Nissan North America has voluntarily recalled 1.36 million vehicles due to a reverse camera malfunction. The vehicles were discovered to be in non-compliance with federal vehicle safety regulations during routine testing.

In a statement given to Automotive News, Nissan explained, “Nissan Group has notified NHTSA and Transport Canada that it is recalling certain MY 2018-2019 Nissan and Infiniti vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, in addition to South Korea and Israel, to remedy a technical non-compliance by updating the rear visibility system.” Here are further details Nissan owners should know.

The reason for Nissan’s huge recall

According to the NHTSA Safety Recall Report, certain 2018-19 Nissan models were equipped with a faulty rear-visibility camera. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 111, Section 5.5.6 states that the settings of a rearview camera must default back to the original position each time the driver puts the vehicle in reverse, regardless of any prior modifications made to the camera view by the driver.

The rearview cameras in the recalled vehicles allow the driver to adjust the camera until the rear image is no longer visible. The system will then retain those settings the next time the driver reverses the vehicle. This violates FMVSS, as it can reduce rear visibility and increase the risk of an accident.

Corrective measures from Nissan

To resolve the issue, Nissan will update the rear-visibility system software in the recalled vehicles. The new software will limit the extent to which the rear camera image can be adjusted, in order to comply with FMVSS standards. 

Recalled Nissan vehicles

Below is a list of the vehicles included in Nissan’s recall. These are the only vehicles known to be equipped with the faulty rearview camera. At this time, all other Nissan vehicles with rearview cameras are fully functional within safety standards, to the best of Nissan’s knowledge. 

• 2018-19 Infiniti Q50
• 2018-19 Infiniti Q60
• 2019 Infiniti Q70 & Q70L
• 2018-19 Infiniti QX30
• 2019 Infiniti QX50
• 2019 Infiniti QX60
• 2018-19 Infiniti QX80
• 2018-19 Nissan Altima
• 2018-19 Nissan Frontier
• 2019 Nissan GT-R
• 2018-19 Nissan Kicks
• 2018-19 Nissan Leaf
• 2018-19 Nissan Maxima 
• 2018-19 Nissan Murano
• 2018-19 Nissan NV, NV200, and NV200 Taxi
• 2018-19 Nissan Pathfinder 
• 2018-19 Nissan Rogue
• 2018-19 Nissan Rogue Sport 
• 2018-19 Nissan Sentra 
• 2018-19 Nissan Titan
• 2018-19 Nissan Versa
• 2018-19 Nissan Note

If your Nissan model is on the recall list

If your vehicle has been recalled, contact your local Nissan dealership as soon as possible. According to the safety report, there is no cost or reimbursement to customers for the update, as all of the recalled vehicles are still under the manufacturer’s warranty. Nissan will also make plans to contact affected customers directly.

Earlier problems at Nissan

This recall couldn’t come at a worse time for Nissan. Earlier this month, CEO Hiroto Saikawa resigned amid allegations of illegal stock trading. The scandal, coupled with ongoing management issues with parent company, Renault, puts Nissan in a uniquely vulnerable position, and there is no end in sight. In fact, these are only the latest in a series of problems Nissan has faced in recent years.

As recently as 2017, Nissan made a huge recall of 1.2 million vehicles in Japan, when flaws were discovered in their safety inspection process. The 2017 recall cost Nissan approximately $222 million, a heavy blow to a company already in crisis.

What’s more, Nissan’s products are aging in a quickly advancing technological market. The company’s attempts to stay relevant have been plagued with pitfalls and delays. Profits fell significantly in the first quarter of 2019. Nissan announced in July that they would cut at least 10,000 people from their workforce.

However, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. Nissan recently rolled out plans for a new electric crossover vehicle for 2021. When Nissan released the Leaf in 2010, the company was ahead of the technological game, but electric vehicle competition is growing among popular automakers like Tesla and Ford. Will Nissan’s electric crossover be enough to compete? Only time will tell.