- Ford said 1,000 employees in Michigan will begin beta-testing a software upgrade for the MyFord Touch system, which debuts on the 2013 Escape, Flex and Taurus.
- In early November, Ford announced that it would offer upgrades and new features for the MyFord Touch system following complaints about “problems with new technology” in the 2011 Consumer Reports reliability survey.
- The software upgrade will be offered at no charge to existing MyFord Touch owners.
DEARBORN, Michigan — Ford said 1,000 employees in Michigan will begin beta-testing a software upgrade for the much-maligned MyFord Touch infotainment system. The upgrade, which Ford said is “designed to make the system faster, simpler and easier to use,” debuts on the 2013 Escape, Flex and Taurus and will be available early next year to current owners of other Ford models with the system.
Ford said the 2013 MyFord Touch system will get new touchscreens with simpler graphics and easier-to-use controls, as well as enhancements to phone compatibility, voice recognition, navigation maps and destination entry.
In early November, Ford announced that it would offer upgrades and new features for the MyFord Touch system following complaints about “problems with new technology” in the 2011 Consumer Reports reliability survey.
The Consumer Reports survey, released in late October, said that Ford’s reliability rating dropped due to problems with MyFord Touch and the automated manual transmission in the Ford Fiesta and Focus.
The software upgrade will be offered at no charge to existing MyFord Touch owners, the automaker said, on such MyFord Touch-equipped vehicles as the 2011 and 2012 Ford Explorer and Edge and 2012 Focus. Owners of the 2011 and 2012 Lincoln MKX will also get the upgrade.
Ford said that it will send U.S. owners a USB flash drive with the MyFord Touch software upgrade early next year. It can be installed by the owner or a dealer.
Before it is released to the public, the MyFord Touch upgrade will begin a month-long, “real world” beta test this week among 1,000 Ford employees driving company lease vehicles.
Ford said the beta test is “part of a new, innovative approach to ensure a high-quality launch of the improved system.” The company said employees involved in the test will provide “real-world feedback, helping us polish the final product before it goes to our customers.”
Inside Line says: A sensible approach to what has been an ongoing customer- and public-relations nightmare.
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