Ford Drivers Sue Over Allegedly Defective Rear-View Cameras

Travis Corby leased a new Lincoln Aviator in December 2020. But less than three years later — thanks to a rear-view camera defect — the car is now useless, he alleges in a new class action lawsuit. 

Unable to sell it or return it, he says it now sits idle on the street in front of his home.

Corby has now partnered with three other Ford drivers who also allege issues with their vehicles’ cameras, to file a proposed class action lawsuit against the company seeking compensation for what they say are faulty vehicles that they can’t drive or get rid of.

Plaintiffs Corby, Neil Dorfman, Chad Hobson and Allen Davis filed the lawsuit against Ford Motor Company on April 11 in an Illinois federal court, alleging violations of state and federal consumer laws.

Lawsuit: Ford knew about camera defect but hid it

The lawsuit alleges that 2020-2023 Ford Explorer, 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator and 2020-2023 Lincoln Corsair vehicles are all fitted with a faulty 360-degree camera system. 

The plaintiffs say that Ford knowingly hid the fact that the vehicles were fitted with a camera system that saw glitches, blue or black screens and camera failures.

The camera system is a vital element of the car because more than 200 people are killed and over 12,000 more are injured each year as a result of backover crashes, the lawsuit says. 

As a result, since May 2018, it has been a federal requirement in the United States that all vehicles are equipped with a backup camera for safety, the lawsuit says.

Cameras present but don’t work, drivers allege

While Ford may fit its vehicles with 360-degree cameras, the inbuilt defect “causes output failures,” preventing the rear-view camera image from properly displaying and rendering the backup camera “non-functional,” the lawsuit says. 

“This exposes drivers and occupants of the Class Vehicles, as well as others sharing the road with them, including pedestrians, to increased risk of accident or injury,” it adds.

Ford is not the only company to face a proposed class action lawsuit over a rear-view camera. Last year, a woman sued Kia for more than $5 million alleging her Nissan Kia Sorento’s backup camera is affected by a mounting clip issue.

No fix available, driver forced to buy new car

Corby says the camera defect started showing up in his 2020 Lincoln Aviator within the first two years of use. He says, despite reporting the issue to the dealership multiple times, the issue was not fixed and the dealership said it could not help.

“He was told that scheduling an appointment would be pointless because Lincoln had not yet come up with a solution to the Camera Defect,” the lawsuit states.

Corby asked Lincoln to take back the vehicle due to the defects, but was told it was not an option, the lawsuit says. Meanwhile, the car was becoming more dangerous to drive, he recalls. 

“When the Camera Defect occurs, the Vehicle’s reverse brake assist also spontaneously glitches and engages, thus bringing the vehicle to an abrupt stop for no apparent reason.”

Corby says he was forced to buy a new car in July 2023. However, he was not able to sell or return the Lincoln, due to the defect. “As a result, Mr. Corby’s Lincoln has sat idle on the street in front of his home for nearly two months,” the lawsuit states.

Seeking justice for nationwide class of drivers

The drivers say they are looking to represent anyone in the United States who purchased or leased one or more model year 2020-2023 Ford Explorer, 2020-2023 Lincoln Aviator or 20202023 Lincoln Corsair vehicles equipped with a 360-degree Camera. 

They are suing for violation of warranty laws, fraudulent omission, breach of contract and unjust enrichment and are seeking certification of the class action, damages, fees, costs and a jury trial. 

The plaintiff and the proposed class are represented by McCune Law Group, McCune Wright Arevalo Vercoski Kusel Weck Brandt, APC and The Miller Law Firm, P.C. 

The Ford faulty rear-view camera class action lawsuit is Dorfman et al., v. Ford Motor Company, Case No. 4:24-cv-10942-FKB-DRG in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois.