A rearview camera is easy to take for granted until the screen stays blank when a large luxury SUV is shifted into reverse. That possibility is now at the centre of a major Range Rover safety recall spanning both sides of the Canada-U.S. border.
Jaguar Land Rover is recalling 93,997 Range Rover SUVs in the United States over a water-related rear-camera defect, while 7,482 Canadian vehicles have been identified under the corresponding Transport Canada campaign. The affected vehicles span the 2022 through 2026 model years. Regulators say inadequate drainage can allow water to damage the camera, potentially leaving drivers without the expected rear image while reversing. The repair goes beyond simply replacing failed cameras: dealers are also being instructed to improve drainage around the tailgate so the underlying problem is addressed.
U.S. Recall Pushes the Known North American Total Above 101,000
The U.S. portion is substantial. NHTSA campaign 26V678000 covers 93,997 certain 2022 through 2026 Land Rover Range Rover SUVs. The recall received widespread attention on October 23, when U.S. regulators confirmed the issue publicly, but the campaign itself is recorded as having been reported on October 15. That distinction matters because Transport Canada’s corresponding notice was also originally published on October 15 rather than representing a completely separate defect discovered afterward.
In Canada, recall 2026498 covers 7,482 Range Rovers from the same 2022 through 2026 model years. Together, the published U.S. and Canadian populations amount to 101,479 vehicles. The manufacturer’s campaign number is D171 in both markets, reinforcing that regulators are dealing with the Canadian and American portions of the same broader safety action. The numbers do not mean every Range Rover from those model years is affected, however. Recall eligibility is determined by specific vehicle identification numbers and production records, so an individual owner still needs to confirm coverage.
The Recall Is Limited to Certain 2022–2026 Range Rover SUVs
Despite Jaguar Land Rover’s wide lineup of SUVs, the current D171 campaign specifically identifies certain Range Rover vehicles from model years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026. It should not automatically be interpreted as covering every Range Rover Sport, Evoque, Velar, Defender or Discovery simply because those vehicles may use related camera technology. Separate Jaguar Land Rover models have been involved in other camera recalls, but they have their own campaign populations and repair instructions.
That distinction is especially important in the used-vehicle market. Two visually identical 2023 Range Rovers parked beside each other at a dealership may not necessarily have the same recall status. Vehicle recalls are defined using production information and VIN records rather than model year alone. Transport Canada specifically warns that not every vehicle within an affected make, model and model-year grouping is necessarily subject to a recall. For owners, fleet operators and used-vehicle shoppers, the model-year range should therefore be treated as an initial warning sign rather than final confirmation that a particular SUV requires the D171 repair.
The Problem Starts With Water That Cannot Drain Properly
The defect is relatively straightforward mechanically, even though the component it affects is electronic. U.S. recall information says water may not be able to drain away from the rearview camera because there are insufficient drain holes. Water that remains around the camera can eventually damage the unit, leaving it unable to provide an image when the vehicle is put into reverse. Transport Canada describes the issue similarly, warning that water can leak into the rearview camera and cause its image to display improperly or disappear altogether.
That means the problem is not being treated simply as a frozen infotainment screen or a software glitch. The repair instructions point directly toward water management around the tailgate and camera area. In day-to-day use, an owner might encounter the problem after exposure to rain, washing or other wet conditions, although the recall notice does not say every affected SUV will experience a failure. A functioning camera may give no obvious hint that the underlying drainage arrangement is inadequate, which is why owners should rely on VIN-based recall status rather than waiting for the camera to fail.
A Blank Camera Is Considered a Genuine Safety Problem
Backup cameras have moved from convenience feature to regulated safety equipment. NHTSA says rearview video systems have been required on all new light vehicles in the United States since May 2018. Their purpose is particularly important at low speed, where children, pedestrians, bicycles, posts and other objects can be difficult to see immediately behind a vehicle. Transport Canada likewise requires rear visibility systems on passenger cars, SUVs, light pickups and minivans under Canadian Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111.
Regulators therefore treat a camera that unexpectedly stops displaying an image as more than an annoyance. Both NHTSA-linked recall information and Transport Canada warn that the loss of the rear image can reduce a driver’s ability to see behind the vehicle and increase crash risk. The camera is still only one part of safe reversing: government guidance continues to tell drivers to use mirrors, look around the vehicle and check over their shoulder. But when a vehicle is designed and certified with a mandated rear-visibility system, that system is expected to be available when the driver selects reverse.
Dealers Will Modify the Drainage System as Well as Check the Camera
The planned repair addresses both the damaged component and the conditions that can cause the damage. U.S. dealers are instructed to drill additional drain holes in the underside of the tailgate trim, inspect the rearview camera and replace it if necessary. U.S. recall records state that repairs will be performed without charge to affected owners. The Canadian corrective action follows the same basic approach: Land Rover will direct owners to a dealer, where the camera will be inspected and replaced if required and drainage holes will be added to the tailgate trim.
That drainage work is significant because replacing a failed camera without addressing water accumulation could leave the environmental cause untouched. The campaign instead attempts to give water an improved path out of the camera area. In the United States, interim owner letters describing the safety risk are expected to be mailed on December 11, 2026, with additional communication to follow once the final remedy process is available. Transport Canada says Land Rover will also notify Canadian owners by mail. Dealer scheduling and parts availability may therefore become relevant as more than 100,000 North American vehicles enter the campaign.
Owners Do Not Need to Wait for a Camera Failure to Check Their SUV
Range Rover owners can check their VIN even if the camera appears to work perfectly. Land Rover operates VIN-based recall lookup tools for both its U.S. and Canadian websites, while NHTSA also allows Americans to search for open safety recalls using a VIN or licence plate. Transport Canada provides recall databases and directs Canadian owners toward manufacturer VIN tools when they want to confirm whether a particular vehicle is involved. A VIN is normally found at the lower corner of the windshield, on the driver-door certification label or on registration documents.
Recently announced recalls can take time to populate fully in some lookup systems. NHTSA specifically notes that some new campaigns may not initially show every affected VIN because identification records continue to be added. An owner who has a 2022–2026 Range Rover but initially receives no result can therefore check again or contact an authorized Land Rover dealer. Until a confirmed affected vehicle is repaired, normal reversing precautions become particularly important: use the mirrors, turn and check the surroundings directly, reverse slowly and never assume the screen will provide the complete picture.
Land Rover Has Faced Rear-Camera Water Problems Before
D171 is not the first Jaguar Land Rover recall involving water and rearview cameras. In January 2024, NHTSA campaign 24V023 — Land Rover campaign N778 — covered 58,729 U.S. Range Rover and Range Rover Sport vehicles from the 2018 through 2022 model years equipped with a surround-camera system. Jaguar Land Rover documentation from that campaign also listed 9,463 Canadian vehicles. The concern involved water getting into the rear camera housing or bezel and potentially producing a poor, distorted or missing image. That campaign used camera inspection, replacement where required and improved sealing as its remedy.
Another U.S. campaign announced in December 2024 covered 11,961 certain 2022 and 2023 Range Rovers after water could enter the rearview camera. And in July 2026, Transport Canada announced a separate recall for 2021–2025 Land Rover Discovery SUVs in which inadequate water drainage could damage the rear camera. The Discovery remedy notably included adding drainage holes to the tailgate trim, closely resembling the approach now specified for the Range Rover. These are separate campaigns, and overlapping model years do not automatically mean the same VINs are involved.
The Matching Canadian and U.S. Campaigns Show Why VIN Checks Matter
The Canadian and American D171 recalls line up unusually closely: the same Range Rover model, the same 2022–2026 model-year span, the same water-related camera concern and essentially the same drainage-and-inspection remedy. The manufacturer recall number is also the same. That makes the two notices useful for Canadian owners who may first encounter the much larger U.S. recall in headlines and wonder whether the issue crosses the border. In this case, it clearly does.
Canada and the United States also operate closely aligned rear-visibility requirements. Canadian regulations governing rear visibility systems specifically reference portions of the U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 111 framework. Still, recall populations are administered nationally, which is why the U.S. figure of 93,997 and Canadian figure of 7,482 are published separately. For an individual owner, the six-figure North American total is less important than one 17-character number: the VIN. Checking that number with Land Rover or the appropriate national regulator is the most reliable way to determine whether an SUV needs the camera and drainage repair.
