by Michael Gauthier
- Ford is recalling over 1.4 million vehicles that could have a faulty rearview camera.
- An unauthorized change means the camera can show a distorted or blank image.
- Most of the recalled vehicles are Edges, although 365K Mustangs are also impacted.
After blowing past the 100th recall milestone in August, Ford isn’t slowing down and their 110th campaign involves 1,456,417 vehicles. They’re from the 2015 to 2019 model years and are equipped with a faulty rearview camera.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rearview camera may display a “distorted, inverted, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.” This increases the risk of a collision, although only 2.7% of the vehicles are believed to have the defect.
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Ford opened an investigation earlier this year following repeated concerns about failing cameras. This eventually found that a sub-supplier for Magna made an “unauthorized change to their PCB (printed circuit board) header tooling, which resulted in lower terminal contact forces.” This reduced force caused “fretting corrosion on the terminal header over time.”
A Longstanding Problem
Ford has been aware of problems for over a decade as the first warranty claim was received on May 6, 2014. Since that time, the automaker has received a staggering 44,123 warranty claims globally and 195 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires related to the issue. The company is also aware of at least 18 accidents, although no injuries have been reported.
The recall impacts an assortment of vehicles including the 2015-2018 Edge, 2015-2017 Expedition, and 2017-2019 Econoline as well as the 2015-2019 F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks. The 2015-2019 Mustang, 2019 Ranger, 2016-2019 Transit, and 2015-2018 Transit Connect are also impacted. A handful of Lincolns are also involved including the 2015-2019 MKC as well as the 2015-2017 Navigator.
A majority of the recalled vehicles are Edges as 515,004 units are impacted. 365,041 Mustangs are also involved as are 138,038 Expeditions.
Next Steps for Owners
To address the issue, dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary. The replacement camera “will be produced with an updated PCB header which has higher terminal contact forces and is not susceptible to fretting corrosion.”
However, the phrasing “will be produced” is ominous and the NHTSA said interim owner notification letters will be mailed out late this month. Additional letters will follow once the remedy is available, so owners should check their mirrors in the meantime.