Ford Fusion Backup Camera Not Working: How to Fix

Your Ford Fusion backup camera stopped working, and you want to try fixing it yourself before taking it to your dealer.

You don’t need to be an expert to fix the issues in a Ford Fusion backup camera. In this article, we’ll reveal all the tips you can apply to repair your backup camera.

But first, you should know why the backup camera isn’t working.

Here are some common causes of backup camera issues in a Ford Fusion:

The camera’s brightness is too low.
Your SYNC system software is outdated.
The camera’s lens is dirty
The camera’s fuse is blown.
The camera’s connector is loose
Your infotainment system is malfunctioning.
Your car has a functional issue.
Your camera has a settings error.
Your camera is damaged.

Table of Contents

How to Fix Ford Fusion Backup Camera Problems

Adjust Your Backup Camera’s Brightness

If your Ford Fusion backup camera shows a blank screen when you are reversing, you may think that the camera has stopped working. However, it could just be you’re your backup camera’s brightness is low.

You’ll need to increase the camera’s brightness to solve this problem.

Take these steps to adjust the brightness settings on your Ford Fusion backup camera:

Tap on Settings on your home screen.
Select Display. Then click on Brightness.
Pull the slider on the Brightness page to the right to increase your camera’s brightness.

If the camera still shows a blank screen after you’ve adjusted its brightness settings, move to the next tip.

Update Your SYNC system software

Another reason your Ford Fusion backup camera may show a black screen is outdated software. When you operate your backup camera with outdated software, the camera may get exposed to bugs. These bugs often prevent the camera from working.

Updating your SYNC system software should fix this issue.

The installation process for the SYNC system software differs across Ford Fusion models. We’ll share all methods here.

Follow these steps to update your SYNC software:

For 2008-2016 Ford Fusion cars:

Park your car in a well-ventilated area
Switch on your engine.
Turn on the radio.
If you’ve turned on Bluetooth on your phone, switch it off.
Insert the flash drive where you’ve downloaded the software update into the USB port on your vehicle.
Tap on the Phone button on your stereo system.
Click on Return. Then press Ok.
Next, choose Advanced.
Tap on Ok.
Select Install Application and tap on Ok.
Your SYNC system will automatically read the files on your USB drive.
When it discovers the software update file, it will ask: Install Application?
Click on Ok to confirm that you want to install the file to your system.
Your SYNC system will start updating its software.
While the update is ongoing, it will display the notification: Installing Application.
You may also get this message: Your download is in progress, and the system may reboot several times during the update. Please wait up to 10 minutes until you hear your SYNC system update was completed.
Don’t turn off your engine or remove the USB drive during the update.
After about 10 minutes, your SYNC system will tell you that the installation is complete.
The system may restart now. This reboot will take longer than usual.
After the reboot, tap the MENU button to leave the installation mode.
You can now remove your flash drive from your USB port.

For 2017-2020 Ford Fusion cars:

Visit the Ford website ford.com.
Turn on your car. Then insert the USB drive that contains the software update you’ve just downloaded into the USB port.
Tap on the Menu button.
Scroll down to SYNC-Settings.
Click on Ok. Next, select Install on SYNC.
Tap on Ok to confirm that you want to install the software update to the system.
A prompt will appear on your screen. Click on Yes to continue.
You’ll hear a message telling you that the SYNC system will reboot and begin the update.
This update will take about 10-20 minutes, during which your SYNC system will be unresponsive.
Once the update is complete, the system will say this: Your SYNC system update is complete. The system will now reboot. Please wait a few moments before trying to use the system.
Your SYNC system will now go off and turn back on.
Now, you need to report on the Ford website that you’ve installed the software update.
Remove your USB drive from the USB port.

If your backup camera fails to work after you’ve updated your SYNC system software, continue to the next step.

Clean Your Camera’s Lens

Sometimes, dirt and other foreign objects may block your camera’s lens. When this happens, the camera won’t be able to display the images in your rear view properly. The images on the camera may look cloudy, or worse—you might only get a black screen.

Clean your camera’s lens to eliminate this issue. You’ll need a microfiber towel and some cleaning spray to clean the lens thoroughly.

First, pour the cleaning spray over the lens. Then, use the microfiber towel to wipe off the dirt. Also, remove any foreign objects you find around your camera.

After cleaning your camera, place it back into its holder. Then shift your gear to Reverse and check if the images on the camera look clear.

If you still can’t see the images on your backup camera clearly, try the next tip.

Change the Blown Fuse

If the images on your Ford Fusion backup camera look foggy, or the camera displays a blue screen, the device’s fuse might be blown.

But this isn’t always the case. A blue screen might also appear on your backup camera if the camera’s fuse loosens, even if the fuse is still working.

If you see a blue screen on your backup camera, remove and reconnect the camera’s fuse to ensure that it fits snugly into its fuse box. You can locate your backup camera’s fuse by studying the fuse box diagram in your Ford Fusion user manual.

If the blue screen still appears on your backup camera after you’ve plugged the fuse properly, the fuse might be blown. As such, you’ll need to replace it.

Your backup camera should resume working after you’ve changed the fuse.

Remove and Re-insert Your Connector

Do the images on your backup camera flicker while you are reversing? If they do, your camera’s connector might be loose.

Water often leaks into the Ford Fusion backup camera connector. This causes the pins in the connector to weaken. After a while, they loosen from the vehicle.

Since the backup camera isn’t well connected to your car, your shifter might not be able to communicate properly with the camera. This is what makes the images on the backup camera flicker.

If you don’t fix this issue immediately, your backup camera may start displaying a Camera Unavailable message whenever your gear is in Reverse.

Whether your rear view images are flickering or your backup camera keeps showing a Camera Unavailable message, there is only one way to fix the problem. This solution involves removing and re-attaching your camera’s connector to your car.

Before you re-insert your connector into your trunk, add dielectric grease to the pins in the connector. This will prevent the connector from loosening easily in the future.

After inserting your camera’s connector, shift to Reverse and study the images on your backup camera.

If the images are still flickering, the camera’s connector might be faulty. In that case, you’ll need to change your connector.

Once you’ve replaced the connector, your rear view images should stop flashing on your camera’s screen.

Reset Your Backup Camera’s Settings

Your Ford Fusion backup camera may stop working because of a settings error in the device. This error may cause the camera to stay on even after you’ve shifted your gear out of reverse.

You can fix this issue by resetting the camera’s settings.

Follow these steps to reset the settings on your Ford Fusion backup camera:

Click on the backup camera on your display screen.
Disable all backup camera options. Then go back to the home screen.
Tap on the backup camera and enable all options.

If the camera fails to work after this, try the next tip.

Reset Your Infotainment System

If your backup camera doesn’t work after you’ve reset it, the problem might not be from the camera itself. Rather, your infotainment system may be the reason your backup camera is malfunctioning.

There might be a bug in your infotainment system that causes the device to misbehave. Because your backup camera works with the infotainment system, any issue that affects the system often extends to the camera.

To resolve this problem, you’ll need to reset the infotainment system.

Here’s how to reset your infotainment system:

Make sure your engine is turned on.
Press and hold the power button on the infotainment system for 10 seconds.
The system should go off now.
Next, press and hold the power and number 6 buttons on the stereo system simultaneously.
Hold these buttons for about 10 seconds before releasing them.
Your infotainment system will be back on.

Is the backup camera working now? If not, move on to the next tip.

Reset Your Car

If your Ford Fusion isn’t functioning properly, your backup camera may not work. Like with your infotainment system, problems in the car often affect the backup camera and other electronic devices.

The only way to resolve this issue is to reset the vehicle.

Take these steps to reset your Ford Fusion:

Turn off your engine.
Disconnect the negative terminals on your vehicle’s battery.
Press the push button start to turn on your car. Then switch on the headlights and leave them on for about 5 minutes.
This will drain up the rest of the electrical power in the car.
Now, reconnect the negative terminals to the battery and restart the car.

If this reset doesn’t fix your backup camera, continue to the next step.

Factory Reset Your Backup Camera

If your backup camera doesn’t work after you’ve tried all the steps above, the camera may have a severe functional issue.

A factory reset should fix this problem. Factory resetting your camera will remove all the bugs in the device. Please note that you should only factory reset your backup camera if other solutions have proved abortive.

Follow these steps to factory reset your Ford Fusion backup camera:

Remove your camera from the car.
Search for the small reset button in a hole in the camera.
Press this button with a pin to factory reset the camera.

Your Ford Fusion backup camera should be working now. But if it isn’t working, try the next step.

Replace Your Camera

In most cases, a factory reset eliminates all underlying issues in the Ford Fusion backup camera. But if the factory reset doesn’t fix your backup camera, the device is most likely damaged.

As such, you’ll need to replace the camera.

Here’s how to replace a Ford Fusion backup camera:

Open up your trunk.
Use a screwdriver to unscrew the bolts and nuts holding your tailgate access panel to your trunk.
Pry out any piece you find on the panel with a knife. Then detach the panel from the tailgate.
You’ll see several white screws on the roof of the trunk. These screws connect the trim panel outside the trunk to your car.
Remove all the screws you find on the roof.
Now, you can pull out the trim panel at the back of your trunk.
Once you’ve disconnected the trim panel from the trunk, turn it over.
Your backup camera is located at the center of the panel.
Remove the white screw above your backup camera to access the device.
Now, take out the old camera and insert the new one.
Return the screws, bolts, and panels to their respective position.

Reverse your car after replacing the backup camera to see if the camera is working normally. The camera should be in good shape now.

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Wrapping Up

If you apply these tips with the steps we’ve provided, you should be able to fix your Ford Fusion backup camera. Avoid factory resetting your backup camera unless all the previous solutions don’t work for your camera.

If you get a new backup camera, and the device doesn’t work properly, contact your dealer.