NHTSA Opens Investigation Into Whether Ford Moved Slowly on 2020 Rearview Camera Recall

NHTSA opened investigation RQ21002 on August 3, 2021, to examine whether Ford Motor Company had acted quickly enough in remedying a 2020 recall affecting rearview cameras in more than 620,000 vehicles across multiple model lines.

The original recall—NHTSA No. 20V-575—was filed by Ford in September 2020 and covered model-year 2020 F-150, F-250, F-350, F-450, F-550, Explorer, Mustang, Transit, Expedition, Escape, Ranger and Edge trucks and SUVs, along with Lincoln Nautilus and Corsair models. Ford identified the defect as insufficient electrical conductivity in the printed circuit board inside the rearview camera, a component supplied by Magna Electronics. The faulty PCB could cause the camera image to display intermittently or not at all, a noncompliance with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 on Rear Visibility.

NHTSA's public filings show that investigators questioned whether Ford had gathered and acted on field complaints promptly enough before initiating the formal recall. The investigation, assigned to NHTSA investigator Frederick Smith and approved by Otto Matheke, sought internal Ford documents and communications to reconstruct the timeline from first consumer complaint to Part 573 recall report. The investigation was classified as a Recall Query under agency procedures.

For auto glass technicians, this case carried a practical implication that extended well beyond the cameras themselves. Many late-model Ford vehicles involved in the recall also incorporate forward-facing camera systems integrated into the windshield mounting bracket assembly. Any technician removing or replacing a windshield on an affected Ford vehicle needs to be aware of whether the vehicle is under an open recall campaign before performing work, since the camera bracket removal and reinstallation process can affect the calibration status of the forward-facing ADAS system.

The investigation also underscored the growing regulatory scrutiny of electronic vehicle-safety systems. NHTSA had already committed significant enforcement resources to backup camera compliance since FMVSS 111 became mandatory for new passenger vehicles in May 2018. Shops that perform glass work on NHTSA-tracked vehicles should keep a documented record of any camera systems they disturb, photograph the original installation, and recommend recalibration to the customer after reinstallation.

As of the archive date, the NHTSA investigation remained open. The episode serves as a reminder that safety regulators are watching camera-related recalls closely, and that any glass shop touching a camera bracket or camera housing has an implicit role in maintaining the integrity of systems that federal law requires to function correctly.