Home › Guides › RAM › Back Over Prevention
Why does my Ram backup camera screen go blank in reverse?
Every recall in this group is the same federal failure — FMVSS 111 rear visibility — because the rearview image does not appear when the truck is shifted into reverse. Software causes most of them: radio software on 2020-2024 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups and cab chassis, the trailer reverse steering control module on 2021-2023 Ram 1500s, which was recalled three separate times, and the security gateway module on 2022-2025 ProMasters. Hardware causes the rest: a rearview mirror on 2018 Ram 1500, 2500 and 3500 pickups, a cracked camera microprocessor on 2019-2021 ProMasters, and 2022 ProMaster chassis cabs shipped with an analog camera that cannot be installed. One 2020 recall is the opposite problem — the image lingers on screen.
Warning signs to watch for
- No image at all on the display when you shift into reverse, or an image that appears only intermittently.
- On 2019-2020 Ram pickups with 8.4-inch or 12-inch displays, the camera picture stays on the screen after you leave reverse and can distract you.
- On 2019-2021 ProMasters, a rearview image that does not display properly because of cracks in the camera's microprocessor.
- On affected 2022 ProMaster chassis cab and incomplete vehicles, an analog camera that is the wrong type and cannot be installed at all.
- Nothing else changes — steering, braking and the rest of the vehicle behave normally.
Is it safe to keep driving?
None of these twelve recalls tells owners to stop driving or to park outside, and none of them affects how the truck or van drives, steers or brakes. The risk is confined to reversing: without the camera image you are more likely to back into a person or object you cannot see. Until the repair is done, back up slowly, use your mirrors, look over your shoulder, and walk around the vehicle first — especially in a ProMaster or a cab chassis, where rear visibility is already limited.
What the free repair involves
Most are software: dealers reprogram the radio, the trailer reverse steering control module, or the ProMaster's security gateway module. The 2024 radio recall could also be done over the air, and owners in the 2020 lingering-image recall had an over-the-air option as well. The hardware recalls replace the rearview mirror, the rearview camera, or supply a digital camera. All free of charge.
Severity at a glance
| Severity | Recalls |
|---|---|
| medium | 11 |
| low | 1 |
Models affected most
Every recall in this group
| Date | Recall | Severity |
|---|---|---|
| 2025-08-26 | Ram ProMaster and Dodge Journey backup camera may fail | medium |
| 2025-05-21 | Ram ProMaster backup camera image may not display | medium |
| 2024-06-13 | Jeep, Ram, Chrysler backup camera may show nothing | medium |
| 2023-09-28 | Ram trucks may not show the backup camera image | medium |
| 2023-02-09 | Ram 1500 backup camera may not show image | medium |
| 2022-12-22 | Ram ProMaster shipped with wrong rearview camera type | medium |
| 2022-08-25 | Jeep Wrangler, Gladiator and Ram 1500 backup camera blanks | medium |
| 2022-06-09 | Ram pickup backup camera image may not appear | medium |
| 2021-11-23 | Ram 1500 backup camera image may not appear | medium |
| 2021-06-10 | Ram 1500 backup camera picture may not appear | medium |
| 2020-09-10 | Jeep, Ram, Chrysler backup camera image stays on screen | low |
| 2018-06-14 | Dodge Journey and Ram backup camera image may vanish | medium |
Common questions
Is a backup camera really worth a safety recall?
Yes. These vehicles fail Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility," which requires the rearview image to display. A missing image raises the chance of backing into someone, which is why NHTSA treats it as a safety defect.
Can I get this fixed over the air instead of going to the dealer?
Only for some. The 2024 radio software recall could be done over the air or at the dealer, and the 2020 lingering-image recall offered an optional over-the-air update. The TRSCM, security gateway and all hardware recalls need a dealer visit.
I got a ProMaster letter but it says the fix isn't ready yet. What now?
That is the 2019-2021 ProMaster and 2019-2020 Journey cracked microprocessor recall. Interim letters explaining the risk went out beginning September 30, 2025, and a second notice follows once the final remedy — replacing the rearview camera — is available.
A recall applies only to specific vehicles. Check your 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.