SEATTLE – Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, a consumer-rights law firm, has filed an amended complaint against Ford Motor Company (NYSE: F) in a lawsuit that alleges its MyFord Touch touchscreen system is defective, locking users out of its features as well as posing safety hazards.

The 200-page complaint, filed Nov. 12, 2013, in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, details the experiences of two dozen plaintiffs nationwide who have purchased Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicles featuring the allegedly defective MyFord Touch, MyLincoln Touch and MyMercury Touch systems.

These touchscreen systems allow users to access and use many of their vehicle’s features, including GPS navigation technology, its audio system, cruise control and rearview camera, among many others.

Yet, according to the suit, there have been thousands of reports from vehicle owners and lessees detailing repeated failures with MyFord Touch. Many of these reports describe the system freezing up or crashing, leaving the driver unable to operate any of its features—including important safety features such as the rearview camera and defroster.

“MyFord Touch and its related systems were hailed for being some of the first vehicle ‘infotainment’ systems on the market—and they were a significant selling point for many Ford customers,” said Steve Berman, managing partner of Hagens Berman and one of the attorneys who filed the lawsuit. “But being quick out of the gate means nothing if Ford can’t deliver on even the most basic functionality it promised.”

According to the amended complaint, Ford emphasized in its marketing MyFord Touch’s safety features, such as its ability to dial 911 in the event of an accident. If functioning properly, features like these could offer life-saving protection to drivers—a major selling point for a system with a hefty price tag.

The complaint goes on to cite internal Ford documents that purportedly show that 500 of every 1,000 vehicles have issues involving MyFord Touch due to software bugs, and failures of the software process and architecture. Owners report that Ford has been unable to fix the problems, even after repeated attempts.

Filed as a national class-action, the suit asks the court to order a product recall or a free replacement program for MyFord Touch systems, provide owners with compensation or the failed system and to enjoin Ford from continuing its deceptive marketing of the flawed system.

Additional information about this case is available at www.hbsslaw.com/cases/ford---myford-touch.
 

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About Hagens Berman
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP is a consumer-rights class-action law firm with offices in nine cities. The firm has been named to the National Law Journal’s Plaintiffs’ Hot List seven times. More about the law firm and its successes can be found at www.hbsslaw.com. Follow the firm for updates and news at @ClassActionLaw.

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