Rearview cameras in certain Ford and Lincoln SUVs could project a blue image instead of the actual goings-on behind the vehicle, according to a document from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It’s the reason for a new recall on the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and Lincoln Corsair, potentially affecting 382,759 vehicles.
Specifically, the recall applies to 279,700 Explorers built between October 19, 2018, and January 3, 2023. In the Lincoln camp, 72,699 Aviators are included in the recall. For both, this timeframe equates to 2020 through 2023 model-year vehicles. As for the Lincoln Corsair, 30,360 models built from September 17, 2019, to December 15, 2022, could also have the problem. These are 2020, 2021, and 2022 model-year vehicles.
What is the problem exactly? According to the recall, models equipped with a 360-degree camera could have the video output from the reverse camera intermittently fail. This would obviously prevent the driver from seeing certain areas behind the vehicle. Additional documents identify this as a software issue, with the fix being an update performed on the vehicle at a Ford dealership. Owner notifications on potentially affected vehicles should be sent out on February 20.
This new recall (NHTSA number 23V022000) is an expansion of a previous recall (21V-735). The NHTSA advises that vehicles previously updated will need to have the new update performed as well. There are no known injuries resulting from the rearview camera problem, but 17 minor accidents could be due to the failure.
This is the latest in a string of recalls from Ford covering a wide range of models. Ford Bronco Sport and Escape models were recalled in November 2022 for fire risk. Full-size Ford Expeditions and Lincoln Navigators were also recalled for fire risk in September. There have been multiple F-150 recalls for windshield wipers and lug nuts. The big tamale of 2022 was a recall of nearly 3 million Fords in the US for possible rollaway risk. These issues and more contributed to Ford having the most recalls of any other automaker in 2022.
