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Audi Issues Massive Recall of 70,000 Vehicles… 'Rear Camera Glitch' on Record Scale

[비즈한국] Audi Korea (Audi) has acknowledged a defect in the 'around-view and rear-view camera' systems, a long-standing issue frequently pointed out by consumers, and began a massive recall on January 7, 2026. This recall is of an unprecedented scale, covering flagship models such as the A6 and A7, as well as the latest models produced in 2025.

Voluntary Recall Due to Rear Camera Malfunction

According to Bizhankook's investigation, Audi sent a 'customer notice' to some owners on January 7 of this year. This was because the company confirmed that software errors related to the cameras could cause the around-view or rear-view camera to temporarily malfunction in some vehicles. Audi explicitly stated that there is a defect in the rear visibility device (rear-view camera).

The cause was stated as follows: “There is a possibility that the around-view camera or rear-view camera may temporarily fail to operate due to a software error related to the cameras installed in some vehicles produced/imported during a specific period. This does not meet domestic automobile safety standards as it fails to comply with parts of Article 53-2 (Rear Pedestrian Safety Device) of the ‘Rules on Performance and Standards of Automobiles and Automobile Parts.’”

According to the recall notice, the affected models include approximately 60 vehicle types, such as the A6 40 TDI (produced from 2019 to March 2025), A7 55 TFSI (produced from 2019 to June 2025), and the e-tron electric vehicle series. Notably, even the latest supercar models, such as the ‘RS e-tron GT performance’ produced in September 2025, are included in the recall list, raising criticism that Audi has been selling vehicles for years without resolving the defect.

Some Audi owners have frequently reported experiencing issues where parts of the around-view screen are not visible or the entire screen turns off while driving. One Audi owner, A, said, “The problem occurred from 2020 when I bought the new car, and I requested repairs starting in 2021. However, the service center told me they couldn’t fix it properly because they didn’t know the cause, and just told me to come in whenever the problem occurred,” adding, “Whenever I visited the service center, they only updated the software, but the around-view problem continued to occur afterwards.”

Same Problem Leads to Recall in the US… Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport says “Audi’s Voluntary Corrective Action”

The Audi rear camera issue is not limited to Korea. Recently, Volkswagen Group of America announced that it would recall 356,000 vehicles due to rear camera image issues in Audi cars.

This is not the first time Audi has faced rear camera defect issues. In 2022, Audi conducted a massive recall of approximately 23,000 vehicles across 61 models, including the A6 45 TFSI Premium, due to software errors in the rear camera.

This recall is a voluntary corrective action by Audi. An official from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport explained, “Last December, Volkswagen Group Korea submitted a reporting plan to implement a voluntary recall for Audi vehicles. The affected number of vehicles is approximately 71,000.”

An Audi representative stated, “We proceeded with the recall notice after confirming the potential for issues through continuous monitoring.”