Arsenault
NEW ORLEANS - A New Orleans man has filed a class action against Ford that claims his new Ford Edge contains defective voice recognition software, which is needed to use the vehicle's sound system, navigation, hand-free phone and other integrated technology.
Nicholas Richards filed suit against Ford Motor Co. on Jan. 4 in Jefferson Parish District Court. The defendant removed the case to federal court in New Orleans on Feb. 28.
Richards purchased a 2011 Ford Edge in February 2011. The vehicle contains the Sync with MyFord Touch technology which was an inducement for Richards to buy the vehicle.
According to the lawsuit, Ford has admitted to having problems with the Sync with MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch telematics systems in its 2011 Ford Edge and Explorer and Lincoln MKX vehicles.
Some of the problems include blank screens, missing presets, lack of voice recognition, incorrect dialing of phone numbers and display problems with the backup camera. Richards states that none of the reprogramming efforts Ford has tried has corrected the problem.
He argues that the defects have diminished the value of the vehicles.
Richards complained of the problems with his vehicle but was told that his current telephone was incompatible with the MyFord Touch technology and was told to purchase another cellular telephone. He states that he did purchase another telephone but the vehicle's technology still did not operate properly.
He has had his vehicle serviced at least 10 or 11 times from March 2011 through August 2011, with no resolution to the problems, he claims.
The plaintiff is asking for an award of damages in redhibition, plus interest, court costs, and attorney's fees.
Richards is represented by J. R. Whaley and Richard J. Arsenault of Neblett, Beard & Arsenault in Alexandria, Kevin R. Duck of Duck Law Firm in Lafayette and Scott attorney Richard C. Dalton. A jury trial is requested.
U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon is assigned to the case.
Case No. 2:12-cv-00543