Toyota Issues Massive Recall: Over 1 Million Cars Affected by Rearview Camera Issues

The Japanese automaker has discovered a rearview camera defect that could compromise driver and pedestrian safety.

Toyota has announced a massive recall affecting over one million vehicles worldwide, including Lexus models and even the surprising inclusion of the Subaru Solterra. The main issue is a defect in the rearview camera that may prevent the image from displaying correctly on the infotainment screen if the driver performs certain actions too soon after starting the vehicle.

Detected Technical Issue

According to the official report, vehicles equipped with the Parking Assist ECU may experience two problems: the rearview image can freeze when shifting into reverse within a specific timeframe after ignition, or the image may fail to display on the next startup if the vehicle is turned off and on again quickly. Toyota began investigating the potential issue in April 2024 after receiving reports from Japan and ultimately discovered a software problem that could compromise safety, prompting the recall.

The issue occurs if the vehicle is shifted into reverse between 0.7 and 2.6 seconds after ignition, during which the screen may freeze for up to 1.8 seconds–ample time for a pedestrian or another vehicle to cross the car’s path. Additionally, the inoperative display problem occurs when two 23-millisecond camera optical alignment data writing processes run randomly during the first 12.5 seconds after ignition.

The list of affected models includes nearly all recent Toyota and Lexus vehicles, as well as the Subaru Solterra. Among them are: Toyota Camry 2025-2026, Toyota RAV4 2023-2025, Lexus RX 2023-2026, Lexus LS 2023-2025, Toyota Highlander 2023-2025, and many more. This recall demonstrates that even modern, technologically advanced cars are not immune to software errors that can impact safety.

Toyota has already begun contacting owners of affected vehicles, instructing them to take their cars to a Toyota service center, where a technician will update the Parking Assist ECU software to fix the issue. This step is crucial to ensure that safety and assistance systems function correctly and prevent potential accidents.