2018 Ford F-150 · symptom sheet

Backup camera goes black or freezes

38owner reports
45,000median miles
$500median quote
2involved a crash

Newest report Jul 3, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026

38 of the 89 reports of infotainment on the 2018 F-150 describe backup camera failure.

Part of Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails (89 reports)

No recall on this systemas of Oct 2, 2026

2 crashesin 38 reports

Tick what matches of 38 reports

the image goes black or blank

it freezes or shows a frozen image

it works sometimes and not others

the picture is distorted or pixelated

a recall exists for the camera

a software update did not fix it

Backup camera failure on other F-150 years

201645 reports 201838 reports 201953 reports 202030 reports 202126 reports

Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2014, 2015, 2017, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026.

What got replaced

Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the camera (38 reports), the head unit or screen (19 reports) and the wiring or connector (4 reports).

Recalls and investigations

No recall on other covers the 2018 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.

NHTSA investigations into other on the F-150

RQ21-002opened Aug 3, 2021

Backup camera · model years 2020

Rearview camera fmvss 111 noncompliance. Open.

EA05-005opened Mar 22, 2005

Electrical · model years 1994 to 2002

Engine compartment fires. Closed aug 2, 2006, led to recall 05V-388.

None of these investigations covers the 2018 model year.

What owners paid

5 of the 38 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $450 to $800.

$450$500$800

$0k$2k$4k$6k$8k

When it happens

Too few of these reports state a mileage to give a range.

What owners wrote

“Radio went out not long after I bought it. Nothing on that end works. No back up camera, nothing. Bad apim module. 1400 to replace. Itâs such a common issue and should be a recall.”
Filed Feb 25, 2025

“Backup camera was hard to see with, when backing up I could not detect obstacles. I replaced the backup camera with a new part at my cost of about $100 which I have a receipt for.”
Filed Nov 18, 2024

“APIM is bad. It causes safety issues as the SYNC 3 system is either slow to change or doesn't change at all. Among other issues, I've driven forward in Drive with the SYNC screen still showing the view of the reverse camera. IT interferes with any safety systems that require the APIM to react in a timely manner.”
Filed May 21, 2023

“Radio, rearview camera, compass, usb ports, eight inch display failure. APIM has gone bad, a very common Ford defect over several years covering several models, that is costing/has cost thousands of consumers over a thousand dollars each to repair. The APIMs are obviously defective, a recall should be issued, and Ford should be required to replace the APIM at no cost to the consumer.”
Filed May 3, 2023

Should you keep driving it?

This page can't tell you that. 2 of 38 reports involved a crash. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.

File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.

Guide Taking it to a shop? How to describe this problem so it gets found