CHICAGO and LOS ANGELES -

Ford is being forced to defend itself in a federal class action lawsuit that was filed this week seeking damages related to alleged defects in the MyFord Touch dashboard infotainment systems that are found in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.

The suit filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California by the law firm of Grant & Eisenhofer and other firms was brought by the Center for Defensive Driving, a nonprofit educator based in Torrance, Calif.

The organization seeks compensatory relief on behalf of a proposed class of purchasers and lessees of Ford vehicles equipped with MyFord Touch systems, excluding those who have personal injury claims resulting from the defect in the systems.

When replying to an inquiry from Auto Remarketing, a spokesperson for the automaker said, “Ford’s policy’s is not to comment on pending litigation.”

In a press release dated Tuesday and outlining its position, the Center for Defensive Driving contends that it leased a 2013 Ford F-150 Lariat equipped with a MyFord Touch system, which suffered from numerous problems, including: 

—System lockup and total system failure
—Periodic non-responsiveness to peripheral devices (such as MP3 players and smartphones)
—Periodic non-responsiveness to voice commands.

The plaintiff alleged that between Feb. 22 and July 1 the truck’s MyFord Touch unit failed or locked up on no fewer than 27 separate occasions. 

The suit contends that the plaintiff’s experiences are by no means isolated — and that the Internet is replete with examples of blogs and other websites where consumers have complained of the same defect within their Ford vehicles. The complaint details similar complaints by consumers posted on a database maintained by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The Center for Defensive Driving, individually and on behalf of all other class members, seeks compensatory damages for defective systems. The plaintiff also seeks injunctive relief, requesting that Ford institute a recall.

Adam Levitt, a Grant & Eisenhofer director and head of the firm’s consumer practice group, said, “The MyFord Touch problems in Ford vehicles are legion and now well-documented.

“Had consumers known about the numerous and widespread issues with the system in Ford’s cars, they would not have purchased or leased these vehicles,” Levitt continued. “We intend to see that they are properly compensated for defective systems, and will call on Ford take affirmative steps to see that customers’ expectations are met.”

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