Owners have filed 233 complaints
about the 2013 Ford C-Max with NHTSA between 2014 and 2026.
The largest single group is the electrical system.
Across this model's run it ranks 2 of 6 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 100
Against the median year of the Ford C-Max. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 27
5.2% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — 42
25% of failures with a mileage on record happened under
36,000 miles, against a national rate of
29%.
Odometer readings owners gave when they filed. About half of all
complaints include one.
Under 1,000 miles
42.7%
1,000 – 9,999 miles
1611.0%
10,000 – 24,999 miles
117.5%
25,000 – 49,999 miles
1711.6%
50,000 – 74,999 miles
3826.0%
75,000 – 99,999 miles
2718.5%
100,000 – 149,999 miles
2919.9%
150,000+ miles
42.7%
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
May 2014peak 16Apr 2026
NHTSA investigations into the 2013 Ford C-Max
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
RQ19005Opened 19 Dec 2019Closed 7 Feb 2022LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Door Latch Failures
In December 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this investigation based on 235 Vehicle Owner Questionnaires (VOQs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (MY) 2012-2014 Ford Fiesta, and 2013-2014 Fusion and Lincoln MKZ. Some VOQs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other VOQs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl sprin...
PE16001Opened 16 Jan 2016Closed 29 Oct 2016LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
Door Latch Failure
In January, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Preliminary Evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (MY) 2012-2013 Ford Focus vehicles (subject vehicles).ODI has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.One consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.Another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked...
Recalls on the 2013 Ford C-Max
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
Canada — Transport Canada
Canada runs its own recall programme, and its campaigns do not
always mirror the American ones.
Recall 2022311362,062 units in Canada
Powertrain
Issue: On certain vehicles, the shift cable may detach from the transmission. This could cause the transmission not to shift gears when the shifter is moved. As a result, the transmission could be in a different gear than the gear shifter indicates. If a driver attempts to exit the vehicle while the transmission is not in Park, and the parking brake is not applied, the vehicle could move suddenly. Safety Risk: Sudden and unexpected movement of the vehicle could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Ford will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the transmission shifter cable bushing and install a protective service cap. Ford advises that you should apply the parking brake each time the vehicle is parked.
Recall 20184431,324 units in Canada
Electrical
Certain plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles were supplied with a 120V convenience charge cord that may be susceptible to overheating if there is a poor connection at the electrical outlet. This could result in increased cord temperatures, melting, and an increased risk of fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the factory supplied 120V convenience cord with the latest version of the cord that includes thermal protection.
Recall 2016432233,034 units in Canada
Structure
On certain vehicles, the pawl spring tab in the side door latch could break. This condition typically will prevent the door from latching. In certain situations where the door is able to be closed, the door may be partially latched and could unlatch while driving. This could increase the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant seated next to the door, or result in damage to property. Correction: If a door will not latch, dealers will replace all four door latches with a more robust part. Note: A door that is partially latched can cause the courtesy light to remain on, set a door ajar message in the instrument cluster and sound a door ajar chime to alert the driver that there is a door latch problem.
Recall 201442782,962 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
On certain vehicles, sealant applied to the restraints control module could fail, allowing moisture to enter the module circuit board. This could cause corrosion to form, which will illuminate the airbag warning light and could affect restraint system function, potentially disabling airbags or other safety systems. This could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants in a crash where airbag deployment is warranted. Correction: Dealers will replace the restraints control module.
Recall 201416478,013 units in Canada
Airbag
On certain vehicles, due to a defect in the restraint control module programming, deployment of the side curtain airbags may be delayed in certain rollover circumstances, which could increase the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will reprogram the restraint control module.
Recall 20141094,744 units in Canada
Seats And Restraints
Certain vehicles may fail to comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 207 – Anchorage of Seats. The front driver and passenger seatback recliner mechanism may separate from the seatback frame due to improper welding. If this were to occur, the seatback could become noisy, loose or begin leaning and could fail to meet the strength requirements of the standard. This could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace the seatback assemblies.
Recall 2013340929 units in Canada
Electrical
Certain vehicles may not comply with the requirements of Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114 - Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention. No audible chime is provided when the door is opened and the electronic key code remains in the ignition. This could increase the risk of injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will update vehicle software.
Recall 2013075859 units in Canada
Structure
On certain vehicles, the left rear door child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal turning force to activate the child lock, and the operator may incorrectly believe the child lock is engaged. Without the child lock engaged, the door can be opened using the inside door handle. This condition could potentially increase the risk of injury to an unrestrained child. Correction: Dealers will inspect the door latch and replace if necessary.
Reports where the owner recorded a crash, a fire, an injury or a death.
Irvine, CAFire
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The car was parked and turned off, I came out to the car and found the electrical charging cord had caught on fire at the base of the handle that inserts into the car. The area melted/disintegrated. It was covered in soot. The charger had been plugged into the car for about 1 hour. Fortunately my car or home did not catch on fire. This charger was a replacement from the recall in 2018.
NHTSA complaint #11424253 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 95,000 milesGainesville, FLFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THIS VEHICLE'S EV CHARGE CORD HAD AN INCIDENT THAT SEEMED TO HEAT UP / BEND THE CORD NEAR THE PLUG BACK IN 2016. I REPORTED TO FORD AT THE TIME, THEY SAID DO NOT USE THE CORD AND SAID THEY HAD A RESOLUTION UPCOMING. TO KEEP ANYONE FROM USING THE CORD, I CUT IT UP AND SENT OFF THE PARTS FOR RECYCLING (COPPER). NO RECALL NOTICES SENT BY FORD, NO ARTICLES ONLINE, OR EVEN COMMON SENSE SUGGESTED I SHOULD KEEP THIS DANGEROUS CORD IN MY HOUSEHOLD TO POSSIBLY BE USED AGAIN (AND THE LIABILITY WOULD BE ON ME FOR BEING SO STUPID). WHAT THE RECALL AND ARTICLES DID SUGGEST WAS THE CORD REPLACEMENT WOULD BE DONE BY VEHICLE VIN NUMBER (THAT VEHICLE WOULD BE CHECKED TO SEE IF IT HAS RECEIVED A NEW CORD). WHEN I WENT IN FOR SERVICE THIS YEAR TO FINALLY GET THIS RECALL PROCESSED, IT WAS DENIED BECAUSE I NO LONGER HAD THE CORD EVEN THOUGH MY CAR HAD PREVIOUSLY BEEN SERVICED WITH THIS CORD IN THE CAR (BEFORE IT HAD AN ISSUE, FORD SAID DO NOT USE, AND I DISPOSED OF ONCE I READ THE RECALL NOTIFICATIONS). I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST THE NHTSA GET INVOLVED AND MAKE FORD REPLACE MY EV CORD. THEIR RECORDS CLEARLY SHOW MY VEHICLE NEVER GOT A NEW CORD, BUT THEY ARE MAKING SOME CLAIM THAT WITHOUT THE OLD CORD, THEY HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING IF IT WAS AN EV CORD THAT HAD THE PROBLEM. HOWEVER, MY CORD WAS PRODUCED PRE-2013, THEY ALL WERE COVERED UNDER THIS RECALL. JUST SEEMS LIKE FORD IS TRYING TO SAVE THEMSELVES MONEY AND DENY ME THIS RECALL. I DO NOT KNOW WHY THEY ARE DOING THIS BECAUSE THEY PREVIOUSLY INDICATED BY PHONE CALL THIS WOULD NOT BE A PROBLEM. HOWEVER, THE SERVICE REP APPARENTLY CALLED FORD MULTIPLE TIMES TRYING TO GET THIS PROCESSED, BUT FORD SIMPLY DECLINED SAYING I SHOULD NOT HAVE DESTROYED THE CORD EVEN THOUGH NOT LANGUAGE WAS PROVIDED I NEEDED TO KEEP AND EVEN INSINUATED I SHOULD DESTROY TO KEEP FROM BEING USED. SOUNDS LIKE FORD COVERED THEIR LEGAL LIABILITY AND SAVED MONEY.
NHTSA complaint #11280792 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 110,000 milesMesa, AZFire
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
FORD CHARGER FOR C-MAX PHEV OVERHEATED AND CAUSED WALL OUTLET TO BURN
NHTSA complaint #11191331 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 34,000 milesOrland Park, ILFire
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
ELECTRIC CHARGER MELTED AND STARTED A SMALL FIRE AT THE HOUSE OUTLET. IT MUST HAVE TRIPPED THE CIRCUIT BREAKER LUCKILY SAVING OUR HOME. FORD REFUSED TO ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY WHEN IT HAPPENED TELLING ME IT WAS MY WIRING. NOW THERE IS A RECALL?
NHTSA complaint #11161706 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 72,000 milesFort Wayne, INCrash
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
ANYTIME I BREAK OR LET OFF THE GAS AND THERE IS A BUMP OR A STEEL PLATE IN THE ROAD MY CAR SLIDES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING OR 3 YEARS NOW. WHEN IT RAINS AND ITA WET OUTSIDE ITS EVEN WORSE. I HAVE BRAND NEW TIRES ON AND IT STILL HAPPENS.
NHTSA complaint #11124345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 72,000 milesFort Wayne, INCrash
SERVICE BRAKES
ANYTIME I BREAK OR LET OFF THE GAS AND THERE IS A BUMP OR A STEEL PLATE IN THE ROAD MY CAR SLIDES. THIS HAS BEEN HAPPENING OR 3 YEARS NOW. WHEN IT RAINS AND ITA WET OUTSIDE ITS EVEN WORSE. I HAVE BRAND NEW TIRES ON AND IT STILL HAPPENS.
NHTSA complaint #11124345 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
The most recent complaints
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Lehighton, PA
POWER TRAIN
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and various other dashboard warnings . During these events the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive while the vehicle remains powered, indicating a failure of the hybrid propulsion system or high-voltage battery control system. The vehicle and video footage of the failure are available for inspection upon request. Timeline of Events January 13, 2026 – The vehicle displayed a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and lost the ability to accelerate. The vehicle had to be towed to Lehighton Ford. January 21, 2026 – Paid $866.85 for repairs including battery service, Rear Control Module replacement, and PCM harness repair. Lehighton Ford stated the vehicle was repaired and safe to drive. Within minutes of leaving the dealership, the vehicle stalled again in active traffic and had to be returned. The issue was escalated to the Ford Engineering hotline and a Field Service Engineer. February 17, 2026 – The dealership attempted to return the vehicle after performing a BECM reprogramming. Upon pickup, new issues were immediately observed including near-stall conditions and hybrid system malfunction, so the vehicle was left with the dealership again. February 18, 2026 - The owner brought forth concerns about Ford’s Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 17-0015 which identifies potential damage to the traction battery interlock harness as a root cause for intermittent stalling and "Stop Safely Now" warnings. Although the dealership recorded Diagnostic Trouble Code B11D8—a fault directly related to the stall condition—the dealership later stated that no diagnostic codes relevant to the TSB were present and this component was not inspected. February 20, 2026 - Dealership claims that the vehicle has been test-driven for over 100 miles and is “functioning perfectly” and that a ‘battery rebalance’ was causing the issues experie
NHTSA complaint #11729640 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lehighton, PA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and various other dashboard warnings . During these events the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive while the vehicle remains powered, indicating a failure of the hybrid propulsion system or high-voltage battery control system. The vehicle and video footage of the failure are available for inspection upon request. Timeline of Events January 13, 2026 – The vehicle displayed a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and lost the ability to accelerate. The vehicle had to be towed to Lehighton Ford. January 21, 2026 – Paid $866.85 for repairs including battery service, Rear Control Module replacement, and PCM harness repair. Lehighton Ford stated the vehicle was repaired and safe to drive. Within minutes of leaving the dealership, the vehicle stalled again in active traffic and had to be returned. The issue was escalated to the Ford Engineering hotline and a Field Service Engineer. February 17, 2026 – The dealership attempted to return the vehicle after performing a BECM reprogramming. Upon pickup, new issues were immediately observed including near-stall conditions and hybrid system malfunction, so the vehicle was left with the dealership again. February 18, 2026 - The owner brought forth concerns about Ford’s Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 17-0015 which identifies potential damage to the traction battery interlock harness as a root cause for intermittent stalling and "Stop Safely Now" warnings. Although the dealership recorded Diagnostic Trouble Code B11D8—a fault directly related to the stall condition—the dealership later stated that no diagnostic codes relevant to the TSB were present and this component was not inspected. February 20, 2026 - Dealership claims that the vehicle has been test-driven for over 100 miles and is “functioning perfectly” and that a ‘battery rebalance’ was causing the issues experie
NHTSA complaint #11729640 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lehighton, PA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and various other dashboard warnings . During these events the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive while the vehicle remains powered, indicating a failure of the hybrid propulsion system or high-voltage battery control system. The vehicle and video footage of the failure are available for inspection upon request. Timeline of Events January 13, 2026 – The vehicle displayed a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and lost the ability to accelerate. The vehicle had to be towed to Lehighton Ford. January 21, 2026 – Paid $866.85 for repairs including battery service, Rear Control Module replacement, and PCM harness repair. Lehighton Ford stated the vehicle was repaired and safe to drive. Within minutes of leaving the dealership, the vehicle stalled again in active traffic and had to be returned. The issue was escalated to the Ford Engineering hotline and a Field Service Engineer. February 17, 2026 – The dealership attempted to return the vehicle after performing a BECM reprogramming. Upon pickup, new issues were immediately observed including near-stall conditions and hybrid system malfunction, so the vehicle was left with the dealership again. February 18, 2026 - The owner brought forth concerns about Ford’s Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 17-0015 which identifies potential damage to the traction battery interlock harness as a root cause for intermittent stalling and "Stop Safely Now" warnings. Although the dealership recorded Diagnostic Trouble Code B11D8—a fault directly related to the stall condition—the dealership later stated that no diagnostic codes relevant to the TSB were present and this component was not inspected. February 20, 2026 - Dealership claims that the vehicle has been test-driven for over 100 miles and is “functioning perfectly” and that a ‘battery rebalance’ was causing the issues experie
NHTSA complaint #11729640 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woolwich Twp, NJ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rear impact bar is completely disintegrated and is falling off of the subframe due to extreme rust. There is either no or very little amount of rust on the entirety of the rest of the vehicle. The impact bar is either manufactured with incorrect materials or is otherwise defective. The impact absorber is attached to the impact bar and due to the integrity of the impact bar being destroyed, the crumple zone in the rear of the vehicle will not work as intended and the safety systems would not perform as intended. The impact absorber is not sitting correctly as attached to the impact bar and major portions of the impact bar are missing due to extreme rust. This is currently available for inspection but is going to be repaired soon. A review of forums, like Reddit, online reveal that other owners of this generation of Cmax have had rusted out impact bars in the rear and have failed state safety inspection. This vehicle was never in an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11728197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Woolwich Twp, NJ
STRUCTURE:BODY
The rear impact bar is completely disintegrated and is falling off of the subframe due to extreme rust. There is either no or very little amount of rust on the entirety of the rest of the vehicle. The impact bar is either manufactured with incorrect materials or is otherwise defective. The impact absorber is attached to the impact bar and due to the integrity of the impact bar being destroyed, the crumple zone in the rear of the vehicle will not work as intended and the safety systems would not perform as intended. The impact absorber is not sitting correctly as attached to the impact bar and major portions of the impact bar are missing due to extreme rust. This is currently available for inspection but is going to be repaired soon. A review of forums, like Reddit, online reveal that other owners of this generation of Cmax have had rusted out impact bars in the rear and have failed state safety inspection. This vehicle was never in an accident.
NHTSA complaint #11728197 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Forest Grove, OR
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Rear view camera display is upside down. Display was normal when the vehicle was purchased and then one day it flipped upside down and all overlay information disappeared (lines and distance indicators).
NHTSA complaint #11723781 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lewiston, ID
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I took it to the Ford dealership and they diagnosed it as having a parasitic draw from the 12 V battery when the car is shut down so when you go to get into the car if the battery is dead, they will fix it for $425 however, this problem was a recall in 2013 and my car did have a recall done to it. However, the issue is still going on therefore I feel as though the customer should not be charged. My car broke down going up the canyon and it told me to pull over safely, which I did going up the hill, but it was on an exit and it was a dangerous situation as I could not even turn on my flashers. This has been a known issue with the Ford C max since 2013 and since their software program then did not correct the problem and now they want to update the software why should the cost come from the Consumer?
NHTSA complaint #11721095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lewiston, ID
ENGINE
I took it to the Ford dealership and they diagnosed it as having a parasitic draw from the 12 V battery when the car is shut down so when you go to get into the car if the battery is dead, they will fix it for $425 however, this problem was a recall in 2013 and my car did have a recall done to it. However, the issue is still going on therefore I feel as though the customer should not be charged. My car broke down going up the canyon and it told me to pull over safely, which I did going up the hill, but it was on an exit and it was a dangerous situation as I could not even turn on my flashers. This has been a known issue with the Ford C max since 2013 and since their software program then did not correct the problem and now they want to update the software why should the cost come from the Consumer?
NHTSA complaint #11721095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lewiston, ID
SERVICE BRAKES
I took it to the Ford dealership and they diagnosed it as having a parasitic draw from the 12 V battery when the car is shut down so when you go to get into the car if the battery is dead, they will fix it for $425 however, this problem was a recall in 2013 and my car did have a recall done to it. However, the issue is still going on therefore I feel as though the customer should not be charged. My car broke down going up the canyon and it told me to pull over safely, which I did going up the hill, but it was on an exit and it was a dangerous situation as I could not even turn on my flashers. This has been a known issue with the Ford C max since 2013 and since their software program then did not correct the problem and now they want to update the software why should the cost come from the Consumer?
NHTSA complaint #11721095 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cypress, TX
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The backup camera always quits working while in the middle of reversing. It will work for a second, but then the display will flip upside down or go completely black and display a message saying "Camera unavailable. Please contact your dealership." It started doing this about a year ago, but was intermittent. It started happening more often over time, and now it always happens. It makes reversing dangerous, as the camera will quit working while the vehicle is still moving. This is especially dangerous in parking lots where there are pedestrians around. It is available for inspection upon request. It has not been inspected by anyone yet.
NHTSA complaint #11696461 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
St Charles, IL
ENGINE
Engine light came on. Mechanic said 2 codes showed up. One for low coolant, another for engine misfiring. The misfiring code had come on several times in past and spark plugs were replaced. Upon inspection was told the engine block is cracked due to faulty design. I will need a new engine!
NHTSA complaint #11690446 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Auburn, WA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The rearview camera is usually upside down. Occasionally, a blank, black screen is displayed. Infrequently, it appears normal. A few times, a message is displayed saying it needs to be replaced. In view of the fact many models have a recall notice for this very problem, I elected to report it.
NHTSA complaint #11686280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Apollo Beach, FL
STEERING
Steering stopped working but after restarted it began to work again. It was fine for a few days and then DTC came up indicating "Service Power Steering" and the power steering has quit working.
NHTSA complaint #11685718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Rancho Mirage, CA
STEERING
While driving car, power steering will fail and deactivate leaving the steering extremely heavy and manual. Can happen at any speed, and has happened on the interstate at highway speeds. Information cluster states, "power steering fault - service power steering immediately" When this happens it is highly unsafe and happens instantly without warning. Makes getting the car off the road and stopped safely very difficult and dangerous. Stopping the car, turning it off fully and restarting seems to clear the fault and makes the car power steering operate as normal again. But this has happened many times since owning the car and I can find no reason when or why it gets triggered. Online searches find many other owners of this car describing the exact same issue and they share the same concerns about it being unsafe.
NHTSA complaint #11662849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pinole, CA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
WHILE DRIVING the dashboard instrument panel beeps and flashes the word "Put in Park" and "Stop Safely Now", and the speedometer stops working, all kinds of warning lights start flashing on and off on the instrument panel, the heater goes on and off on it's own, then the instrument panel goes black, speedometer shows zero and car goes into shutdown mode. I was put in risk while driving without a speedometer and other vehicles near me were put into risk; when I pull over and stop the vehicle it strands me and I need a tow. This has happened randomly many times; I took it to FORD for repair, they didn't know how to fix the problem, my car was at FORD for 6 weeks! and I was without a car all that time, now 3 months later it's doing the same thing! I have videos of it happening along with the pictures I'm posting here, it is very scary when it's happening while driving and it's scary being stranded in unsafe places having to wait for a tow. This issue is Unresolved and DANGEROUS, I need FORD to get more involved.
NHTSA complaint #11648591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Pinole, CA
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING the dashboard instrument panel beeps and flashes the word "Put in Park" and "Stop Safely Now", and the speedometer stops working, all kinds of warning lights start flashing on and off on the instrument panel, the heater goes on and off on it's own, then the instrument panel goes black, speedometer shows zero and car goes into shutdown mode. I was put in risk while driving without a speedometer and other vehicles near me were put into risk; when I pull over and stop the vehicle it strands me and I need a tow. This has happened randomly many times; I took it to FORD for repair, they didn't know how to fix the problem, my car was at FORD for 6 weeks! and I was without a car all that time, now 3 months later it's doing the same thing! I have videos of it happening along with the pictures I'm posting here, it is very scary when it's happening while driving and it's scary being stranded in unsafe places having to wait for a tow. This issue is Unresolved and DANGEROUS, I need FORD to get more involved.
NHTSA complaint #11648591 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Murray, UT
STEERING
Got a “Power steering assist fault” message on the screen. It was very hard to steer the wheel. The case on the wheel was turning around it. Managed to drive 3 more miles to the dealership. A lot of other ford models have same issues, even under 50.000 miles. And many of the are in recall program, but not 2013 ford c-max. Can’t afford 3.400$ price for fixing it at the dealership. I’m a second owner, bought it for 5.000 , 3 years ago. At least it didn’t stuck completely, and I didn’t Die
NHTSA complaint #11628031 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Select City, DC
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My Stereo/Navigation console went out, just went black and stopped working. I bought it to my local garage and they said it was a costly repair and that there is a recall/service bulletin on it and that i should take it to a Ford Dealer. I did and they acknowledged the issue but said my VIN wasn't covered, but it was a known issue with C-Max of this year. So I didnt have the car services. A few months later, (2 weeks ago) my battery died and could not be jumped, so I had it towed to my Ford Dealer. He informed me that the potential cause of the battery damage was a short in the Console/Radio/Nav/Screen system. I agreed to go forward with the costly repair... They have so far not been able to resolve the issues. This morning I called Ford and explained the issue. They said since there is not a Recall associated with my VIN, there was nothing they could do. I asked them to look up the "issue" not the VIN and they acknowledged that there are issues with 2013 C-Max Energi models associated with the console. I asked for a bulletin number and was given 202363. I believe the recall is associated with the Ford Parts and so my VIN number may not be registered or something to that effect. I'm not sure how to look up the number they provided. While I dont think that not having a Radio or Nav system is a safety issue. The fact that it has caused the car to completely shut down and standing us is an issue. Again, Ford is aware that this type of issue exists, for this model, for this manufacturing year. They say they will only cover the repair if your agency tells them to, UGH Thank you, [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11616983 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Oscoda, MI
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
The wrench 🔧 light came on in my car. and when I put it in drive the car took off without me putting my foot on the gas. and it was like I had no control over the gas pedal. I tried hitting the brakes and it was still wanting to accelerate.
NHTSA complaint #11603572 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
North Charleston, SC
TIRES
225/57/17 driving down the interstate and the tire blew
NHTSA complaint #11575199 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clarksville, IN
STEERING
On the morning of 12/13/23 I got in my car to go to work. Upon starting my car the warning light for service power steering came on. I noticed the car was very hard to steer when existing my drive way. I drove the car back into my neighborhood to see if it was safe to drive in traffic. The steering was so tight and steering wheel would fight me wanting to return to center. With the fault code still present I went home and inspected the steering system and hooked up my scan tool to the OBD port. I had a fault code of 3000-53 and 3000-49. The 3000-53 would not clear. I have found online other Fford vehicles with recalls for the same steering system setup, but not on the Ford C Max. If this had happened when I was driving on the road at a high rate of speed it would have caused a serious accident, as the steering was very unresponsive and actually fighting my input of direction.
NHTSA complaint #11559895 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Malden, MA
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I pulled over to take a phone call. The car was in park but idling. When I finished the call, I put the car in drive and released my foot from the brake. The car began to accelerate as if I was pressing the accelerator, but I was not. I checked the make sure there was no obstruction near the pedals. There was nothing there, no random object, no floor mat, nothing. I tried to release my foot a few more times and it continued to accelerate without any pressure on the accelerator. I put the car in park, noticed there was a wrench image lit up on the dash and then turned off the car. When I started it again, the wrench was gone and the car drove normally. I called the service center to make an appointment to have the car looked at. The earliest appointment is in 19 days.
NHTSA complaint #11559226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Great Falls, VA
POWER TRAIN
I have owned this car for the last 9 years and have kept It well-maintained. For over a year, the car stalls in the midst of driving, even on a highway, leaving me the only option to find a shoulder or safe area to park. After I turn off the engine, wait for a few minutes, and turn it back on, the engine turns on just fine and I am able to drive. Lately (for about a month or so) this has been happening more frequently(every other day, sometimes twice in a short while compared to once every 3-4 weeks). A few months ago I took it to the local Ford dealership and they told me, that they would need to replace the hybrid system, with an estimated cost of $15000, which didn't make any sense as even car is not worth that much. I also called Ford customer service and even they didn't offer much and just told me something to the effect of "tough luck". I came across this post [XXX] which matches exactly with the issue I am experiencing. That particular car owner was able to get the transmission replaced by Ford, under a California law and the issue was resolved. This seems to suggest, that Ford bears the responsibility for this manufacturing fault and they should own up to it. It is not fair that after paying over $35000, for the car, the only options I am given is to either take the risk of a catastrophic accident with the car stalling in the midst of a highway (with no safe place to stop) or just junk the car. I am pleading that your department should make it a required safety recall and Ford should be required to either fix this issue, at no cost to the owners or compensate them fairly for the present value of the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11550673 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lynnwood, WA
EQUIPMENT:MECHANICAL:CARRIER/RACK
On March 21, after communicating several times with Yakima regarding difficulties I was having in installing the roof rack onto our car, I was able to install the racks, though the tower and clip system for the front rack were uncomfortably at the limit of extension of the drive bolt (the part of the system that applies the tension that keeps the rack on the car). With the multiple installation attempts and communication with Yakima Consumer Service I am very confident that I installed the rack consistent with Yakima instructions. Following installation the roof racks were not used to transport our kayaks until mid June. On June 16 my wife was driving on the very busy Interstate 5 close to our home in Lynnwood WA when the front rack separated from the car, impacting and damaging the roof on the way off. It was extremely lucky that no vehicle was behind her, and no accident was caused. We found remnants of the front rack on the side of the highway, and there was clear evidence that the rack had been hit by one or more vehicles. I don't know the extent of the damage to those vehicles. I called the Washington State Police to report and ask whether any incident had been reported; none had. The next day I submitted a report to Yakima about the incident. To this date I have not received any response to my report, somewhat surprising since the Consumer Service dept had been very prompt in responding to my previous communications when I was having difficulty installing the racks. Email correspondence with Yakima and photos are attached.
NHTSA complaint #11534525 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Brookfield, WI
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The component that failed is the lug nuts. They are swollen. Had them replaced when I got new tires in December, 2022 because mechanic could not use the ones that came with the previous tires. He said I would be driving on broken lug nuts because of how he had to take off the lug nuts that came with my Ford. On May 17/2023, took my car to A ford dealership for an oil change and inspection. They could not rotate the tire because of the swollen lug nuts.
NHTSA complaint #11522535 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.