Porsche is recalling 8,571 Macan Electric models because the reversing camera may be faulty. The problem was discovered in Europe by a dealer that reported it to Porsche to investigate. The issue is a leak in the adhesive holding the camera together that can allow moisture and debris in and affect the image.
Porsche identified the problem as “suspected plasma cleaning issues due to mishandling during production,” and that rearview cameras could be affected, traceable to specific batches. Porsche’s Product Safety department got involved in potentially affected markets, which includes the US, as the NHTSA is involved.
Unclean Cameras
With moisture and debris entering the camera, the telltale sign is a blurry image, or no image at all when shifting into reverse. Part of the fix under the recall notice is a software update and inspection of the camera. If necessary, the camera will be replaced at no cost. In the related documents, there’s mention of a problem “waking the cameras up from standby mode,” which may explain the software update.
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Badly cleaned camera parts and a software issue causing backup cameras to fail seems like Porsche has missed the basics, as this is basic technology now. However, it’s understandable because cameras are precision instruments and backup cameras are exposed to all the elements, and this is a common reason for a recall.
On top of that, software in the current generation of cars is getting ridiculously complicated, and complicated software develops bugs, particularly when the software is using the same hardware, often mixing it with other hardware, such as sensors, to create different features. What used to be a simple backup camera can now be part of a suite of safety features that includes rear cross-traffic warning and automatic rear braking.
Cameras Have Become Essential In Cars
According to the documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), “a rearview camera that does not display an image decreases the driver’s visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.” Porsche says it’s not aware of any damage or injury related to the recall. The NHTSA’s language is interesting, as a rearview camera should be an added layer of visibility, and an increase in the risk of a crash should be minimal if people are physically paying attention to their environment and looking around before reversing using the MK1 Human Eyeballs they were issued with at birth.
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Before rearview cameras, which have only been mandatory since 2018, and it wasn’t until 2002 that the first car in the US with a backup camera became available, we only had our eyes and ears to detect what was going on around us. That doesn’t mean backup cameras aren’t valuable, though. Over the years, visibility has shrunk due to windows getting smaller for a couple of reasons. Roof pillars have gotten thicker for crash safety, and sometimes, particularly concerning the rear window, for styling reasons.
With that in mind, it’s no surprise that people rely heavily on rearview cameras to the point that it is actually dangerous when they don’t work. Maybe it’s time for a conversation about that as we become more and more reliant on the sensors and cameras appearing on new cars.
Source: NHTSA
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