranger, Mustang and the 2022-2024 Navigator.
NHTSA said the software issue may cause the rearview camera image to delay, freeze, or not display.
Ford said it is aware of one allegation of a minor crash resulting in property damage tied to the issue.
In January, NHTSA contacted Ford regarding allegations of more than three dozen rear-view camera complaints on 2021-2023 Ford F-150 vehicles.
In April, a Ford engineering team was able to reproduce the failure mode within a vehicle and link the causal factors to specific software variants.
Dealers are expected to update vehicle software through an over-the-air update. The software being recalled serves as an operating system for the car’s dashboard, helping its infotainment system to control apps and display maps, among others.
Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed by June 16. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available later this year.
Ford in April issued two other recalls in the United States for rearview camera issues covering about 289,000 vehicles in total. For both recalls, the automaker will replace rearview cameras.
In November, NHTSA said Ford had agreed to a $165 million civil penalty after an agency investigation found the automaker failed to recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner.
NHTSA in August 2021 opened an investigation after Ford in 2020 recalled about 620,000 vehicles for a rear camera issue to determine whether the carmaker had made the recall in a timely fashion. Ford expanded that recall in 2022 and in March adding about 24,000 vehicles.
Reporting by David Shepardson in Albany, New York Abhinav Parmar in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Hugh Lawson
Source: worldautoforum.com