Subaru recalls 26,000 Imprezas for backup camera gremlins
A quick software reflash should solve the problem.
Sure, you may not need a backup camera, but if it's not working when it's supposed to, it's still a pain.
Subaru issued a recall for 26,564 examples of the 2017 Impreza in both sedan and hatchback guise. The vehicles in question have production dates between Sept. 12, 2016 and Feb. 23, 2017.
Thankfully, sight lines on the Impreza are good, so losing the backup camera isn't the end of the world.
The issue isn't actually related to any mechanical part of the vehicle -- instead, it comes from Harman's infotainment unit, which underpins Subaru's Starlink system. The backup camera display might not show up properly.
It could be a black screen due to a memory error during the initial boot-up, or the screen might freeze if too much is happening at the same time. Either way, when putting the car in reverse, the camera might not show up on the screen when it's supposed to, which can technically increase the risk of an injury or collision.
After discovering reports of a blank screen when putting the car in reverse, Subaru collected failed parts and sent them back to Harman, which investigated the issue and told the automaker how to fix it. Thankfully, the fix is easy -- Subaru will fix the issue with a simple software reflash, which should take about an hour at any dealership.
Subaru notified dealers of the issue on February 24, and it will eventually mail out notifications to owners via first-class mail. The schedule for owner notification has not yet been established, however.
