GM Recalls 270,000 U.S. Chevy Malibus for Defective Backup Cameras

General Motors has issued a safety recall for more than 270,000 Chevrolet Malibu sedans from model years 2023 through 2025 in the United States because their rearview cameras can display blank or distorted images, according to a new filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The defect, which GM links to a bonding-process problem at camera supplier Sharp Electronics and to how the Malibu’s camera is mounted, can allow moisture into the housing and degrade the image. NHTSA notes that a rearview image that does not display correctly reduces the driver’s view behind the vehicle and increases the risk of a crash, although GM says it is not aware of any crashes or injuries so far. Owner notification letters are slated to go out on May 18, and dealers will replace the rearview cameras free of charge, with only an estimated 6% of the recalled vehicles expected to have faulty units. The case underscores how relatively small component and supplier issues can quickly trigger large-scale recalls that touch hundreds of thousands of U.S. drivers and feed ongoing concerns about the reliability of mandated safety technology like backup cameras.