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Report: Ford to update Sync, MyFord Touch software… again

Filed under: Technology, Ford, Infotainment

MyFord Touch

Ford hasn’t had the best luck with its MyFord Touch and Sync systems, as the finicky infotainment system has been subject to a critical whooping while customer issues have helped sink Ford’s IQS scores. The automaker has made a concerted effort, though, to try and fix MyFord Touch. And while the results have been mixed, The Blue Oval is hoping its latest free update, set to go live next week, will make things better.

According to a report from The Detroit News, the new system promises streamlined voice commands with fewer levels between opening query and actual result. Ford is also addressing where certain options are selected on the touchscreen. Rather than working one of the four quadrants on the homescreen, users will be able to select anywhere within the quadrant to make adjustments.

While it might only be a band-aid for MFT’s problems, the fact that Ford is still trying to improve it is a promising sign. It’s going to take more than just this update to address the system’s ills, though.

Ford to update Sync, MyFord Touch software… again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Aug 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Proposed class-action lawsuit targets ‘defective’ MyFord Touch

Filed under: Government/Legal, Technology, Ford, Lincoln, Mercury, Infotainment

A national law firm, Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, has filed a proposed class action lawsuit whose presupposition is that MyFord Touch is defective. Specifically, the complaint states that the system – as well as the MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch clones – often freeze, fail to respond to voice or touch commands and have issues connecting to mobile phones.

According to Hagens Berman managing partner Steve Berman, MyFord Touch is a theoretically “brilliant idea” that falls short in actual execution. Said Berman in a press release, “In reality, the system is fundamentally flawed, failing to reliably provide functionality, amounting to an inconvenience at best, and a serious safety issue at worst.”

Other MFT issues enumerated within the 41-page filing include problems controlling the window defroster, rear-view camera and navigation system. The suit maintains that Ford is aware of the problem but has yet to submit a workable and acceptable solution to MFT customers. Scroll down if you’d like to read the full press release.

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Proposed class-action lawsuit targets ‘defective’ MyFord Touch originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Jul 2013 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: MyFord Touch getting buttons and knobs back to counter criticisms

Filed under: Technology, Ford, Lincoln, Infotainment

MyFord Touch infotainment system controls with screen

Ford deserves credit for being a front-runner in offering advanced infotainment technology with its Sync and MyFord Touch systems, but continued consumer complaints over its confusing touchscreen interface and capacitive controls has made the automaker relent. The Wall Street Journal reports that physical buttons and knobs for controlling tuning and volume will be coming back to Ford vehicles equipped with the controversial infotainment system.

The 2013 F-150 with MyFord Touch gives us a glimpse of what the new layout with buttons and knobs might look like, as Ford says a similar balance of touch screen capability and buttons/knobs are what’s being planned for future models. And, while capacitive controls have no fans in the halls of Autoblog, many of Ford’s models with MyFord Touch do have a large physical knob for adjusting volume with integrated buttons for tuning and advancing tracks, though most of those are models with the optional upgraded Sony Audio system. Lincoln models with MyLincoln Touch, however, feature only capacitive controls for all stereo and climate functions.

Despite receiving enough complaints to throw buttons and knobs back into the mix (a move that reminds us of BMW’s iDrive trajectory, among others), Ford reports that Sync and MyFord Touch have still been sold on 79 percent of its 2013 model year vehicles, a number it claims is double the rate that Honda and Toyota are getting for their infotainment systems. Ford also states that owners who do opt for the duo of technologies are more satisfied with overall vehicle quality than those who don’t have it.

While Ford’s own numbers may show high rates of satisfaction, other surveys, specifically the J.D. Power & Associates Initial Quality Study, have taken a hit in recent years on account of new owners reacting to MyFord Touch and its buttonless capacitive controls. Ford’s ranking in the IQS plummeted to below average in 2011 after the system’s debut, which prompted a significant update for MyFord Touch the following year that fixed bugs, improved the user interface and improved the voice recognition. Nevertheless, Ford still ranked below average in the 2012 IQS survey, and today’s news of physical buttons and knobs returning to the center stack comes just two days before the release of results for J.D. Power’s 2013 IQS. Another system update will be released the summer, and Ford has increased warranties for all models equipped with the system.

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MyFord Touch getting buttons and knobs back to counter criticisms originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 17 Jun 2013 13:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Ford paying dealers to teach MyFord Touch to buyers

Filed under: Car Buying, Technology, Ford, Lincoln

MyFord Touch home screen

MyFord Touch – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Blue Oval’s MyFord Touch infotainment system is a powerful bit of kit, so it’s perhaps understandable that there’s proving to be a fairly substantial learning curve attached to it.

Thus, it’s no surprise that Ford salespeople are spending more time than normal with car buyers to explain how it all works. But as the old sales chestnut says, time is money, so Ford will reportedly compensate its sales force by providing $75 for every vehicle sold with the MyFord Touch system. This also applies to Lincoln models sold with the MyLincoln Touch system. In addition to the $75 MyFord Touch bounty, Ford is also providing $50 for any vehicle sold with Sync. The move by Dearborn is to assure that sales people take the necessary time to teach buyers how to master the system, and thus avoid disgruntled owners.

Despite the lack of a ‘Recomended’ rating from Consumer Reports, Ford is forging full steam ahead with its MyFord Touch system. By 2015, the automaker plans to make it available on 80 percent of its lineup.

Gallery: MyFord and MyLincoln Touch

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Report: Ford paying dealers to teach MyFord Touch to buyers originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford dealer giving lessons on MyFord Touch

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Crossover, Ford, Lincoln

MyFord Touch

2011 Ford Edge – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford dealers are beginning to realize some buyers aren’t comfortable with the virtual switchgear of MyFord Touch, and at least one dealer in Michigan is offering a free tutorial of the touchscreen controls.

Village Ford in Dearborn admits that while some of its younger buyers are more comfortable with the system, “… less tech-savvy customers need to come back in again.” And after Consumer Reports pulled its Recommended rating for the Ford Edge and Lincoln MKX due to ease-of-use issues with MyFord/MyLincoln Touch, there’s little doubt Ford and its dealers want to proactively assuage concerns and get people comfortable with the controls.

However, as Jim Seavitt, the dealership’s owner tells the Detroit Free Press, one issue is the lack of choice. If someone buys a vehicle with SYNC, they can choose not to use it, but if they option up for a higher spec Edge, “they have to use MyFord Touch,” according to Seavitt.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Ford dealer giving lessons on MyFord Touch originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: Hands-on with MyFord Mobile

Filed under: CES, Technology, Ford, Electric

MyFord Mobile Hands On

MyFord Mobile app – Click above for high-res image gallery

On the eve of Ford’s big unveiling at CES, we got an exclusive hands-on with MyFord Mobile, a smartphone app that keeps track of all the information an electric vehicle owner would want. Why does Ford need an app for an EV? That’ll be unveiled tomorrow, but you know what’s coming…

The app – which will launch on Android and Blackberry, with iPhone support coming later on – connects with an EV to provide the owner with a range of charging, location, telematics and driver-oriented information. If you’re an iPhone owner, you can also access all the features through any HTML5 browser (Safari) or from your desktop PC. And before you ask, the demo unit in the photos was running Windows Phone 7, but it isn’t supported just yet.

When you load up the app, you’re greeted with the vehicle’s state of charge, how long it will take to charge to different levels and the exact time the battery will be topped off. There’s also a page that lists how much CO2 you’ve saved, the amount of cash you’ve stolen out of Big Oil’s pockets and a rating of your driving style – a sliding scale that moves between ‘zippy’ and ‘zen.’

Ford partnered up with MapQuest to provide location data, including where the nearest charging stations are located, along with color coding (green, yellow and red) that indicates your charge status when you arrive. The mapping software also can calculate the distance to and from multiple destinations – round trip – and determines if you’ll have enough juice to get back home. It even takes into account the outside temperature and how it affects the battery’s discharge.

Finally, there’s the My Car section that covers everything from location, vehicle information (battery health, tire pressure, etc.), charge settings and how your personal driving style is affecting the amount of range you’re getting. Ford has also partnered with Microsoft to provide smart charging data, allowing you to only juice up your EV during non-peak use hours.

That’s all we can divulge for now, but you can get more details in the press release after the jump, the photos in the duo of galleries below and check back tomorrow at 11 AM PST/2 PM EST for official details on Ford’s new electrified XXXXX.

Gallery: Hands On: MyFord Mobile App