Ford Misrepresented Its SYNC Navigation System, Suit Claims

A Chicago-area lawyer says Ford exaggerated and misrepresented the features in its factory-installed SYNC navigation system, which can't be upgraded to get the advertised features.

Steven Rouse, who has filed a class-action lawsuit against Ford in Cook County Court, says he started shopping for a new car in 2010 and wanted a high-end, voice-activated navigation system. He considered General Motors cars with the OnStar system and Ford cars with the SYNC system.

Rouse said he test-drove a 2010 Ford Edge SEL equipped with the SYNC system, and he said he also reviewed a Ford brochure and its website. Both stated that 2010 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models equipped with SYNC can be updated to include the “Traffic, Directions and Information” (TDI) feature, which provides audible turn-by-turn directions.

The brochure also described the SYNC system as including “sophisticated speech-recognition software.”

Rouse wanted the voice-activated system so that he and his wife would be better able to safely transport their children to weekend sporting events and other activities.

Sounds of silence

After reviewing the material, Rouse bought a 2010 Lincoln MKT for $55,354. But when he went to the Ford website to register his new vehicle, he learned that the SYNC system in his car and all other 2010 Lincoln MKTs did not include the TDI package and thus would not provide audible turn-by-turn directions.

Rouse called his dealer and Ford's customer service department. Both told him that not only did his car not have the TDI feature but it was not available for that model and could not be installed.

Rouse's suit claims that since he bought his car, the Ford website has changed the language describing the SYNC feature to read: “... the traffic directions and information feature is not available on the Lincoln MKT or on vehicles with the optional navigation system.”

Rouse sent a letter to Ford but said he did not receive a satisfactory response.

The suit accuses Ford of violating the Illinois Consumer Fraud Act, breach of warranty, fraud, unjust enrichment It seeks to represent all consumers who purchased a similar Ford model based on Ford's representations.