Volvo Recalls Nearly 500,000 Cars Over a Simple Software Glitch

Volvo has issued one of the largest single recalls of the year so far. It affects 413,151 vehicles in the United States and another 40,673 in Canada, going back to the 2021 model year. The problem lies with the backup camera, which may fail to engage when shifting into reverse. This is considered a safety system that fails to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111 for rear visibility, hence the recall.

Wondering if your Volvo is affected? These are the specific models cited in the recall.

The problem lies not with the camera, but a software glitch that can cause the camera display not to appear for a driving cycle. A fault code could trigger under certain conditions that may prevent the display from appearing. The nature of the fault code isn’t made clear, but the result is drivers seeing an error message saying “Camera is temporarily not available.” At this time, there are no known reports of accidents or injuries resulting from the problem.

Volvo first learned of a potential issue in the spring of 2021. That’s when the first report of an error message surfaced; the company logged 57 reports of potentially related failures since then. An investigation into the problem was escalated on March 26, 2025, ultimately leading to the recall as of April 30.

Fortunately, it’s a straightforward issue that’s easy to fix. Volvo will simply update the software, either during a dealership visit or through an over-the-air update on vehicles so equipped. Dealer notification has already begun; individual owner notification will begin by June 24.