Home › Guides › BMW › Back Over Prevention
BMW Backup Camera Recalls Address Missing and Obscured Rearview Images
Missing or reduced rearview images dominate BMW’s listed back-over prevention notices. X3 appears in each camera notice, with X4 and several sedans and larger SUVs recurring across the broader campaigns. The September 2019 notice includes certain 2018-2020 X3 vehicles among a wide model selection. A July 2020 notice specifically addresses missing camera software in certain 2020 X3 vehicles. The September 2020 notice concerns a slightly obscured image in certain 2020-2021 models, while the February 2021 notice describes missing or reduced views across another broad selection. Separately, the January 2023 notice concerns absent external pedestrian warning sounds in certain 2022-2023 i4 and iX electric vehicles.
Warning signs to watch for
- September 27, 2019 backup camera recall — the rearview display may lack an image.
- July 29, 2020 X3 recall — shifting into reverse does not display a rearview image.
- September 30, 2020 camera recall — a small portion of the rearview image may be slightly obscured.
- February 19, 2021 camera recall — the rearview image may be missing or reduced.
- January 25, 2023 i4/iX recall — the external pedestrian warning sound may fail to operate.
Can you keep driving? What the notices say
The September 27, 2019 broad-model backup camera notice does not tell owners to stop driving. The July 29, 2020 X3 missing-image notice and September 30, 2020 partially obscured-image notice also do not tell owners to stop driving. The February 19, 2021 missing-or-reduced-image notice gives no stop-driving instruction. The January 25, 2023 i4/iX pedestrian warning sound notice likewise does not tell owners to stop driving. These are the continuing-driving instructions stated in the supplied notices.
What the free repair involves
The September 2019 camera update, July 2020 X3 programming, and February 2021 software inspection and necessary update are free. The September 2020 notice specifies inspection and software programming if necessary, but does not state a charge. The January 2023 i4/iX recall specifies a free update to the external artificial sound generator software.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| high | 1 |
| medium | 4 |
Models affected most
Where owners report back over prevention problems most
NHTSA owner complaints filed under back over prevention for the BMW models and years in this guide. Complaints are unverified reports and are not limited to the recalled defects.
| Vehicle | Back over prevention complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 BMW X5 | 9 |
| 2022 BMW I4 | 2 |
| 2021 BMW X6 | 1 |
| 2019 BMW 640I | 1 |
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 25, 2023 | BMW i4 and iX may not make pedestrian warning sound | medium |
| Feb 19, 2021 | BMW backup camera may show partial or blank image | medium |
| Sep 30, 2020 | BMW X3, X4 and M5 rearview camera image partly blocked | medium |
| Jul 29, 2020 | BMW X3 Rearview Camera Image Missing | medium |
| Sep 27, 2019 | BMW, Toyota Supra backup camera image can vanish | high |
Common questions
What does the missing-image recall say about the 2020 BMW X3?
The July 29, 2020 notice says certain 2020 X3 vehicles lack rearview camera software, so shifting into reverse does not produce an image. Dealers program the software free of charge. The notice states the affected vehicles had been remedied by November 9, 2020.
Do these BMW camera notices describe the same display problem?
The notices describe different image problems. The July 2020 X3 notice describes no image in reverse, the September 2020 notice describes slight obstruction of a small image portion, and the February 2021 notice describes missing or reduced rearview images.
Why are BMW i4 and iX warning sounds included here?
The January 25, 2023 notice concerns certain 2022-2023 i4 eDrive40 and iX xDrive50 vehicles. A control-unit fault during startup may prevent the external pedestrian warning sound. The stated remedy is a free dealer update to the sound generator software.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.