MyFord Touch Settlement
Ford has agreed to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleges MyFord Touch defects that allegedly cause the system to freeze, fail to connect to mobile phones via bluetooth and repeated crashes. I wrote about that issue here.
According to the lawsuit, Ford has known for years about the defective systems (multiple technical service bulletins and warranty extensions were issued by Ford) The documents also suggest Ford knew the system failures could cause safety hazards while driving.
The class-action lawsuit includes all customers in the following seven states who purchased or leased a Ford or Lincoln vehicle through a Ford dealership before August 9, 2013.
California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Washington.
According to the proposed settlement terms, affected customers will receive the latest update of the MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch software. Additionally, dealers will verify the software update is working properly for one year after installation of the software update if customers experience problems.
Customers who submit a claim will be eligible for the following:
If the MyFord Touch system was repaired one time, they can receive a $100 payment or a $200 discount off the purchase of a new vehicle.
Two software repairs will make a customer eligible to receive a payment of $300 or a discount of $600 off the purchase of a new vehicle.
Three or more software repairs to the system can receive a $500 payment or a $1,000 discount toward a new vehicle.
The agreement describes a software repair as services performed by a Ford dealer in response to a customer complaint about MyFord Touch problems. A software repair is also defined as an installation of an updated version of the infotainment software by a Ford dealer or independent repair shop if a customer paid for the repairs.
Customers may also be reimbursed if they paid for repairs to the systems because the vehicles were past their warranty periods. In addition, an eligible customer will receive a payment of $35 if they submit a claim stating they experiences two or more incidents of MyFord Touch or MyLincoln Touch malfunctions.
The settlement agreement can be found here.