Subaru Legacy, Outback, BRZ backup camera screen may stay blank

NHTSA campaign 18V935000 · Reported Dec 31, 2018 · Subaru of America, Inc.

medium How serious is it? About this label

Not seeing the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of a crash. The notice does not tell owners to stop driving.

Key facts

NHTSA campaign number	18V935000
Reported to NHTSA	Dec 31, 2018
Manufacturer	Subaru of America, Inc.
Part affected	Visibility:rearview Mirrors/devices
Vehicles covered	3 model/year combinations, model years 2018
Do-not-drive advisory	No
Park-outside advisory	No
Repair	Free at any franchised dealer

What's wrong, in plain English

Subaru is recalling certain Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. A software problem can keep the audio display system from starting up, and when that happens the camera display stays blank. If that occurs, the rear camera image will not appear while you are backing up. Because of this, the vehicles do not meet the federal rearview mirror safety standard. Dealers will reprogram the audio system display software at no charge. Subaru has notified owners, and the recall began February 5, 2019.

What you should do

1. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your car is covered. 2. Contact a Subaru dealer, or Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614, and mention recall WTZ-85. 3. The software reprogramming is free.

Where do I find my VIN, and what do I tell the dealer?

Your VIN is the 17-character code on the lower left of the windshield, on your registration and usually on your insurance card. Enter it at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether this recall is still open on your car. When you call the dealer, say you have an open safety recall and give them NHTSA campaign number 18V935000. More in how recalls work.

Affected vehicles (3)

2018 Subaru BRZ
2018 Subaru Legacy
2018 Subaru Outback

Who to contact

Subaru — official Subaru recall lookup

Customer service: 1-844-373-6614

Any franchised dealer for the brand can do the repair. Phone numbers are taken from manufacturer sites and recent NHTSA notices; if one has changed, the number in your own recall letter is the one to use.

The bigger picture

Subaru Visibility Recalls Involving Glass, Defrosters, and Backup Cameras · all 5 Subaru recalls in this area

Other Subaru Outback recalls

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Jul 8, 2022Subaru Legacy and Outback Transmission Chain May Slipmedium
Jul 1, 2022Subaru Outback Wiring Fault May Cause Engine Stallmedium

All 15 Outback recalls

Official notice

Component: VISIBILITY:REARVIEW MIRRORS/DEVICES
Summary: Subaru of America, Inc. (Subaru) is recalling certain 2018 Legacy, Outback, and BRZ vehicles. In the affected vehicles, a software issue may cause the audio display system to not initialize, resulting in the camera display remaining blank. If this occurs, the rearview image will not display while backing up the vehicle. As a result, the vehicles fail to comply with requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety (FMVSS) number 111, "Rearview Mirrors."
Safety risk: Failure to display the rearview image while backing up increases the risk of crash.
Remedy: Subaru has notified owners, and dealers will reprogram the audio system display software, free of charge. The recall began on February 5, 2019. Owners may contact Subaru customer service at 1-844-373-6614. Subaru's number for this recall is WTZ-85.

Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov. Recall repairs are free of charge by law.