Washington, DC – August 27, 2021 – The arm of the U.S. government that regulates vehicle safety is conducting an investigation to determine whether Ford (NYSE:F) timely and adequately handled a recent recall related to faulty rearview cameras.

The investigation is examining all models included in the original Ford recall of 620,246 cars, which launched in September of last year:

• Ford F series trucks, including the 2020 Ford F-150, F-250 SD, F-350 SD, F-450 SD, F-550 SD trucks
• 2020 Ford Explorer SUVs
• 2020 Ford Mustang vehicles
• 2020 Ford Transit vans
• 2020 Ford Expedition SUVs
• 2020 Ford Escape  SUVs
• 2020 Ford Ranger trucks
• 2020 Ford Edge SUVs
• 2020 Lincoln Nautilus crossovers
• 2020 Lincoln Corsair compact SUVs

Summary  

The regulator, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), opened an investigation on August 3 to evaluate the “timeliness and scope” of Ford’s recall process, as well as whether the company complied with all the reporting requirements mandated by law. 

Prior to the investigation and the original September recall, NHTSA received 14 complaints alleging rearview camera malfunction on Escape, Lincoln Corsair and F-150 vehicles. It is not clear whether these vehicles were included in the original recall or what specifically prompted the regulator to open the investigation.

Long wait for repairs

Owners, however, have been complaining about long wait-times for repairs, and several drivers allege that their Fords have identical backup camera problems, but their vehicle was not included in the recall. Both sets of complaints point to potential issues with Ford’s ability to offer repairs to all the right cars in a timely manner.

The parts for some of the vehicles included in the original recall were on the back order as recently as this month, despite the fact that Ford announced that the repair was available last November.

Vehicle ‘full of gremlins’

At least one owner alleged that the failure of the backup camera system also caused “the forward-collision warning [turn] on by itself, ​​causing the vehicle” to abruptly stop in the middle of the road. Another driver succinctly summarized the issues he or she was having by stating that the vehicle was “full of gremlins” and needed to be “heavily watched.”

Next steps

NHTSA will investigate whether the recall needs to be expanded or adjusted. The agency did not disclose how long this process is expected to take. If NHTSA decides the recall took too long or failed to include all the cars in need of repairs, it may issue fines against Ford.

Original recall

The original recall concerned the back-up camera display, which would sometimes go blank and fail to show drivers what was behind the car, as reported. As of July 23, 2021, close to 289,000 recalled vehicles were repaired, according to information provided to NHTSA by Ford.

Other Ford recalls

In April 2020, the company recalled Ford Rangers because the gear position display may be inaccurate, which could cause a crash. The company recalled Ford Mustangs five months later over an issue with faulty brake pedals.

In 2019 and 2020, there were six 2020 F-150 Ford recalls –  apart from the one that is being investigated – including one “reduced seat back strength” and faulty daytime lights, according to NHTSA records.

Is your vehicle part of this recall or a future recall?

Over 620,000 vehicles are implicated in NHTSA’s investigation into Ford. Check back for any updates using MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.