Backup camera quality

Just got a new 2023 ORP yesterday. The quality of the backup is awful. Very grainy. I don’t recall this on older 4Runners I’ve rented. dealership claimed that’s how they are.

Will there be a recall for this camera? Is anyone else with 2022 or 2023 have shit backup camera quality? The front camera not much better. Pretty sure previous years were better.

feel like I’ve been shafted over by Toyota

Will post pictures tomorrow

 

It's been the same since my 2010 Tacoma. No recalls or anything.

 

I have a 22 Limited (wife's) with the front and rear camera and 360 degree (cameras on both mirrors) view and a 21 Venture (mine) with the rear view only.

The resolution on the 21 (rear only) is dramatically better than the rear view on the 22.

My wife and I have taken both of them in at the same time for service and showed my service writer the difference and he's gotten the operations manager involved who called Gulf States Toyota's support team about it. The message we got is that the rear cameras are the same in both vehicles (21 vs. 22) but the software is totally different. The cameras on the mirrors and in the front on the 22 are lower res than the camera in the back and the software only renders the images in one resolution. Toyota was forced to lower the resolution for the whole system to comply with the lower res of the side cameras. I don't know whether to believe this story or not, but that's what I was offered as an explanation. It seems plausible.

 

Hmmmm. This is a disappointing. I guess I can make out another vehicle or large person but small kid or someone’s pet might not be able to see. Hopefully they come up with a fix.

 

We've been waiting since we first took it in complaining about it. That was in probably March (or so) or 2022 right after we bought the new Limited. I ask about it every time I'm in the dealers for service on either one of our 4R's, always the same response - no sir, haven't heard anything, but we'll let you know.

If you learn anything different please post it back here. I think it's a pretty lousy excuse for a camera myself. I can post the difference here too if I get a minute. The difference is real obvious.

 

I wonder if they means if we replace the side cameras with something better it will allow the system to utilize its full potential?

 

Don't think so. It's the main software that controls all the cameras. It's not something that can be changed. Apparently it's built into the 4R's master software operating system somewhere. Suggestion, you might explore it deeper with your dealership and see if they can find any better information than mine did.

 

My wife’s VW Atlas has an awesome 360° camera picture. Very clear. But the guide lines in reverse are terrible and if trusted will lead to a collision. The 4Runner’s camera image is terrible but I find the guide lines to be dead on. Overall I find the Toyota system to be more useful.

 

Wow, that really is disappointing. People already complained about the earlier model years! Personally, I find the one in my 2020 to be pretty decent -- and better than others I've seen. It's better than the one on my wife's 2021 Passport Elite. The only improvement I'd realistically ask for is better lighting at night. But I think that's much more a function of the back-up lights than it is the camera or software.

 

That's a problem with drivers these days. They back up like they are playing a video game instead of turning their heads and using mirrors. Are driver's license tests allowing this?

Even the image on clear cameras are fisheye'd and are never accurate until things get close. Cameras should only be used to check how close the vehicle is to something but so many people use them to drive.

Someone almost backed into me recently while staring at the camera. Good thing I had room to move because honking would not have gotten their attention.

Regarding camera quality, it is awful and even worse with the MTM package. My 2015 was better than my 2022.
I still believe it's an software issue. Seems like it's more difficult to find a poor quality camera these days.

 

Agreed. I almost exclusively use it for the overhead view to check the proximity of the front corners to obstacles. Over the holidays we had 4 cars parked abreast at the top of our curved driveway and backing out was sometimes like threading a needle. The overhead view was very helpful then.

 

@Texoma-Brad this information is super enlightening and useful. Seems like a super plausible explanation that could also be fixed with a firmware update. Maybe more complaints will result in a fix. I’m an old school turn my head kinda backer upper but I’d still like a camera that doesn’t look like it’s from 1990.

 

I took picture this morning. Not horrible I guess but the models before 2022 seemed a tad more clear. Wife’s 2021 RAV4 is better as well.

I can live with it. at least my 2023 got heated steering wheel and BSM

 

Pro tip: find a traffic cone or stack up some boxes to bumper height, put them a few feet behind the vehicle, and then back the car up until the red line meets the obstacle. Then measure the distance between your bumper and the obstacle, so you have a reference for the red line. Mine is a little over 5 inches at bumper height. There might be some variation between 4Runners, so I think everyone should take their own measurement.

 

Is that picture from the 23???
I notice it has the option to change to wide angle view and change the lines or remove them. My wife's lexus has that but not on my 22

 

Interesting. My ‘22 has them.

 

Very interesting. I have a SR5P and I see you have an ORP I can't imagine that would be the difference???

 

My ‘22 ORP has that ability as well. I also have the MTM cameras, so maybe that’s what allows these options.

 

Keep in mind that the rear camera is just there to prevent backing over something, not watching HD movies. It gets the job done.

 

yeah, but some want to actually see the grains the concrete before they back into the light pole. LOL. I don't judge.

 

@Captain Spalding @Klinsman55
Do both of you have the MTM cameras?

 

I do.

 

i do

 

I just got my trd pro 2023 and I noticed right away the camera sucks. You buy a 70k truck and this is what you get. Lmao. My camry 2015 has a better cam than this.

I thought there’s a plastic film covering it so I tried to scratch it lightly but no it just sucks. It was raining and couldn’t see a thing backing up. I felt like I was robbed by toyota for this. Haha

 

I cannot speak for the 4Runner yet, but the backup cam on my 2016 and 2020 Taco are just as ghetto.

 

How fortunate that the 4Runner comes with 3 handy rear view mirrors.

 

It really is a damn shame when you spend that kinda money and Toyota bamboozled people.

it’s not like you can test drive it ahead of time. All my dealerships require a deposit (some no refundable deposit) and you wait months for car to arrive. Who would have thought they would have downgraded the image quality from prior years. If anything I was expecting better quality!

I already emailed Toyota and all they had to say was thanks for your feedback.
https://www.toyota.com/support/contact-us/

will report the issue to NHTSA as well. Really is a safety hazard. I can see it being very easy not to see something or someone due to poor image quality and backing up into them/it.
https://www.nhtsa.gov/report-a-safety-problem#index

 

You paid 70k including Dealer Markup + Interest Charges. Just curious ?

 

Not trying to be a dick here, but I take it you cleaned the camera and made sure there was not one of those protective films over the lens...

Steve

 

haha