56 of the
181 complaints filed about the Ford C-Max Energi
are about the electrical system —
31% of everything owners reported.
The worst model year for it is 2013.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while charging the hybrid battery, the battery stopped charging after 15-16 minutes. The contact stated that the battery could only be charged for 15-16 minutes at a time. The contact stated that there was a red triangle warning light illuminated on the charger but there was no warning light illuminated on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the mileage range of the vehicle per charge was decreasing continuously. The vehicle was taken to dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Gator Ford (11780 Tampa Gateway Blvd, Seffner, FL 33584), where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11670543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while charging the hybrid battery, the battery stopped charging after 15-16 minutes. The contact stated that the battery could only be charged for 15-16 minutes at a time. The contact stated that there was a red triangle warning light illuminated on the charger but there was no warning light illuminated on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the mileage range of the vehicle per charge was decreasing continuously. The vehicle was taken to dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Gator Ford (11780 Tampa Gateway Blvd, Seffner, FL 33584), where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.
NHTSA complaint #11670543 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact attempted to honk at another vehicle, but the horn failed to respond while depressed. The contact stated that the horn occasionally responded while depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was repaired temporarily with electrical gel on a fuse. The contact attempted to check the fuse, but the fuse box cover was difficult to remove. The failure reoccurred after several months but the electrical gel failed to repair the vehicle. In addition, the horn failed to respond while depressed. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.
NHTSA complaint #11601224 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while in reverse (R) and backing up at 3 MPH the back-over prevention camera failed and displayed a black screen. The contact stated that when the back-over prevention camera failed to operate, the radio and the GPS became inoperable. The contact stated that the back over prevention screen occasionally turned blue or showed a distorted image. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but occurred several times. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that she was advised by the dealer that the software update was not a certain remedy. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred and that the back-over prevention camera became inoperable. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,295.
NHTSA complaint #11583321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
I have a 2016 Ford C-Max. On Saturday, 9-16-2023 my wife and I were traveling on Highway 69 in Prescott AZ. We turned off the highway and about 50 yards from Hwy 69 a STOP SAFELY NOW flashed on the instrument pannel. The car IMMEDIATELY braked hard and stopped. I had no time to pull over. Had it been 50 yards sooner I would have abruptly stopped on Hwy 69. The Hwy was traveling at 55 MPH. You figure it out, we were going to have an accident 100%. The C-Max was towed to Sun Valley Tire, a AAA approved repair shop in Prescott Valley. They pulled up the Ford, Technical Service Bulletin - TSB 17-0015. That bulletin describes wiring that chafes and shorts out the car. Exactly what happened to us. The actual fix is simple, locate the shorted out wire and repair it. To get to it requires disassembling most of the car. Total cost $438.01. That is not the point, Ford knew that this problem existed, sent out a TSB and is allowing Ford owners like me to have a life threatening incident. WHY has Ford been allowed to continue allow these C-Max's to stay on the road without a fix! Are you doing your jobs? I want the NHTSA to do its job. I also want to be reimbursed. Who do I contact. You have my VIN # and therefore all my information.
NHTSA complaint #11545522 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2017 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while starting the vehicle in the parking lot of her residence, there was a strong burning odor and several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the steering wheel and the brakes were inoperable, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery system had burned and needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that there was no guarantee that the vehicle would become operable after the repair. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an unknown Federal mandate for an Extended Warranty that stated that the Ford manufacturer would cover the battery system repair for 8 years/100,000 miles; however, the dealer declined to honor the Extended Warranty. The insurance company considered the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle was totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 77,250.
NHTSA complaint #11515556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owned a 2017 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while starting the vehicle in the parking lot of her residence, there was a strong burning odor and several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, the steering wheel and the brakes were inoperable, and the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery system had burned and needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that there was no guarantee that the vehicle would become operable after the repair. Additionally, the contact stated that there was an unknown Federal mandate for an Extended Warranty that stated that the Ford manufacturer would cover the battery system repair for 8 years/100,000 miles; however, the dealer declined to honor the Extended Warranty. The insurance company considered the vehicle a total loss. The vehicle was totaled. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 77,250.
NHTSA complaint #11515556 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the charging cord overheated and became inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V592000 (Equipment). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
NHTSA complaint #11472511 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact's father owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that several electrical features including the horn, hazard lights, power locks, and power windows engaged independently while driving at various speeds. The contact also stated that on multiple occasions, all four windows had been lowered upon returning to the vehicle even though the vehicle was turned off. The dealer had been notified of the failure and the contact was given an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was not available.
NHTSA complaint #11471976 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that the manufacturer label indicated that the vehicle was drivable for 22 miles when fully charged; however, the vehicle was only drivable for approximately 14 miles. Additionally, the contact stated that occasionally, the vehicle was only drivable for 8 miles. The dealer was notified of the failure and advised the contact that the failure was related to the tires. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11469819 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that the mobile charger failed and the vehicle was unable to be charged. The contact stated that several different outlets were tried however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.
NHTSA complaint #11419314 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
VEHICLE FINISHED CHARGING, AND THEN WAS UNPLUGGED. VEHICLE'S WARNING SYSTEM SAYS VEHICLE WAS STILL PLUGGED IN AND AND WOULDN'T MOVE. VEHICLE WAS TOWED INTO DEALERSHIP AND DIAGNOSED CHARGING PORT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. CHARGING PORT IS UNATTAINABLE AND VEHICLE SITS AT DEALERSHIP WITH NO LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL. CHARGING PORT UNATTAINABLE, TELLS ME FORD HAS A SERIOUS PROBLEM WITH THIS ISSUE.
NHTSA complaint #11413387 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
SEVERAL TIMES NOW THE VEHICLE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. AT FIRST, IT WAS DRIVING UPHILL ON THE FREEWAY AND WHEN IT HIT A SMALL BUMP IT WOULD SHUT OFF. I FIGURED IT WAS JUST AT HIGH SPEEDS THAT THIS OCCURRED. RECENTLY, IT WAS JUST DRIVING UP A DRIVEWAY INCLINE AT 5 MPH, AND GOING OVER A SMALL SPEED BUMP TRIGGERED IT TO SHUT OFF. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE SERVICE FIX IT AND THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING 65MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF. IT DOES NOT GO INTO A SAFE MODE, JUST COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING, YOU MUST PRESS THE PUSH-BUTTON START AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER YOU WAIT, PUSH THE BUTTON AGAIN AND IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE DRIVING AS NORMAL. I BELIEVE IT IS A WIRING ISSUE BUT MULTIPLE SERVICE LOCATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE IT. I HAVE PAID HUNDREDS IN LABOR ATTEMPTING TO FIX IT. VERY DANGEROUS!
NHTSA complaint #11377393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
DRIVING ALONG A HIGHWAY HOLDING STEADY SPEED OF 65MPH, THE CAR DISPLAYED A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND DISABLED THE ACCELERATOR. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD TURN ON AND OFF WITH THE PUSH OF THE ON/OFF BUTTON, BUT THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE REMAINED ON THE DASHBOARD ANY TIME THE CAR WAS POWERED ON, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. WE CALLED FORD AS WE ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER, A TOW TRUCK WOULD HAVE TAKEN APPROX 90 MINUTES, AND I WAS NOT IN A SAFE POSITION, SO I USED A OBDII SCANNER AND APP TO RESET THE FAULT CODES. AFTER THAT THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE HAVE SEEN THIS ERROR IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS; HOWEVER, THE LAST TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO.
NHTSA complaint #11353500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX ENERGI. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT 10 MPH AND MAKING A TURN, WATER CAME IN CONTACT WITH THE BATTERY. THE VEHICLE STOPPED AFTER THE BATTERY WAS SATURATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO ROSWELL FORD (821 N MAIN ST, ROSWELL, NM 88201: (888 881-7087)) WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT EH BATTERY NEEDED REPLACEMENT BUT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
NHTSA complaint #11306371 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2014 FORD C-MAX ENERGI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO DEFECTIVE CHARGING CORD FOR VEHICLE. *LD THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME COMPLETING THE RECALL REPAIR. *JS
NHTSA complaint #11290553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 FORD C-MAX ENERGI. WHILE PARKING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT WAS UNABLE TO TURN OFF THE IGNITION. ALSO, THE ABS SERVICE WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V436000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SAWGRASS FORD (LOCATED AT 14501 W SUNRISE BLVD, SUNRISE, FL 33323, (954) 851-9000), BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 20,000.
NHTSA complaint #11288025 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
POWER STEERING WENT OUT WHILE IN MOTION IN A PARKING LOT. CAR WAS LESS THAN 2,000 MILES OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY. POOR DESIGN OF COLUMN THAT HAD BEEN RECALLED ON SIMILAR VEHICLES CAUSED SHORTS THROUGHOUT THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THIS RESULTED IN THREE PAGES WORTH OF SYSTEM ERRORS WHEN CHECKED. $2,000 TO REPAIR. NO SHORTS SINCE REPLACEMENT OF FAULTY PART.
NHTSA complaint #11234265 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
2013 FORD C-MAX ENERGI. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO FAILED CHARGING CABLE. CONSUMER IS SEEKING REIMBURSEMENT FOR CABLE PURCHASED PRIOR TO RECALL. *LD
NHTSA complaint #11222174 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.