Over A Million Toyota Cars Recalled After Drivers Report Complete Lack of Visibility

Large-Scale Recall Due to Camera Malfunction

Toyota has announced the recall of over a million vehicles after detecting a defect in the rearview camera system, which can leave drivers without a clear view when reversing.

This mass recall comes less than a month after a previous one, which involved 394,000 cars due to a very similar rearview camera malfunction.

Two Different Problems from Different Suppliers

A particular aspect of the situation is that the previous recall concerned equipment from one supplier (Panasonic) and focused on Toyota Tundra, Tacoma, and Sequoia models.

The new recall is a completely separate campaign and concerns the system from another component supplier (Denso), three different automotive brands, and dozens of models.

In the previous case, the screen could become half black and half green, which was unpleasant, but drivers could at least recognize it as an obvious malfunction.

Potentially More Dangerous Problem

This new problem is potentially more dangerous because the image may not display at all if reverse gear is engaged within a certain time after starting the ignition, or it may freeze, giving drivers a false sense of security.

This is not very useful and is also not legal, as backup cameras are a federal requirement for all cars since 2018.

Which Models Are Involved in the Recall

The list of affected vehicles involved in the latest recall is long. It includes Toyota models such as the Camry, Crown, and the new Land Cruiser, several Lexus vehicles such as the RX, TX, and LC, as well as the Subaru Solterra, the twin of the Toyota bZ4X.

Process for Fixing the Problem

Toyota’s solution does not require new hardware, only a simple software update for the Parking Assist ECU, which is a central component of vehicles equipped with the Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system.

Unfortunately, this update cannot be performed via an OTA update, so all 1,024,407 vehicles will have to visit a local dealer to install the new code the old-fashioned way. Solterra owners will receive the fix through Subaru dealers, not Toyota.

Detailed List of Affected Models

The table below provides a complete list of models, model years, and the number of vehicles involved in the recall:

Repeated recalls due to similar rearview camera problems indicate systemic issues in the automotive electronics supply chain. The fact that two different recall campaigns concern components from different suppliers but reveal similar safety problems may indicate insufficient testing of critical safety systems before mass production. For owners of the affected vehicles, it is important to promptly contact official dealers for a free repair, as the rearview camera function directly impacts maneuvering safety and can prevent serious road incidents.