Ford recalls more than 1 million vehicles over rearview camera glitch

Ford Motor is recalling nearly 1.1 million Ford and Lincoln vehicles because of a software problem that could cause the rearview camera image to malfunction when the car is in reverse, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said.

“A frozen rear-view camera display image while in reverse can create a false representation of where the vehicle is relative to its surroundings, increasing the risk of a crash,” the NHTSA stated in a May 9 report.

Ford is not aware of any injuries related to the software error. The automaker has received one report of a minor crash resulting in property damage.

The recall affects 1,075,299 vehicles, including the following Ford and Lincoln models:

Ford:

2021-2024 Bronco, F-150, 2021-2024 Edge
2022-2024 Expedition
2022-2025 Transit, 2021-2023 Mach-E
2023-2024 Escape, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, F-600
2024 Ranger, Mustang

Lincoln:

2021-2023 Nautilus
2022-2024 Navigator
2023-2024 Corsair

To fix the problem, a vehicle’s so-called accessory protocol interface module (APIM) software will eventually be available to be updated for free either in person at a Ford/Lincoln dealership, or remotely through an over-the-air update, according to Ford.

Notification letters are expected to be mailed to owners of affected vehicles on June 16 to alert them of the rearview camera problem. A second letter will be sent once the remedy is available sometime between July and September, recall documents state.

Affected vehicle owners can contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332; Ford’s number for this recall is 25S49.

Owners can also contact NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or go to nhtsa.gov. NHTSA’s number for the recall is 25V-315.

The camera issue is the latest of several recalls this year by the Detroit automaker. Most recently, Ford recalled roughly 274,000 Lincoln Navigator and Ford Expedition vehicles because of a poorly installed front brake line that could lead to reduced brake function, NHTSA said in another recall dated May 9.

In November 2024, NHTSA fined Ford $165 million for moving too slowly to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras and for failing to give the agency complete information as required by the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Act.

Anne Marie D. Lee

Anne Marie D. Lee is an editor for CBS MoneyWatch. She writes about topics including personal finance, the workplace, travel and social media.