From the moment cars equipped with MyFord Touch rolled off the assembly line two short years ago, the infotainment system has been a black eye for the company.
It has been plagued by glitches. It blacks out. It freezes up. It stops working. It requires numerous software updates. It refuses to connect to drivers’ mobile phones. It fails to respond to touch commands. Not all of the time, mind you, but when it does fail to work as promised, critics quickly complain.
And now those complaints have landed Ford in court. The Center for Defensive Driving has brought a class-action lawsuit against the automaker in U.S. District Court, alleging the company knowingly concealed defects and advertised the products as fully functional. It seeks damages in excess of $5 million.
Ford did not respond to questions about the lawsuit.
In its complaint, the CDD, a nonprofit based in Torrance, Calif., says the company continued to sell cars with the systems, long after Ford CEO Alan Mulally said in numerous interviews that MyFord Touch, MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch were faulty.
The lawsuit stated the organization leased a Ford F-150 Lariat pickup equipped with MyFord Touch in February. By July 1, the MyFord Touch system had failed on 27 separate occasions, the lawsuit claims. As the problems persisted, the center initiated a buyback request with Ford. But a company representative said they should visit the Sync website and troubleshoot compatibility issues.
“The system has been an unmitigated disaster for Ford,” the lawsuit alleges. “The Internet is replete with complaints from Ford owners who have experienced significant problems with the system.”
Complaints such as the one from the Center for Defensive Driving have sent Ford’s reliability rating plummeting. In November 2012, Consumer Reports ranked Ford 26th out of 27 automakers in its annual measure of reliability.
Automotive experts who conduct the annual survey of car owners noted that it wasn’t mechanical problems that hurt Ford, but that the plunge was directly related to MyFord Touch.
“Ford had a really bad year this year,” said Jake Fisher, the director of automotive testing for Consumer Reports.
Pete Bigelow is an associate editor at AOL Autos. He can be reached via email at peter.bigelow@teamaol.com and followed on Twitter @PeterCBigelow.
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Car owners are seeing an increase in problems with vehicles they’ve purchased in the past three years, says research firm J.D. Power, which recently released its Vehicle Dependability Study.
The research firm says car owners are seeing more problems with engines and transmissions than in prior years. The problems are particularly bad with 4-cylinder engines, Power says. Owners complain frequently about engine hesitation, lack of power, and rough gear changes, the firm says.
For 27 years, J.D. Power has been conducting surveys of new car owners to gather data about problems with their vehicles. The dependability study collects this data and rates cars and brands based on the numbers of reported problems over three years of ownership. The results are adjusted based on sales numbers to determine a number of “problems per 100 vehicles.”
While J.D. Power does not release the specific numbers for each model, it does release the numbers for each brand, as well as for the industry as a whole. Additionally, it offers the top performers in each segment, such as crossovers, trucks and luxury vehicles.
We’ve compiled a gallery of the highest and lowest scoring brands in the 2014 Dependability Study. Head through to see who was at the top and bottom of the list.
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 112Buick, one of GM’s luxury brands, took the number five spot on the JD Power list this year with 112 problems per 100 vehicles. Hearing the word “Buick” probably doesn’t immediately conjure the word “quality” in many minds, but the numbers don’t lie: It’s one of the most dependable brands out there right now.Research MoreShop New Buick VehiclesShop Used Buick Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 109Acura, which is Honda’s luxury arm, took fourth place on this year’s study with 109 problems per 100 vehicles. This isn’t surprising. Honda has been known for making reliable vehicles for years, and with the extra attention and quality that goes into more expensive luxury rides, the end result is a brand that is among the most dependable on the planet right now.Research MoreShop New Acura VehiclesShop Used Acura Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 107
We already saw one GM brand on the list of the most dependable vehicles (Buick). Here’s another.Cadillac is the higher-end luxury brand in GM’s portfolio. It has had a resurgence as of late, bringing to market cars that are better looking, more fun to drive and, as this study suggests, much more reliable.Research MoreShop New Cadillac VehiclesShop Used Cadillac Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 104
German cars tend to have a poor reputation for reliability.Mercedes-Benz, however, seems to want to put that sentiment to bed. With only 104 problems per 100 vehicles, the luxury brand took the number two spot on the list. Considering how much these cars tend to cost, it’s nice to know that they will generally last you a while.Research MoreShop New Mercedes-Benz VehiclesShop Used Mercedes-Benz Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 68
With just 68 problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus blew the other brands out of the water and took the top spot as the most dependable brand. These numbers suggest that the luxury arm of Toyota, which has a great reputation for reliability in its own right, is the most well-built car brand out there. This isn’t really surprising: Lexus took the top spot in last year’s study, too.Research MoreShop New Lexus VehiclesShop Used Lexus Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 169
While Hyundai has been on a roll with a stable of sharp, fuel-efficient vehicles, dependability seems to be holding the brand back. The Korean automaker, which, to be fair, has drastically improved the quality of its cars over the past decade, still suffers from having 169 problems per 100 vehicles.Research MoreShop New Hyundai VehiclesShop Used Hyundai Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 178Jeep is known for making some of the most capable off-road vehicles you can buy. But while they may be able to tackle the Rubicon Trail with minimal issue, dependability seems to be a mountain that the brand cannot scale. The American SUVs suffered from 178 problems per 100 vehicles, according to the study.Research MoreShop New Jeep VehiclesShop Used Jeep Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 179
Almost everything said about Jeep on the previous slide can apply to Land Rover. A Land Rover is arguably the best vehicle you can have if you need to get across the Sahara, but if you’re tackling the concrete jungle, it’s not a great option. The British brand, which is owned by India’s Tata Motors, had 179 problems per 100 vehicles, according to J.D. Power.Research MoreShop New Land Rover VehiclesShop Used Land Rover Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 181
TheDodge brand has suffered since the Great Recession decimated Chrysler, its parent company. Its cars have been mediocre, lagging well behind competitors from companies like Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota and Mazda in almost every aspect. A big problem that Dodge will have to overcome is dependability, as, according to the study, for every 100 of its vehicles, there were 181 problems.Research MoreShop New Dodge VehiclesShop Used Dodge Listings
Problems Per 100 Vehicles: 185
Mini, which is a British brand built by BMW, has always been known for its novelty, cute design and fun-to-drive demeanor. It has not, however, been known for reliability. According to the J.D. Power study, Mini suffered from 285 problems for every 100 vehicles, solidifying its place as the least dependable car brand out there right now.Research MoreShop New Mini VehiclesShop Used Mini Listings