Ford bringing buttons and knobs back for future models

Revamped MyFord Touch system will be similar to one used in the F-150 pickup and will get another software update.

Ford has apparently come up with a way to fix its much-maligned MyFord Touch system, and it’s already being used on one of the automaker’s most popular vehicles.

Ford plans to add more physical buttons and knobs for volume and other basic functions to the largely touch-based infotainment system to counter the criticism and negative customer feedback encountered since MyFord Touch launched in 2010.

MyFord Touch was cited as the reason Ford dropped from fifth to 23rd in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates' Initial Quality Survey in 2011, and fell to 27th in the 2012 results. Ford said on Monday that 79 percent of its 2013 model-year vehicles have been sold with Sync and MyFord Touch – double the “take rate” for the HondaLink and Toyota Entune infotainment systems.

But to further allay any future damage, Ford will adopt the changes it made to MyFord Touch for its best-selling F-150 pickup.

While some Ford models with MyFord Touch do have a large physical volume knob and buttons for source selection and tuning, they’re equipped with the optional Sony sound system. But the MyFord Touch system revised for the 2013 Ford F-150 includes more “hard” buttons instead of touch-screen icons to make basic controls for things such as climate, volume and tuning easier to get to, ostensibly while a driver is wearing work gloves.

• GM, Porsche top 2013 J.D. Power car-quality survey

Gloves or not, Ford confirmed that a similar balance of physical and touch-screen controls is being developed for MyFord Touch on all future Ford vehicles. "Most of our North American vehicles, including the new Fusion, Escape and F-150, already offer buttons and knobs along with the MyFord Touch touch screen," Ford spokesman Wes Sherwood told MSN Autos, "and we plan to continue reintroducing them as we make major updates  to new vehicles."

In addition to adding more hard controls, the automaker also announced that a second MyFord Touch system software update will be released this summer. Late last year, Ford increased warranties for all models equipped with the system.

autos.msn.com