Ford will pay up to $165M fine for rearview camera recall failures

In Brief

Ford has agreed to pay a $165 million penalty to federal regulators after moving too slowly to recall vehicles with faulty rearview cameras. 

This is the second largest fine the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has handed out in its 54-year history, after the 2019 Takata airbag recalls. 

Ford also failed to provide accurate and complete information in its reports to NHTSA and to submit certain quarterly recall reports in a timely manner, according to the agency’s consent report. 

Ford will ante up $65 million in the next couple of months, with $55 million “held in abeyance” subject to Ford’s adherence to the consent order terms. The automaker will spend the remaining $45 million on developing technology to improve safety, including advanced safety data analytics capabilities and a multimodal driver assistance technology test lab focused on low voltage electronics, like rearview cameras. 

NHTSA’s remedies also require Ford to enlist an independent third party with expertise in motor vehicles and Safety Act requirements to ensure the automaker remains compliant with federal safety regulations. 

“We appreciate the opportunity to resolve this matter with NHTSA and remain committed to continuously improving safety and compliance at Ford,” a Ford spokesperson told TechCrunch. “Wide-ranging enhancements are already underway with more to come, including advanced data analytics, a new in-house testing facility, among other capabilities.”

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