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Home›Ford›Ford Explorer› backup camera and parking sensor problems
Owner complaints · Back Over Prevention · every model year

Ford Explorer backup camera and parking sensor problems, 2016–2027

206 of the 7,419 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Ford Explorer 2016–2027 name the backup camera and parking sensors (NHTSA’s “Back Over Prevention” heading — the backup camera and rear parking sensors). The loudest years: 2020 (112), 2021 (40), 2022 (28). Filed under the same heading across these years: 13 recall campaigns, 1 NHTSA investigation. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

206 complaints, 12 model years 3% of everything filed about the Explorer typically at 30k miles

Ford Explorer backup camera and parking sensor problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the backup camera and parking sensorsShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
20270——1 recallthe year →
20260——1 recallthe year →
20250——4 recallsthe year →
20240——2 recallsthe year →
20230——5 recallsthe year →
20222810%—6 recallsthe year →
2021409%35k7 recallsthe year →
2020 in depth1129%20k9 recalls · 1 investigationthe record →
20190———the year →
2018264%——the year →
20170———the year →
20160———the year →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the backup camera and parking sensors. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the backup camera and parking sensor complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
206complaints name the backup camera and parking sensors, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2020: 2 · 2021: 35 · 2022: 33 · 2023: 86 · 2024: 22 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 9

30kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 84 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the backup camera and parking sensor problem between 12,000 and 53,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the backup camera and parking sensors, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

Reverse camera turns blue on many occasions and other times it gets dark, the engine in the mornings the engine sounds like a Diesel car in the dealer indicate it is normal but new vehicles do not sound that way
Back Over Prevention Aug 30, 2021 NHTSA owner report
We have returned the vehicle to the dealer 4 times for back-up camera / rear sensor failure. Most recently they had the vehicle from 8/16/2021 to 8/20/2021. Allegedly they replaced the back-up camera. On 8/27/2021 upon returning home from an approximately 3 mile drive, the back-up camera again failed while backing into our driveway.
Back Over Prevention Aug 28, 2021 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V735000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Back Over Prevention Jun 9, 2023 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V022000 (Back Over Prevention) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
Back Over Prevention May 4, 2023 NHTSA owner report
The rear traffic warning did not alert timely, resulting in a fender bender in a parking lot. I have dash cam footage with audio supporting that it did not beep until it was too late
Back Over Prevention Jul 5, 2025 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the backup camera and parking sensors, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

The 8 newest of 13; each model year’s page lists its own.

NHTSA investigation

Other systems with a record on the Ford Explorer

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Ford Explorer problems by year →

From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Ford Explorer years have the most backup camera and parking sensor complaints?

2020, 112; 2021, 40; 2022, 28. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2022 (10%).

Is there a recall for the backup camera and parking sensors on the Ford Explorer?

Yes — 13 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 26V415000 (2027), 26V165000 (2025), 26V123000 (2024), 25V691000 (2025). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do backup camera and parking sensor problems show up on the Ford Explorer?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 30,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 12,000 and 53,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Back Over Prevention" heading cover?

The backup camera and rear parking sensors. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.