Automotive Part PickerCar Problems › Backup camera screen is completely black or heavily distorted

Backup camera screen is completely black or heavily distorted: Causes & How to Fix It

If your vehicle is showing backup camera screen is completely black or heavily distorted, here are the most likely causes and the parts you'll need to fix each one.

Most likely causes

Water Intrusion / Failed Camera Unitminor

Weather seals on the exterior camera can degrade over time, allowing moisture inside that shorts the internal electronics or permanently damages the image sensor.

Broken Wiring in Trunk/Liftgate Harnessminor

The wiring harness that bends every time you open the trunk or liftgate can fatigue and break over time, severing the video feed or power connection to the camera.

Loose Video Cable or Poor Groundminor

If an aftermarket radio or camera was recently installed, the RCA video cable behind the dashboard or the camera's ground wire in the trunk may be loose, pinched, or poorly crimped.

Blown Reverse Circuit Fuseminor

The backup camera often shares a power circuit with the reverse lights. If a bulb shorts out or the circuit overloads, the blown fuse will cut power to the camera, resulting in a black screen.

Infotainment System / Head Unit Failureaddress soon

The vehicle's main display screen or internal video processing module has failed and can no longer process or display the incoming video signal.

Not sure which it is? Run the full AI diagnosis →