Daimler recalls Mercedes-Benz Metris vans over rearview camera defect

Sandy Springs, GA – March 5, 2022 – Daimler (OTCMKTS:DMLRY), which owns the Mercedes-Benz brand, has issued a recall for 17,093 vehicles over a defect in the rearview camera which can cause the images shown on the rearview display to freeze.  This defect increases the risk of an accident.

The recall covers the following vans:

  • 2015  Mercedes-Benz Metris 
  • 2016  Mercedes-Benz Metris 
  • 2017  Mercedes-Benz Metris 
  • 2018  Mercedes-Benz Metris 

Recall summary

This Mercedes rearview camera issues’ recall is caused by a hardware defect involving the memory chip on the rearview camera. This may cause the images shown on the rearview display to freeze, compromising visibility to the rear of the vehicle.  

The component involved in this recall is the rearview camera with multiple part numbers, including  A4479052502 and A4479054603.   

Recall risks


For more on risks, please visit the following article on a Ford recall due to the same issue.

Other Mercedes-Benz Metris recalls 

The Mercedes-Benz Metris was first recalled in 2016 over an issue also related to limited rearward visibility, when an advisory was issued over inadequate visibility of the front passenger side mirror.

More recently, a recall for the Mercedes-Benz Metris was issued in February 2022 over an improperly mounted brake fluid reservoir. This component can potentially detach and leak brake fluid during operation, compromising the vehicle’s ability to safely come to a stop and leading to an increased risk of a crash. 

The repair

Dealers will replace the rearview camera on recalled vehicles. As a stop-gap measure in case of insufficient spare parts, dealers will update the camera software to reduce the probability of failure. The update will result in a “black screen” instead of freezing the image in case a failure occurs, to further reduce the safety risk.

Affected owners will be notified by March 21, 2022.  

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

More than 17,000 vehicles are included in this Mercedes-Benz Metris  recall. To do a Mercedes-Benz van recall check,  use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.  

Joseph EstabilloDaimler recalls Mercedes-Benz Metris vans over rearview camera defect

Stellantis recalls vehicles due to risk of limited visibility

Auburn Hills, MI – July 28, 2021  – Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) – which makes the Ram and Chrysler brands – has announced a recall for 14,096 vehicles due to the limited visibility from faulty front cameras, which augements the risk of a crash when backing up. The recall includes 2021 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup trucks.

The component in question is a “trailer reverse steering control module,” with a part number of 68423566AE.

Recall summary 

Due to a software error, the rearview camera image in the recalled cars fails to display when backing up.

Risks

A lack of visibility when backing up can increase the risk of an accident, leading to a crash or injury.

Warning signs

The first warning sign is the rear view image not displaying on the software when the vehicle is placed into reverse. The second warning sign is when the Electronic Throttle Control warning indicator illuminates on the instrument panel cluster.

Other Ram recalls

In April 2021, Stellantis Chrysler recalled 19,000 Dodge Ram vehicles over concern the vehicles would catch fire.  For more Chrysler recalls, please check out this page.

At the same time, rearview camera recalls are very common. In May, Daimler recalled more than 340,000 Mercedes-Benz cars because of a similar issue. In March, BMW asked drivers to take in 13,858 cars for repair because of a software glitch that made the cameras prone to malfunctioning when the cars were shifted in reverse.

Repair

Owners are set to be notified via mail starting July 30, 2021. The repair is a software fix that takes about 30 minutes and is provided free of charge.

Is your vehicle part of this recall? 

Over 14,000 vehicles are part of this Chrysler recall and as of July 20, 1,398 of them were already remedied.  To check if your vehicle is part of this Ram 1500 recall, use Motorsafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Mikaela BolkerStellantis recalls vehicles due to risk of limited visibility

BMW recalls X models, Alpina for faulty rearview cameras

Westwood, NJ – March 9, 2021 – BMW (OTCMKTS:BMWYY) is recalling 13,858 vehicles, due to an issue with the rearview camera. The recall includes the following models:

  • BMW X models, including BMW X3 2021 and 2019-2021 BMW X3 sDrive30i crossovers
  • BMW Alpina, including 2019-2021 BMW Alpina B7 xDrive sports car

For a complete list of models and model years included, please refer to this page.

Recall summary  

Rearview cameras became required on all new cars in 2007. Due to a software bug, when these recalled cars are shifted into reverse, the drivers may not see the entire rearview image or the screen may fail to illuminate altogether.  

Risks 

A malfunctioning rearview camera may result in a crash, as the driver may fail to notice a person or an object behind them. This issue may cause injury or even death.

The cars in question, however, are equipped with a Park Distance Control (PDC) system, which alerts drivers to objects behind the vehicle, reducing the risk.

To read more about why rearview cameras were made standard, please visit our recent article about a Ford recall for a similar issue.

BMW xDrive recalls

BMW has just recalled over 14,000 cars – including 228i xDrive coupes and M235i xDrive high-performance cars – over a faulty sunroof that is prone to continuing to close after the car is turned off. This may result in an injury to a small child or a person inside the car.

The repair

To fix the issue, dealers will inspect the rearview camera software and perform a free update, if necessary.  The recall is expected to begin April 12, 2021. 

Is your vehicle part of this recall?

Over 13,800 vehicles are included in this BMW recall. To see if your car is one of them, use MotorSafety’s free vehicle lookup tool.

Ken BoydBMW recalls X models, Alpina for faulty rearview cameras