Lawsuit: MyFord Touch 'polished turd' sparked executive rage, thrashed car

Lawyers cite Ford\'s internal e-mails as evidence that the problematic system poses an unaddressed safety threat.

Documents cited in a recent MyFord Touch lawsuit appear to illuminate Ford's internal turmoil as executives personally experienced failures with the infamous infotainment system.

Top brass are said to have reported system crashes, problems with telephone calls, failure to pair with Bluetooth devices and navigation issues, among other glitches. The issues are consistent with common complaints from frustrated owners as the platform rolled out for the 2011 model year.

Plaintiffs claim MyFord Touch's reliability deficiencies can distract drivers, posing an unaddressed safety threat, while negatively impacting resale values, according to details of the lawsuit posted by Forbes. The internal documents are cited as evidence that Ford was aware of the problems before vehicles began rolling off the assembly line.

In an April 2013 e-mail, Ford chief Mark Fields reportedly voiced frustration with the company's slow reaction to customer complaints.

"Do our customers really have to wait for a fix until July!!!" the executive allegedly complained. "I started experiencing this back in early January ... I don't even use the system anymore."

The lawyers also cite a picture of a broken screen sent by a mechanic to a SYNC engineer, along with the suggestion that "I think Mark Fields may have been a little aggravated with the system." Other documents claim engineers described the system as a "polished turd."

The problems have certainly proved frustrating for millions of owners who purchased a vehicle with MyFord Touch, however the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not yet pushed any automaker to recall an infotainment system because of usability complaints.

The judge overseeing the case appears to see potential merit in some of the claims, declining to grant Ford's calls for dismissal. The company has reportedly denied the allegations and highlighted efforts to resolve the problems in existing vehicles via system updates.