The National Law Journal (7/17, Bronstad) reports that a proposed nationwide class action lawsuit “has been filed against Ford Motor Co. over defects associated with the interactive touch-screen display systems in its Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.” The MyFord Touch system, “launched in 2010, was designed to seamlessly operate audio controls, global positioning system navigation and climate controls, as well as a Bluetooth device. But Ford chief executive officer Alan Mulally acknowledged that the system has had technology problems. The defect has caused Ford to plummet in rankings by J.D. Power & Associates and Consumer Reports.” The suit was filed on Monday in a Los Angeles Federal; court by the Center for Defensive Driving, “a nonprofit organization in Torrance, Calif.,that gives presentations to young drivers about automobile safety.”
The Chicago Tribune (7/17, Dye, 450K) reports on a class action lawsuit filed by the Center for Defensive Driving two days ago in US District Court against Ford Motor Co. that claims the automaker “neglected to fix defects in vehicle touch-screen control systems that create safety hazards for drivers.” According to the article, “The plaintiffs are bringing the lawsuit on behalf of customers who purchased or leased Ford vehicles equipped with a MyFord Touch system, as well as variations like MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch,” who say “system freezes up, malfunctions, blacks out and fails to connect with mobile devices.” The lawsuit makes it known as well that customers “lodged complaints with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration over the system,” while others have even set up websites devoted to recording customers’ problems with the system.