MyFord Touch

Short description: Vehicular entertainment system

The MyFord Touch System's 8" LCD screen, as implemented in a 2011 Ford Edge

MyFord Touch (branded as MyLincoln Touch on Ford's Lincoln brand products,[1] and also known as SYNC 2) is an in-car communications and entertainment system developed by the Ford Motor Company, based on Microsoft technologies. The technology was factory installed with Ford product offerings and was based on the Microsoft Auto 4.0 software platform. It was regarded as the next-generation of Ford Sync. Announced in January 2010, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the technology launched with the 2011 Ford Edge. Reviews of MyFord Touch were overwhelmingly negative. A USB drive, self-installed software upgrade became available in March, 2012; this update was mailed out free-of-charge to all Ford customers, and Ford also offered free installation of the update by any Ford dealer. The update did not address continuing problems with light-touch capacitor switches (on cars so equipped) that control many functions.[2][3][4][5] Several updates have since been released which allowed for more natural speech recognition, simpler Bluetooth pairing, and refinement of the on-screen interface and menus.[6]

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Features
* 3 MyFord Touch availability
* 3.1 North America
* 3.2 Asia Pacific
* 3.3 Australia
* 3.4 Europe
* 4 Criticism
* 5 End of life
* 6 Discontinuation
* 7 SYNC2 warranty
* 8 See also
* 9 References
* 10 External links

## Overview

MyFord Touch promised to enable drivers of Ford cars to seamlessly integrate nearly all mobile phones, PDAs and digital media players into their cars. Operation of these devices, utilizing advanced Ford Sync functionality, was performed using voice commands, touch-screen inputs, the vehicle's steering wheel, radio controls, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity. MyFord Touch is also capable of receiving text messages and reading these text messages aloud to occupants of the car.[1]

Fulfillment of the system's promise has fallen short, with thousands of MyFord Touch owners complaining that the system is unreliable, that it crashes without warning, that it fails to respond to commands, and that it fails to integrate with common mobile devices, such as the iPhone. Ford reliability ratings, both by Consumer Reports and J.D. Power, have plummeted because of the defects in the MyFord Touch system, and Consumer Reports recommends that new car buyers not consider Ford or Lincoln models equipped with MyFord Touch or MyLincoln Touch.[3][4][7][8][9][10]

As a stand-alone option, the MSRP for MyFord Touch is $1,000. Purchasers of this option get the MyFord Touch system with two driver-configurable 4.2" color LCD displays in the gauge cluster, one 8" color LCD touch screen in the center stack, a media hub with 2 USB ports, SD card reader, RCA video input jacks and 5-way controls located on steering wheel; Sync voice activated communications and entertainment system (Free three-year pre-paid subscription for 911 Assist, Vehicle Health Reports, traffic reports, GPS-based turn by turn driving directions and information services).[11]

## Features

* Voice-Activated Commands: Uses Ford Sync technology to control the climate, audio, phone and navigation features in a hands-free manner through the use of only their voice.
* On-screen menus accompany voice-activated commands to let the driver see which commands they can use.
* Traffic, Directions and Information: Visual presentation of Ford Sync traffic, directions and information applications.
* Traffic Alerts – provided by INRIX.[12]
* Map-based navigation application via an optional SD card – provided by TeleNav (option can be added later to MyFord Touch but it is not supported by Ford dealers, it requires installing a license).[13]
* SD card navigation includes services like weather maps, gas prices, and movie listings – via SIRIUS Travel Link.
* Vehicle Health Report: Vehicle Report provides a personalized online report for the vehicle showing vehicle diagnostics, scheduled maintenance and any recall information. Vehicle Health Report allows users to schedule car service online, directly with the users' preferred car dealer, directly from the personalized online report. (Not available outside North America). This service discontinued on August 1, 2018.
* 911 Assist: A form of Advanced Automatic Collision Notification, when sensors detect the vehicle has been involved in a collision involving airbag deployment and, on certain vehicles, where the emergency fuel pump shut-off is activated, 911 Assist puts the occupant(s) of the car directly in touch with a 911 operator. 911 Assist provides a 10-second window where occupants have the option to cancel the call before dialing. Where occupants of the car are unable to speak, 911 Assist delivers an emergency message to the 911 operator (Not available outside North America).
* Internet Connectivity: MyFord Touch provides full Wi-Fi capability. The technology also includes hotspot connectivity enabling other devices to share the MyFord Touch system's internet connection.
* Supports on-screen and USB-connected keyboards.
* RSS feed aggregator and text-to-voice reader.
* In-car Wi-Fi hot-spot capability through USB mobile broadband modem or USB-installed Aircard.
* Media features:
* Two USB 2.0 inputs, MyFord Touch provides compatibility with USB-connected MP3 players.
* SD card slot
* RCA jack input for Audio and Video (Video input removed on some 2014+ vehicles)
* AM/FM radio, CD player, Sirius Satellite Radio, HD Radio capability
* Internet Media player equipped with new Podcast category
* Bluetooth Enhanced Data Rate audio support

## MyFord Touch availability

### North America

* Ford C-Max – from MY2013[14]
* Ford Edge – from MY2011[15]
* Ford Escape – from MY2013[16]
* Ford Expedition – from MY2015[17]
* Ford Explorer – from MY2011[18]
* Ford F-150 – from MY2013
* Ford Fiesta – from MY2014
* Ford Flex – from MY2013
* Ford Focus – from MY2012
* Ford Fusion – from MY2013
* Ford Mustang – from MY2015
* Ford Super Duty – from MY2013
* Ford Taurus – from MY2013
* Ford Transit – from MY2015
* Ford Transit Connect – from MY2014
* Lincoln Continental – from MY2017
* Lincoln Navigator – from MY2015
* Lincoln MKC – from MY2015
* Lincoln MKS – from MY2013
* Lincoln MKT – from MY2013
* Lincoln MKX – from MY2011
* Lincoln MKZ – from MY2013

### Asia Pacific

* Ford Everest – from MY2015 (branded as SYNC2)
* Ford Ranger – from MY2015 (branded as SYNC2)

### Australia

* Ford Falcon – from MY2014 (branded as SYNC2)
* Ford Territory – from MY2014 (branded as SYNC2)

### Europe

* Ford Focus – from MY2015 (branded as SYNC2)
* Ford Mondeo – from MY2015
* Ford Tourneo Connect – from MY2016 (branded as SYNC2)

## Criticism

Unreliability of the MyFord Touch system has been cited by J.D. Power & Associates as the primary factor contributing to a decline in Ford's standing in the 2011 "Initial Quality Survey" of new car purchasers.[19] The study ranked 2011 Ford vehicles' initial quality in 23rd position, down from fifth position in 2010. The ranking of Lincoln vehicles, a Ford subsidiary that also uses the Touch system branded as "MyLincoln Touch," declined from eighth to 17th place year over year. Consumer Reports recommends that no one consider buying used 2011 Ford Edges equipped with MyFord Touch systems.[20] As Ford has expanded availability of its MyFord Touch system to more vehicles (e.g. the 2013 Ford Flex), Consumer Reports has downgraded its ratings for vehicles so equipped.[5]

Early purchasers of the first generation MyFord Touch system complained that MyFord Touch systems crashed without warning, did not reliably respond to touch commands, and often failed to sync with mobile phones and iPods.[3] The March 2012 MyFord Touch upgrade, addressed some of these performance issues, however even the latest MyFord Touch systems (on the 2013 Ford Flex, for example) use capacitive, rather than standard, switches that lack positive feel and are extremely difficult to use with gloves on.[5]

Initial reception of the March 2012 software upgrade, which overhauled the user interface and addressed many performance issues, has been largely positive. There has since been several incremental software upgrades, addressing some issues that have plagued the system since its introduction, such as touchscreen menu lag and voice recognition commands.[21] However, problems remain, and some owners continue to experience difficulties with the system, even with the new upgrade fully installed. As a result of falling reliability rankings and widespread customer complaints, Ford announced they would extend the warranty on the MyFord Touch system to five years with unlimited miles, up from three years and 36,000 miles.[22] Some owners have expressed their hope that Ford will continue upgrading the MyFord Touch system until it fulfills its original design promises; meanwhile owners must make do with remaining glitches.[4][7][23][24][25]

In order to address the many criticisms on the Microsoft-powered system, Ford decided to use BlackBerry's QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment beginning in 2015, referred to by Ford as Sync 3.[26] This QNX-based system has been shown to be much more responsive and stable.[27] Unfortunately, it does not appear that Ford will allow owners of vehicles with MyFord Touch to upgrade to Sync 3.

## End of life

Though Ford has yet to confirm when it will officially stop producing software updates for SYNC2, it is evident that it has entered its end-of-life stage. Whilst 3.8 was thought to be the last official version, 3.10 was released to address certain bugs on November 16, 2017, marking over 7 years since an official update - more than cause to classify the software as end-of-life.[28][29] This has not been readily available in Europe, where Ford does not have a customer self-service portal and dealers are not always willing to tamper due to the very slow download times for the update and the low success rates causing total failure of the unit. Only certain technicians are trained to perform the upgrade leading to limited knowledge and natural avoidance in performing the upgrade in case of problems. A service bulletin regarding the software update suggests that unless specific problems are encountered with the device then the software update should not be performed. Once updated it is impossible to downgrade.

With such natural demand, the update has appeared in an unofficial form on most Ford forums and has been successfully installed by many, without any issues.[30]

## Discontinuation

SYNC2 was officially discontinued as of Q4 2015 and is no longer available as an option to order. New vehicles ordered with the option and built from Q4 2015 onwards were transitioned to the QNX-based SYNC3 system depending on the specific production cycle.[31] Existing stocks were retained for warranty repairs and replacements, particularly for early-model units in the European market that experienced hardware-software synchronization flaws when equipped with dual-zone climate control.

In certain models, the SYNC2 and SYNC3 hardware units are directly interchangeable; however, upgrading from a SYNC2 unit to SYNC3 requires the replacement of the physical USB hub to support CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as a new GPS antenna.[32]

## SYNC2 warranty

Units that failed while the vehicle was under the original or extended warranty were typically replaced with refurbished SYNC2 hardware, unless repeated failures occurred. Due to the high failure rate of early touch-capacitive screens, Ford issued a specific service bulletin (TSB) allowing for the extension of the warranty on the SYNC2 Application Performance Upgrade (APU) to five years.[33]

Internal dealer communications in late 2015 suggested that in cases of "extraordinary" repeated failure where SYNC2 components were no longer in stock, authorized dealers could facilitate a transition to SYNC3 hardware to ensure vehicle safety and customer satisfaction, particularly regarding the integration of the 911 Assist feature.

## See also

* Blue&Me
* Comand APS – from Mercedes
* Hyundai Blue Link
* iDrive – from BMW
* Kia UVO
* Lexus Link
* Multi Media Interface (MMI) – from Audi
* OnStar
* Sirius Satellite Radio
* Toyota Entune

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 MyFord Touch Defines Intuitive Driving Experience , Ford News Center.
2. ↑ Arthur, Charles (November 7, 2011). "MyFord Touch Problems: Ford to Issue Upgrade". The Guardian (London). https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2011/nov/07/myford-touch-problems-upgrade.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Mark Phelan: MyFordTouch could hamper launches". Detroit Free Press. http://www.freep.com/article/20120129/COL14/201290437/Mark-Phelan-MyFordTouch-could-hamper-launches.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Video: Consumer Reports installs MyFord Touch flash update, notes improvements". consumerreports.org. http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/03/consumer-reports-installs-myford-mylincoln-touch-flash-update-notes-improvements.html.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "2013 Ford Flex received updates, but only some were improvements". consumerreports.org. http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2012/09/2013-ford-flex-received-updates-but-only-some-were-improvements.html.
6. ↑ "New 2014 Ford Fiesta Adds MyFord Touch with Improved Voice Recognition, Navigation and Phone Pairing". Ford Corporate (Press release). Archived from the original on 12 February 2013.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 Kreindler, Derek (23 August 2012). "Consumer Reports Slams MyFord Touch". The Truth About Cars. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2012/08/consumer-reports-slams-myford-touch/.
8. ↑ "Ratings & Reviews". consumerreports.org. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/ford/edge/road-test.htm.
9. ↑ "Ford MyFord Touch Problems Prompt Company To Send Out Software Upgrade". Huffington Post. November 7, 2011. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/07/ford-myford-touch-upgrade_n_1079419.html.
10. ↑ "What's Hot: Car News, Photos, Videos & Road Tests". insideline.com. 8 February 2010. http://www.insideline.com/ford/ford-addresses-complaints-about-myford-touch-with-2013-upgrade.html.
11. ↑ 2011 Ford Edge SEL Price With Options Edmunds.com Retrieved 2010-01-16
12. ↑ "Ford and INRIX to Deliver Real-Time Traffic Information". January 20, 2010. https://inrix.com/press-releases/ford-and-inrix-to-deliver-real-time-traffic-information/.
13. ↑ "MyFord Touch Navigation Activation". https://forum.xda-developers.com/windows-mobile/general/guide-enable-navigation-cars-sync-2-0-t3484473.
14. ↑ Mays, Kelsey (2025-01-30). "2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid review: Our expert's take". https://www.cars.com/research/ford-c_max_hybrid-2013/.
15. ↑ "2011 Ford Edge Review & Ratings" (in en). https://www.edmunds.com/ford/edge/2011/review/.
16. ↑ "2013 Ford Escape Review & Ratings" (in en). https://www.edmunds.com/ford/escape/2013/review/.
17. ↑ "Capability and Style: 2015 Ford Expedition Ready for the Open Road with EcoBoost Engine, Advanced Technology". Ford Newsroom (Press release). 2014-07-16. Retrieved 2025-01-30.
18. ↑ "2011 Ford Explorer Review & Ratings" (in en). https://www.edmunds.com/ford/explorer/2011/review/.
19. ↑ Jensen, Cheryl (2011-06-23). "'Aggravating' MyFord Touch Sends Ford Plummeting in J.D. Power Quality Survey". "Wheels" automotive blog (The New York Times). http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/23/aggravating-myford-touch-sends-ford-plummeting-in-j-d-power-quality-survey/?hpw. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
20. ↑ "Best Used Cars - Used Cars". Consumer Reports. http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/04/best-and-worst-used-cars/index.htm#Worst_of_the_worst.
21. ↑ "New Cars, Car Reviews, Car Prices and Auto Shows – MSN Autos". msn.com. http://editorial.autos.msn.com/blogs/post--ford-releases-latest-myford-touch-update.
22. ↑ "Ford to upgrade, extend warranty on MyFord touch-screen system". Automotive News. 28 November 2012. http://www.autonews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121128/OEM/121129878/ford-to-upgrade-extend-warranty-on-myford-touch-screen-system.
23. ↑ Tim Stevens (11 November 2011). "MyFord Touch 2013 update hands-on". Engadget. AOL. https://www.engadget.com/2011/11/11/myford-touch-2013-update-hands-on/.
24. ↑ "There, I Fixed It: MyFord Touch Update Released". Motor Trend. 6 March 2012. http://wot.motortrend.com/there-i-fixed-it-myford-touch-update-released-176907.html.
25. ↑ "MyFord Touch® and MyLincoln Touch® Performance Upgrade". Ford Corporate (Press release). Archived from the original on 22 July 2012.
26. ↑ "Ford to Drop Microsoft for QNX on Future Versions of Sync". Motor Trend. 23 February 2014. http://wot.motortrend.com/1402_ford_to_drop_microsoft_for_qnx_future_versions_sync.html.
27. ↑ "QNX CAR Platform for Infotainment". qnx.com. http://www.qnx.com/products/qnxcar/.
28. ↑ "What Ford SYNC Version Do You Have?". August 28, 2024. https://www.cjponyparts.com/resources/ford-sync-versions.
29. ↑ "What SYNC version do I have in my Ford vehicle?". https://www.ford.com/support/how-tos/sync/getting-started-with-sync/what-sync-version-do-i-have/.
30. ↑ "MyFord Touch Navigation Activation Only - Post #937" (in en). 28 April 2016. https://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=72196212&postcount=937.
31. ↑ Lowell, Dana (February 22, 2014). "Ford drops Microsoft, picks BlackBerry's QNX for next Sync". Automotive News. https://www.autonews.com/article/20140222/OEM06/140229931/ford-drops-microsoft-picks-blackberry-s-qnx-for-next-sync.
32. ↑ "Ford SYNC 2 to SYNC 3 Upgrade Guide". March 12, 2024. https://www.infotainment.com/blogs/news/ford-sync-2-to-sync-3-upgrade-guide.
33. ↑ "Customer Satisfaction Program 12M02". Ford Motor Company. https://www.ford.com/support/customer-satisfaction-program/.

## External links

* MyFord Touch Press Release
* 2011 Ford Edge Pricing Information
* MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch Owner Support

* v
* t
* e

In-car computers

* Audi Multi-Media Interface
* BMW iDrive
* Chevrolet MyLink
* Chrysler Uconnect
* Fiat Blue&Me
* Ford Sync
* Hyundai Blue Link
* MyFord Touch / MyLincoln Touch
* Kia UVO
* Lexus Remote Touch
* Mercedes-Benz Comand APS
* Toyota Entune

0.00

(0 votes)

Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MyFord Touch. Read more

|

Retrieved from "https://handwiki.org/wiki/index.php?title=Engineering:MyFord_Touch&oldid=4203653"
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template