Stellantis Recalls 848,000 U.S. Vehicles Over Blank Backup Cameras
Selecting reverse normally triggers a tightly coordinated sequence: the rear camera activates, its video passes through the vehicle’s electronics, and the central display switches to the wide-angle rear view. In about 848,000 U.S. Stellantis vehicles, radio software can interrupt that sequence and leave the screen blank.
Stellantis announced the recall on August 17 as part of a worldwide action covering approximately 955,000 vehicles. The company says the affected vehicles can otherwise continue operating normally, but losing the camera image removes a federally required rear-visibility function. Most owners are due a free software update delivered remotely rather than a conventional hardware repair.
Which Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles are covered
The U.S. recall includes specified vehicles from the 2026 and 2027 model years. The named models are:
Chrysler: 2026-2027 Pacifica, Pacifica Plug-in Hybrid and Voyager.
Dodge: 2026-2027 Charger.
Jeep: 2026 Cherokee, Compass, Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Grand Cherokee L, Grand Wagoneer, Grand Wagoneer L and Wrangler.
Ram: 2026 Ram 1500, Ram 2500, ProMaster and ProMaster EV.
A model appearing on that list does not necessarily mean every example is included. Owners can use their 17-character vehicle identification number with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recall lookup or the official Mopar recall search. Recently announced recalls may not immediately show every affected vehicle because identification records can be added over time.
Why radio software can affect a safety camera
The problem illustrates how a modern vehicle’s central screen serves more than entertainment and navigation. It is also the display endpoint for a regulated safety function. The camera itself may be capable of producing an image, yet a software problem in the radio and infotainment system can prevent that image from reaching the driver when reverse is selected.
That systems integration has a clear human-factors consequence. Mirrors and direct sightlines remain available, but they do not reproduce the camera’s wide-angle view immediately behind the vehicle. A driver may encounter the blank screen unexpectedly while backing through a driveway or crowded parking area, even though no other obvious operating problem is present.
Federal rear-visibility requirements are why the condition is being treated as a safety defect rather than simply an infotainment inconvenience. Rear cameras have been required on new U.S. passenger cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks covered by the rule since 2018. Stellantis has said it is unaware of accidents or injuries associated with this recall.
Most repairs can be completed remotely
The remedy also demonstrates the other side of software integration. Most affected owners are expected to receive an on-screen or app prompt allowing them to approve or schedule a free over-the-air radio update while the vehicle is parked. The system downloads the revised software, installs it and reboots the infotainment unit, eliminating the need to replace the camera or central display when the update works as intended.
A dealer remains part of the repair path for vehicles whose radios cannot receive the update or do not install it successfully. That fallback matters because a remote remedy still depends on the vehicle’s communications hardware, software state and ability to complete the installation correctly.
Until the revised software is installed, drivers whose camera image does not appear should rely on rearview and side mirrors and check their surroundings directly before reversing, as Stellantis advises. The recall’s central tension is unusually clear: the shared software platform allowed a radio fault to suppress required rear visibility across numerous vehicle lines, while that same connected architecture gives most owners a way to restore the function without visiting a service bay.
By Thomas Caldwell — AMI’s senior editor for mechanical and mobility engineering, covering vehicle electronics, systems integration, electrification, chassis systems, propulsion, and safety policy.
