Backup Camera Recall Crisis: 28 Million Vehicles, Infotainment Computers to Blame

A backup-camera recall problem is growing even after the technology became mandatory years ago. Federal standards requiring rearview cameras began in May 2018 under FMVSS No. 111, following a 2002 case involving Cameron Gulbransen. The safety case was strong, with studies tied to about a one-third reduction in backover incidents and large drops in severe injuries and fatalities. But reliability issues followed: an estimated 21 million passenger vehicles have been recalled for backup camera failures since the mandate, rising to nearly 28 million when recreational vehicles and small buses are included, based on a Bloomberg analysis of NHTSA data. CARFAX documents roughly seven million vehicles still have unfixed recalls as of May 2026. Consumer Reports points to the central infotainment computer—overheating, crashes, or misconfigurations—as the frequent culprit, not the camera itself.