Ford C-MAX 2013–2018

Summary

6 model years in 1 generation, 647 owner complaints in total.
No model year stands out as the most complained-about of its generation.
These are complaint counts, not failure rates: they are not divided by how many cars were sold, because no public source reports U.S. sales by model year.
Half of the complaints that give a mileage were filed by 48,000 miles (422 of them give one).
Owners reported 41 crashes, 16 fires, 32 injuries and 0 deaths across these model years.
14 recalls and 3 federal investigations cover these model years.

Why there is no page per model year

A model year earns its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it can either be compared with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. No C-MAX year clears that bar: the highest count is 357 complaints, in 2013. Rather than publish a thin page for each year, everything known about this model is on this page.

2013–2018

Each year is counted over the same span: complaints received up to two calendar years after its model year. A year is compared only when that span is over and it holds at least 50 complaints. Fewer than three years of this generation are comparable, so no year is named.

Model year	All complaints	First three years	Most reported system	Note
2013	357	81	Electrical System
2014	110	20	Electrical System	not compared
2015	89	15	Driver Assistance	not compared
2016	56	13	Electrical System	not compared
2017	25	4	Steering	not compared
2018	10	4	Steering	not compared

Every model year

A model year gets its own page when four sources cover it, it holds at least 50 complaints, and it either compares with the other years of its generation or shows one system in 40% or more of the complaints that name a component. The rest are listed here with their figures.

Model year	Complaints	Recalls	Investigations	Bulletins	Combined MPG	Page
2013	357	10	3	178	38–40	listed here
2014	110	8	3	116	38–39	listed here
2015	89	6	3	109	38–39	listed here
2016	56	3	1	147	38–39	listed here
2017	25	1	1	131	39–40	listed here
2018	10	1	1	61	40	listed here

What owners report across all years

System	Complaints	Share	Median mileage
Electrical System	190	32%	38,000 mi
Powertrain	106	18%	75,900 mi
Steering	99	17%	50,000 mi
Engine	54	9%	20,000 mi
Body & Structure	44	7%	46,000 mi

Shares are over complaints that name a component; a complaint naming several systems is counted under each.

Electrical System

Owner report Rear view camera recall was last year on October 2025 I am facing serious safety issues with the camera not working properly or sometimes entirely not at all the screen turns blue and does not display anything it’s very dangerous

Owner report Major electrical issues, including rear view camera not working, vehicle starting when no key fob is in or near the vehicle, tail lights burning out even after replacement, one taillight blinking faster than the other, screen for infotainment not turning on, all of a sudden vehicle not starting with complete battery dr…

Powertrain

Owner report 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 …

Owner report The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, prompting her to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with th…

Steering

Owner report 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.

Owner report The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel detached from the steering column. The contact stated that the steering wheel had loosened. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a detached steering wheel bolt. The co…

Largest recalls

Campaign	Component	Filed	Vehicles
22V413000	POWER TRAIN:SHIFT LINKAGE/CABLE/ROD \| POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)	2022-06-10	2,925,968
20V331000	LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH	2020-06-08	2,147,323
16V643000	LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH	2016-09-06	2,046,297
25V695000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2025-10-13	1,448,655
14V597000	SEAT BELTS \| AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW	2014-09-26	746,842

Whether a recall has been done on a specific car depends on its VIN; check it at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Open investigations

None open.

Service bulletins

Ford issued 742 service bulletins covering these model years, most often about electrical system.

A bulletin tells dealers how to fix a known condition. It is not a recall and not a defect finding. Most bulletins cover several model years at once, so a bulletin listed here may not be specific to one year. The number of bulletins tracks how long and how widely a model was sold, so it is not a measure of reliability.

Date	Component	Summary
2026-03-25	BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING	Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
2026-02-24	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the access…
2025-11-26	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Na…
2025-11-12	POWER TRAIN	Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Contro…
2024-10-10	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions. …
2024-05-27	UNKNOWN OR OTHER	This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-201…
2024-04-24	EQUIPMENT	All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during ini…
2023-06-08	EQUIPMENT:OTHER:OWNERS/SERVICE/OTHER MANUAL	The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on warranty, technical serv…
2023-04-12	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	Certain 2014-2020 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines 3G Telematics Control Unit to 4G Upgrade Kit REASON FOR THIS SUPPLEMENT Program Terms & Urgency / Expiration Date: Program extension until July 31, 2023. Service Action: o IDS level…
2022-10-25	POWER TRAIN	Some 2013-2020 Fusion, MKZ and 2013-2018 C-Max vehicles equipped with an HF35 transmission may exhibit a thumping/rubbing or grinding noise coming from the transmission. The noise may be present in all gear ranges including neutral when the…

How to read this page

Complaint counts are not failure rates. A model that sells more cars draws more complaints, and owners file more after news coverage or a recall. That is why years are compared only with other years of the same generation, over the same span, and never with other models.

Sources

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation: complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications (data as of 2026-10-28).
U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov: engines and fuel economy.

This page summarises public records; it is not a mechanical inspection.