"EyeSight Disabled, No Camera View" in Subaru. What's This?

Whenever you get an error message on the dash of your Subaru, it frustrates you. This means you will have to go to the dealer, leave your car there for some time, and spend your time and maybe even money unless the vehicle is covered by the warranty. But not all error messages are that bad. Sometimes, they have hard-to-spot problems though.

Eyesight disabled message highlights

• Common reasons:camera blocked, bad weather, camera broken, software issues
• How to fix:clean the camera area, defog windows, wait for better weather, disconnect the battery for some time
• Possible consequences:a lot of smart functions won't work
• Priority level:Medium
• Can you drive?Yes
• DIY repair:Possible
• Repair price range:$0-$450

Very short 101 about the EyeSight system

A lot of modern Subaru cars have the EyeSight system. This is the driving assist system that embraces the camera and several sensors and radars all around the vehicle to provide you with the best experience of adaptive cruise control use. On their website, Subaru states that the system should not be considered capable in all road conditions and the driver should always rely on their own attention.

Anyway, the EyeSight system has a lot of functions that help you drive the car automatically. It can keep the vehicle on its current lane, brake automatically before you even understand that there is a dangerous situation on the road, and keep a certain distance from cars on highways. This is cool. But it doesn't work at all times.

First of all, the system will only work when nothing disturbs the camera view and nothing blocks the sensors. Also, it will work in that case only if the EyeSight equipment feels well and can communicate between different units. Once something is wrong, you will get an error message. And sometimes these messages can be really annoying.

"EyeSight Disabled, No Camera View" error message

Unfortunately, when you see this message, your EyeSight system will not work. At all. No functions will be available and the message may reappear every 5 or 10 minutes depending on what actually triggers it.

This is annoying and disturbing. Sometimes, this can even be seen as a safety issue because getting error messages when you are driving in intense traffic in New York or at the speed of 80 MPH on the highway is not safe at all. Not even saying about getting those messages every 5 minutes.

So, this message means the following:

• something is wrong with the EyeSight equipment (not only the camera, anything can trigger it);
• currently, you can't use any EyeSight features in your Subaru and have to rely on your driving skills only;
• even when the message is not showing now, the assist system is disabled at least till you restart the car;
• this problem can be really serious when you are on the highway and relying on the assist system.

Be careful whenever you see this message. Now, your vehicle won't brake automatically and won't keep itself in the lane. Unfortunately, there have been several cases when Subaru drivers got into accidents because of the EyeSight system issues. And you won't get any compensation from Subaru because they clearly state that the assist system should not be used as the autopilot.

What causes the "EyeSight Disabled, No Camera View" message?

Well, there are several common things that can cause this message in your car. Also, there are some mystery issues that can also trigger this problem but can't be found. Sometimes, Subaru dealerships just replace the EyeSight equipment to get rid of the problem. And this helps but it costs a lot of money so such a solution is only good when the warranty covers the repair costs.

Here are the reasons you should check first:

1) The windshield is dirty

This is a pretty clear and straightforward reason why you may see the message telling you that the assist system is disabled. If the windshield is dirty, the camera can't get the needed picture and the system deactivates automatically.

Usually, it's enough to clean the windshield with the wipers and screenwasher, sometimes you will also need to defrost the windows because of some fog on the inside part of the windshield.

2) Foggy camera lens

The camera glass can also become foggy and this is one of the mystery problems that are hard to catch. Wipe the camera lens with a soft and clean tissue and see if the problem disappears. You should understand that the camera lens can become foggy when the humidity in the car is too high. This may happen because of the old cabin air filter, poor ventilation, or just extremely wet weather.

3) Bad weather conditions or sunbeams

Sometimes, the EyeSight cameras in your Subaru may get blinded by the sun. This happens only when you drive directly looking at the sun at the sunset or sunrise. Also, this problem disappears once the sunbeams angle changes.

Also, the camera may refuse to work when it's foggy or extremely rainy. For the camera to work well, the weather must be really good and the air must be transparent.

If this is the case, you should just wait. There is nothing that has to be repaired.

4) Something is disturbing the camera

I know about the cases when E-ZPass disturbed the work of the camera and overall the EyeSight system. Just don't keep such passes with chips inside near the windshield or near the camera. The best way to keep them in the car is to find some place behind the driver - maybe in the pocket of the driver's seat behind the back.

5) Some sensors don't work or are disconnected

Wiring problems are not usual for Subaru cars but any water damage or mechanical damage can easily lead to issues with connections. Some wires may get corroded or just broken and the system will not be able to work due to incomplete data.

This is hard or even impossible to locate on your own. Even the dealership mechanics will spend quite some time to find this problem.

6) EyeSight is faulty

The system is controlled by an electronic unit that operates all the data from the sensors and the camera. Whenever this unit fails, the system stops working. Also, it can throw misleading messages about the faulty camera and make things much more complicated to diagnose.

If the system is faulty, it usually has to be completely replaced. But before you agree to pay so much money, you should first reset the control module by disconnecting the battery for several minutes.

7) Low battery or bad alternator

The EyeSight system in your Subaru relies on the power supply from the battery and alternator. If something goes wrong with the voltage in the system, the equipment may start malfunctioning. This is one of the serious cases that may destroy a lot of different things in your car and lead to absolutely insane error messages and warning lights coming up the dash.

If there is a problem with the alternator, battery, or charging system in your Subaru, make sure you solve them before you invest in any other repairs.

Can you drive if the EyeSight is malfunctioning?

The EyeSight system is obviously not the most important piece of equipment in your Subaru and the vehicle may easily go with this system being deactivated. But you will not have access to several functions. And the worst thing is that you will get this annoying message telling you about the camera issues in the EyeSight system once every 10 minutes or so.

So, of course, you can drive with the faulty EyeSight assist but you should be careful and avoid being distracted from the road just by the messages appearing on the dash regularly. Also, you shouldn't ignore this problem because it can lead to unpleasant issues and affect the safety of your driving.

Final thoughts

Although the problems with the EyeSight system in Subaru cars are not that common, they may be very annoying and sometimes even dangerous for you. So, it's important to know how this system works and what exactly can fail in it. Also, you may want to know the most common issues and some ways to repair the problem on your own.

In this article, I've given you several ways to deal with the problem when your Subaru throws a message about driver's assist problems and camera issues. Now, you can locate and even solve the problem on your own.

Write about your experience in the comments below and ask questions if you have any!