Not really what a new owner wants to see....

[cbdallas]

Damn. Oh well...I love my new car, so I'll say a little prayer that my MFT behaves itself. I wasn't aware Ford had slipped so severely. Maybe they tried to engineer too much, too fast. But at least they're out there REALLY creating, instead of sitting on their hands like GM.

http://autos.yahoo.com/blogs/motoram...170243393.html

According to J.D. Power & Associates annual Initial Quality Survey of new-vehicle owners, problems with 2011 models after three months on the road fell 5 percent from the previous year. But complaints about in-car electronics systems, especially voice controls, surged -- knocking Ford, which has pushed its MyFord Touch screen and Sync into about 4 million vehicles, to 27th out of 34 brands rated, down from fifth two years ago and 23rd last year.

[Elizabeth]

If you read why, the drop is all due only to the MFT MyFordTouch software issues.
Since most other companies do not yet have anything like it, they are not experiencing such issues.
And maybe the new Focus tranny might have a little to do with it too?

[Malibooya]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

And maybe the new Focus tranny might have a little to do with it too?

Possibly, but if it feels like the Fiesta's tranny...the average American consumer is truly hopeless. I've driven a Fiesta with the new auto...and it's totally fine. I like it more than my car's complete slushbox.

[cbdallas]

I have no idea exactly what kind of data JDP collects, (if ACTUAL repairs were made, or if they're just counting how many visits the cars make to service departments) but I'm kinda suspecting that at least some of the defect claims MIGHT have more to do with the operator, and less to do with MFT.

As far as the transmissions go...I also suspect that some of the issues may be from people who believe that a DCT should shift & feel exactly like a traditional automatic.

[2012TI]

If Ford did not team up with the worst software house on the planet (MICROSOFT) they would be #1 again. they should have went with Apple not Microsoft, the car would be more $$$ but not a big deal. IMO Ford is the best you can get, I been a Ford famley for over 50 years. GM and Chevy has been behind for about 50 years, all there stuff has the rolling file cabinet look, and to this day they still use molding's on some of there doors.

[DrkKnight614]

Originally Posted by cbdallas

I have no idea exactly what kind of data JDP collects, (if ACTUAL repairs were made, or if they're just counting how many visits the cars make to service departments) but I'm kinda suspecting that at least some of the defect claims MIGHT have more to do with the operator, and less to do with MFT.

As far as the transmissions go...I also suspect that some of the issues may be from people who believe that a DCT should shift & feel exactly like a traditional automatic.

Posted via FF Mobile Exactly, similar to how CR has rated the focus reliabilty based on consumer complaints with MFT and the transmission. Consumer opinion and an actual problem are two very different things.

[GhiaFan]

The results of this survey cover vehicles sold between Dec.-Feb. and the MFT fix didn't start shipping until MARCH.

Reading the JDP press release article, the way it reads to me is that new vehicles are pretty damn good, the culprit giving new vehicle owners lousy ownership experience is "unsatisfactory voice commands." If you listen to the video Mr Sargent states that it is the younger owners complaining more about problems with the technology then the older owners, due to their expectations are higher. They (younger owners) compare their vehicle technology to their Smart phones, music devises,tablets etc, and are finding that their new vehicle technology is not as intuitive to use as some of these devises, and therefore tend to report a high level of problems.

From the linked article -
"For the first time in the 26-year history of the study, owners report more problems related to audio, entertainment, and navigation systems than in any other vehicle area.
Specifically, the number of owner-reported problems with factory-installed hands-free communication devices has increased 137 percent during the past four years. In fact, hands-free devices not recognizing commands has become the most-often-reported problem in the industry.

[lyonsroar]

Originally Posted by Elizabeth

If you read why, the drop is all due only to the MFT MyFordTouch software issues.
Since most other companies do not yet have anything like it, they are not experiencing such issues.
And maybe the new Focus tranny might have a little to do with it too?

So the drop is due to the poor functioning of a key entertainment system that people paid good money for and which Ford touted as being "groundbreaking" and "amazing" before the car even hit showroom floors.

Yeah, the low score isn't warranted at all...

[Boiler]

Actually there have been some very serious issues with the My Ford Touch and related systems on Ford vehicles. Do a search on the subject and read the complaints. This is not some young kid complaining about poor voice recognition. Based upon the reports, I would NOT purchase a new Ford with the My Ford Touch infotainment system unless I could remove it. The mechanicals and engine control electronics are fine, but the microsoft firmware is a serious problem that Ford must correct before they lose additional customers. Like it or not many people believe the CR data and base their ppurchases upon that data. Ford vehicles are too good to allow software/firmware to kill sales.

[RonMaiden]

Our A/C's bearings went out @100 miles so it wasn't an easy foray into my first american car in 20 years but so far so good and no issues with the MFT.