Ford Motor. Co., in the recent times, has experienced a major deceleration in its quality due to some technological glitches. Throughout last two years, Ford faced consumer complaints concerned with its in-car electronic systems especially touch-screen dashboard controls. Now they are all set for the acid test with their remodeled Fusion midsize sedan, says auto-test chief of Consumer Reports magazine. According to the ratings by J.D. Power & Associates’ new-car quality survey in June it slipped from its fifth to 27^th position, in two years. On the other hand the company’s luxury brand Lincoln earned itself a below average 18^th ranking.

This time around technological enhancement has been the focus point of their comeback venture, assures CEO Alan Mulally. Ford said that the potential buyers of the new Fusion are showing strong interest in the Fuel-efficient, turbocharged engines and features such as voice-activated phones. Almost 25 pc of 155,000 online shoppers have been trying to gather information virtually about the Driver Assistance package offered with the 2013 Ford Fusion. “Ford was going absolutely gangbusters. They had the most reliable family sedan, bar none,” said David Champion, who runs Consumer Reports auto testing.

But their reputation has been tarnished due to continued complaints concerning the MyFord Touch screen and small-car transmissions, their hopes are now pinned up totally on the ‘word of mouth’ in the market. The 2013 Fusion looks “fabulous” and “is fun to drive,” Champion opined, based on his experience with the pre-production version of the car. In March Ford had sent 377,000 customers, the software upgraded with the MyFord Touch and MyLincoln Touch dashboard controls. The upgraded software included faster touch responses, enhanced voice recognition, simpler graphics, and improved phone controls. The drawback was with the timing, as it landed late and could not contribute towards this year’s scores in the J.D. Power & Associates new-car survey. “Yes, they’ve done some upgrades to it,” Champion said. “But it is still a pain in the neck even when it’s supposed to be working properly. It’s still slow. It’s still difficult to use.”

via Automotive News