One of the biggest reasons for automotive recalls in the last couple of years has been problems with backup cameras. Now Tesla is the latest to run into that visibility problem, and it is recalling nearly 220,000 models as a result. It's not specific to a certain vehicle, nor is it something affecting newer trims. Recall Covers A Long Delay For Cameras To Display Tesla The rear camera issue affects those vehicles at start-up. In recall documents filed with the NHTSA, Tesla states that a certain configuration of software can prevent video streams from the car's exterior cameras from being sent to the center screen. It's only a problem for up to 11 seconds, and only at vehicle power-up. But if you're a driver who hops in and pops the car into reverse immediately, then you might not get your rearview camera. That's a problem for federal motor vehicle safety standards.Tesla said that it will come back after those seconds, but it has still issued a fix. Like most camera issues, it's a software update. The update stops the delay and makes sure the camera view comes up right away, putting it back into compliance and satiating the impatient reversers of the world. Tesla said that more than 99.92% of the vehicles involved have already installed the firmware with the recall remedy, version 2026.8.6.1.This recall only affects what Tesla calls Hardware Version 3 vehicles, which went out of production in January 2024. That means the vehicles covered can stretch back all the way to 2017, though nearly all are from 2020 through 2023.The process from problem to solution was a shockingly quick one. Tesla's firmware engineering teams were first made aware of the problem on April 10, 2026, when an engineering vehicle running the then-new version 2026.8.6 suffered the issue. Your Car Is Probably Already Fixed Tesla Tesla immediately stopped rolling out that software version and on April 11 started sending out 2026.8.1, which already contained the fix while it assessed the problematic version. By April 27, Tesla had figured out what models were affected and began the recall process, but most of the vehicles had already been updated and fixed.The company said that it has identified 27 warranty claims and two field reports possibly related. As of May 1, it said it was not aware of any collisions, injuries, or fatalities resulting from the possible 11-second delay. Owners will still get a recall letter, and they'll go in the mail July 3. Anyone with software 2026.8.6.1 or newer already has the fix. What's Wrong With All These Cameras? FordCamera recalls have been dogging the industry over the last couple of years. Four of the 10 largest recalls in 2025 were for cameras, and in 2026 already, nearly 3 million vehicles have been recalled for camera images either failing to display or taking too long to display. Automakers including Ford, GM, and Toyota have had recalls for camera issues this year, and nearly all have been fixed with software updates rather than a replacement camera.Rearview cameras were made mandatory for all new vehicles in the US under 10,000 pounds GVWR beginning May 1, 2018. The camera requirement was first introduced in US legislation in 2007, but multiple delays pushed implementation back until 2018. A study funded by the Pediatric Surgery Department at UTHealth Houston in 2025 showed that adding the cameras cut backover fatalities of children under five by 78%, and cut severe injuries in half.