Latest Ford Backup Camera Recall Is Similar To One Last Year

Sometimes you have to wonder about certain recalls. For example, last year (2020), Ford recalled more than 600,000 vehicles to repair the circuit board module in faulty backup cameras. And, now the automaker is pulling back another 38,000 SUVs for apparently the same problem.

Ford has also had one of its strongest-selling 2021 vehicles recalled, the Mustang Mach-E. I discussed the recall of the Mustang Mach-E here.

2nd Recall For Similar – If Not Same – Issue

In the 2020 recall, Ford recalled the 600,000 vehicles because the backup camera modules could either have blanked out or they might have had distorted images. The issue affected the backup safety system, which could have left drivers unable to see obstacles in the rear. Meanwhile, the ongoing Takata front airbag inflator recall that has gone on for the last several years continues to wreck its havoc on automakers like Ford and others.

It's funny, but we could have used the same release from last fall on this issue. The issue is that the 38,000 SUVs are the products of 2020-21 and not earlier. Torque News was the earliest media site to call out Ford on the camera issue, and it is now the only media site we know of that has called it out again with the new recall.

Specifically, the recall is for a reversing camera module that may be intermittent. An intermittent is perhaps the most frustrating issue in electronics as it may not show up for a long time, and then, bang, it's there. Suddenly, it will likely leave again and show up again – and likely will.

Ford notes that the problem caused by this issue is that it could result in a loss of a rearview camera image when the vehicle is in Reverse. It means there are two issues: 1. The cameras are trouble-prone; and 2. The cameras do not comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) and require a fix by Ford.

Ford Unaware Of Any Crashes, Injuries

In a news release Friday, the automaker is not aware of any crashes or injuries related to this issue. This action affects 34,975 vehicles in the U.S. and federal territories, 3,053 in Canada, and 379 in Mexico. The affected vehicles rolled off the assembly line at Chicago Assembly Plant between Oct. 19, 2018, to Dec. 7, 2020.

Dealers will begin notifying customers on May 19. To fix the problem, dealers will update the image processing module software. Ford's reference number for the recall is 21C09.

As noted, this isn't the first recall in the last year or so regarding Ford vehicles that Torque News reported on the issue. Last fall, the manufacturer recalled 600,000 vehicles due to a similar – if not the same – issue. Ford recalled those vehicles because their backup cameras could either have gone blank or show distorted imaging. It could cause safety systems tied to the video modules to fail to see people or obstacles behind them. And, Ford has had other major recalls as detailed by my colleague Jimmy Dinsmore.

The Earlier Major Recall

In the earlier major recall, the vehicles that were involved included:

• Ford F-150 trucks built between Oct. 26, 2019, and May 18, 2020
• Ford Explorer SUVs built between Nov. 16, 2019, and May 18, 2020
• Ford Mustang coupes and convertibles built between Nov. 18, 2019, and May 26, 2020
• Ford Expedition SUVs built between Oct. 30, 2019, and June 22, 202Ford Escape SUVs built between Nov. 5, 2019, and May 18, 2020
• Ford Ranger trucks built between Dec. 9, 2019, and May 19, 2020
• Ford Edge SUVs built between Nov. 13, 2019, and May 26, 2020
• Ford Transit vans built between Oct. 28, 2019, and May 20, 2020
• Ford Super Duty trucks built between Oct. 30, 2019, and May 18, 2020
• Lincoln Corsair SUVs built between Nov. 14, 2019, and May 18, 2020
• Lincoln MKX and Nautilus SUVs built between Nov. 21, 2019, and May 26, 2020

Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971 when an otherwise normal news editor said, "You're our new car editor," and dumped about 27 pounds of auto stuff on my desk. I was in heaven as I have been a gearhead from my early days. As a teen, I spent the usual number of misspent hours hanging out at gas stations Shell and Texaco (a big thing in my youth) and working on cars. From there on, it was a straight line to my first column for the paper, "You Auto Know," an enterprise that I handled faithfully for 32 years. Not too many people know that I also handled computer documentation for a good part of my living while writing YAN. My best writing, though, was always in cars. My work has appeared in venues including Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, and others. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.