Ford is recalling nearly two million vehicles because of a faulty rearview camera that can reduce the driver’s view and increase the risk of a crash, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Tuesday.
The rearview camera, which is activated on the dashboard display when the vehicle is put in reverse, may show an inverted, distorted or blank image, the agency warned.
The 1.9 million models in the global recall include 2015-2019 Lincoln MKC, Mustang, F-350 SD, F-250 SD, F-450 SD, 2015-2017 Lincoln Navigator, Expedition, 2015-2018 Edge, Transit Connect, 2016-2019 F-550 SD, Transit, 2017-2019 Econoline and 2019 Ranger.
The recall – which is just the latest in a string of issues concerning Ford’s rearview camera systems – covers about 1.45 million vehicles in the US, 122,000 in Canada and 300,000 in other markets.
An estimated 2.7% of the US vehicles – or 39,323 cars – have the defect.
Ford is aware of 44,123 global warranty claims and 18 accidents related to the faulty cameras, which were manufactured by Magna International. It is not aware of any related injuries.
Owners should bring their vehicles to a Ford dealer, where the cameras will be inspected and replaced as needed, free of charge.
Letters notifying owners of the safety risk are expected to be mailed by Sept. 22. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy is available.
Tuesday’s 1.9 million vehicles tack onto a recall from April, when Ford recalled 166,000 cars for rear camera failures.
In November, it agreed to pay a $165 million civil penalty after an NHTSA investigation found the automaker failed to recall vehicles with defective rearview cameras in a timely manner.
NHTSA launched that probe in August 2021 after Ford recalled over 620,000 vehicles in 2020 for a rear camera issue.
Magna International – a Canadian auto parts supplier – has issued its own recall notice of more than 250,000 rearview cameras fitted in some Ford and Stellantis vehicles.
