by Large-Scale Ford Vehicle Recall
Ford has announced a recall of over 1.4 million vehicles due to a potentially faulty rearview camera. This campaign is the 110th in number and concerns vehicles from model years 2015 through 2019 that are equipped with the defective camera.
Problem with the Rearview Camera
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the rearview camera may display a distorted, inverted, or blank image while reversing. This increases the risk of a collision, although it is believed that only 2.7% of the vehicles have this defect.
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Cause of the Defect and Problem History
Ford began an investigation earlier this year following numerous complaints about the cameras. It was found that the company’s supplier, Magna, made unauthorized changes to the tooling of the printed circuit boards, leading to reduced terminal contact forces. This, in turn, caused fretting corrosion on the terminals over time.
Ford has been aware of the problems for over a decade, as the first warranty claim was received as early as May 6, 2014. Since then, the automaker has received a staggering 44,123 warranty claims worldwide and 195 vehicle owner questionnaires related to this issue. The company is also aware of at least 18 accidents, although no injuries have been reported.
List of Affected Models
The recall concerns a range of vehicles, including the 2015-2018 Edge, 2015-2017 Expedition, 2017-2019 Econoline, as well as F-250, F-350, F-450, and F-550 trucks from 2015-2019. Also involved are the 2015-2019 Mustang, 2019 Ranger, 2016-2019 Transit, and 2015-2018 Transit Connect. Several Lincoln models are also on the list, including the 2015-2019 MKC and 2015-2017 Navigator.
The majority of the recalled vehicles are the Edge, with 515,004 units affected. Also involved are 365,041 Mustangs and 138,038 Expeditions.
Actions for Owners
To fix the problem, dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera if necessary. The replacement camera will be manufactured with an updated printed circuit board that has higher terminal contact forces and is not susceptible to fretting corrosion.
However, the wording “will be manufactured” is concerning, and the NHTSA has reported that initial owner notification letters will be mailed out later this month. Additional letters will be sent once the remedy becomes available, so owners should be cautious for now.
This recall underscores the importance of the reliability of modern automotive technologies, especially those that directly impact safety. Although the percentage of defective cameras is relatively small, the scale of the recall shows how seriously Ford takes potential risks. Owners should respond promptly to notifications and follow recommendations to avoid dangerous situations on the road.
