Ford C-max energi problems
The Ford C-Max (stylized as Ford C-MAX and previously called the Ford Focus C-Max) is a car produced by the Ford Motor Company from 2003 to 2019. It has a five-door compact multi-purpose vehicle (MPV) design. The Ford Grand C-Max has a longer wheelbase.
Ford introduced the C-Max in the United States as its first hybrid-only line of vehicles, which includes the C-Max Hybrid, released in September 2012, and the C-Max Energi plug-in hybrid, launched in October 2012. Although the C-Max was initially available only in Europe, the first generation was partially available in New Zealand.
First generation (2003)
The Ford Focus C-Max is preceded by the eponymous show car, which was designed by Daniel Paulin and unveiled at the 2002 Paris Motor Show.
C-Max Mk I was the first product to use the Ford C1 platform, also used by the Ford Focus Mk II and the compact MPV Premacy/Mazda5. Its internal code name is C214.
It seats five passengers and has a large amount of cargo space, which can be increased by folding the rear seats flat. Some models feature diagonally sliding outer rear seats. It also shares the control blade independent rear suspension from the Focus.
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Ford C-max energi model years
Common Ford C-max energi problems
Based on complaints from owners of the Ford C-Max Energi, several common problems have been reported:
- Transmission Failure: Some owners have reported transmission failures in the 2013 C-Max Energi, which can result in drivability issues and potentially costly repairs.
- Charging Problems: Complaints have been made about the 2014 C-Max Energi not keeping a charge, indicating potential issues with the charging system or battery.
- Electrical Issues: The Ford C-Max Hybrid, which shares similarities with the Energi model, has been noted for electrical problems, suggesting a broader concern with the electrical systems in these vehicles.
- MyFord Touch System: Consumers have raised complaints about the MyFord Touch infotainment system being confusing and difficult to operate, impacting the overall user experience of the vehicle.
- Stalling: Some drivers have experienced stalling issues with the Ford C-Max Energi, which can pose safety risks and lead to inconvenience on the road.
These reported problems highlight a range of issues that Ford C-Max Energi owners have faced, from electrical and battery-related concerns to transmission and operational issues. Addressing these issues promptly and through authorized dealerships is crucial to ensure the safety and reliability of these vehicles.
How long does a Ford C-Max Energi battery last?
The make and model of your hybrid vehicle can affect its battery's life, but as a general rule the hybrid battery in Ford vehicles is warrantied to last roughly 8 years or to 100,000 miles, whichever comes first, under normal driving conditions.
Is there any problem with the Ford C-Max?
The C-Max Mk2 also has problems that include a loose door frame weather strip, leaky manual transmissions, coolant pump leaks, and a failure of the keyless entry system. However, don't worry, because here we explain what the issues involve and how the DIY mechanic can save large sums of money by repairing them at home.
How reliable is the Ford C-Max Hybrid?
The severity and frequency of repairs are both much lower than other vehicles, so the C-Max is one of the more reliable vehicles on the road.
What is the recall on the Ford C-Max transmission?
Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Recalls Ford C-max energi
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 1 recalls for different components of the Ford C-max energi.You can explore the year of the Volkswagen Jetta you are interested in by selecting it from the list.
- Model: Ford C-max energi 2013
- Report Received Date: 2013-10-17
- Manufacturer: Ford Motor Company
- Components: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION:ANTI-THEFT:CONTROL MODULE
- Summary: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Focus Electric vehicles and 2013 C-Max vehicles equipped with the Intelligent Access Push Button Start System. In the affected vehicles, there is no audible chime when the vehicle is operational and the driver's door is opened. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
- Consequence: Without an audible door chime, a vehicle owner may open the door and exit the vehicle without being reminded that the vehicle is still operational, leaving the vehicle susceptible to theft.
- Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the door chime, free of charge. The recall began on October 30, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C07.
Latest negative Ford C-max energi car reviews
Latest positive Ford C-max energi car reviews
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Vehicle year: 2014
I absolutely love this car! I looked at other hybrids, both foreign and domestic, but when I drove this one, it was the clear winner. It drives so smoothly and quietly, and there's plenty of room inside, including lots of headroom. I've had it for almost 6 months now and I rarely have to buy gas. We installed a 220 charger about a month after purchasing it and I'm so glad we did - charging time went from about 6 hours to just 2 hours! If you're going on trips around 20 miles, you may never have to buy gas again. I was looking for something comfortable on the highway and this car definitely fits the bill. We also have a Lincoln MKT, but this car is just as quiet and comfortable while using much less gas. We recently went on a 500 mile road trip and averaged about 40 mpg. Around town, I've gotten as much as 175 mpg on a tank of gas! I was a bit worried that it wouldn't feel as great to drive as my previous sporty diesel car, but it's actually fantastic to drive. I really hope that Ford keeps making this car so that I can buy another one in 4 years. Maybe by then they can increase the cargo space a bit, but even with 2 people on a road trip, we can always use the back seat.
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Vehicle year: 2016
Hi there! We actually went for the energy version of the car, which was a bit pricier, but we got a government tax rebate that made the upgrade free! We mainly use this car for running errands around town, so the limited trunk space hasn't been an issue for us. However, if you need more space, I'd recommend sticking with the hybrid version. Depending on the time of year, our car can go about 16-20 miles on the battery alone (although it's less in colder weather).
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Vehicle year: 2016
I'm so glad to hear that you're enjoying your new C-Max! It sounds like it's been a great upgrade from your previous Civic Hybrid. It's impressive that you've been able to use only half a tank in the past 1.5 months, and it's great to hear that it has unexpected power. It's also nice to have a vehicle with all the options you want. I can understand how the Prius can be a bit overdone, so it's refreshing to have something different. The only downside seems to be the cargo space. Overall, it sounds like you made a great choice with the C-Max. Thank you for sharing your experience with me!
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Vehicle year: 2016
I had this car for a short time and unfortunately had a horrific crash, which resulted in my little C-Max being totaled. However, I was able to walk away from the accident thanks to the car's impressive safety features. Even the folks at the body shop were surprised when I showed up the next day, assuming I would be in the hospital for a while. Despite the accident, I must say that the car was a lot of fun to drive. When I bought it, I traded in a Focus and found that the C-Max, built on a Focus chassis, handled very similarly. The acceleration takes a little getting used to, as it is very fast and quiet. If you're switching from gas to electric, be aware of this, as you can easily find yourself speeding without realizing it. My only complaint about the car is that the MyFord Touch system is rather crummy, but this was changed in 2016. Additionally, if you can find one with a backup camera, that is a nice feature. Unfortunately, Ford decided to make the backup camera an expensive option, so most C-Max models don't have it. However, since this car is three years old, many are now available on the market as people turn in their leases. If you're looking for a good used car that gets great mileage and is fun to drive, you'll love the C-Max.
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Vehicle year: 2014
This is our first hybrid car and we are thrilled with it! We wish we had gotten it sooner. The car just makes perfect sense, and it's a great way to say 'screw Big Oil!' We've only had the car for about two weeks, but we are already very impressed with it. Ford did a great job with it. My fiancee drives it to work every day, about 42 miles round trip. Our terrain is rural back roads, open highway and a bit hilly--great for mild hypermiling. He gets to work in all EV mode and regens a couple miles, and a few miles back toward home before entering hybrid mode. If he could plug in at work, we would rarely ever have to get gas. As it is, we expect we will need to get gas once a month. Wow! This seems crazy! We are very happy overall! Update - It's now been two years since we have owned the car. We have had a few minor issues, such as turned down rear rotor, turned down front rotors, alignment (not covered under warranty), replace charger cable, replace steering component, replace charge port light, and ongoing noise coming from brake at slow speed- unsolved. A recall has been issued on a door part. Ford will contact us to do replacement of component once parts are available. Despite these issues, we are still very happy with the car at 32,000 miles. No reduced battery capacity has been detected at this time. UPDATE - It's now been nearly 3 years that we've owned the car and we still love it. We've not had any more problems with the car, outside of the modem replacement that still does not connect. Otherwise, it has been great and very dependable. We are still running the original tires at about 48,000 miles. Switching out the LLR with winter treads helps a lot, but those tires reduce MPG greatly. Here's a funny story to share: When we first got this car, my eldest daughter made fun of it. She called it 'gay.' She's 20 now and a bit more mature. So my daughter wrecked her Ford Fiesta earlier this year (obviously not funny). She then borrowed her boyfriend's dad's car to get back and forth to work. Several weeks later, the transmission went out in that car, so who does she call?My husband and I have two vehicles, but since I work from home, we only need one. A friend asked to borrow a car, and although my husband needed the truck to bring home firewood from work, I offered her the car. It's a great car with a range of 28 miles in warm temperatures with no climate controls on. After driving it for a while, she fell in love with it and ended up buying a '14 CPO a few weeks ago. She couldn't be happier with her purchase. We've had the car for over 4 years now, and it's still running great. The only issue we've had is with the tires, which were cupped to the inside. Thankfully, we have an extended warranty in place. We changed the windshield wipers and noticed some odd wear at the hatch, but otherwise, no major problems. We discovered Dave Ramsey earlier this year and are paying off the car early. My only regret is not buying it as a CPO to save thousands. If you're in the market for a car, I highly recommend getting a nice, low mileage CPO with a clean Carfax for cash. Avoid buying a brand new car. It looks like the paint on the left side, around the middle area, has worn off. The dealer is going to take a look at it for us. Other than that, there's nothing new to report. I'm really happy that we bought such an efficient car. You should consider getting a nice used one!
Are you having problems with your Ford C-max energi?
Hazel Waelchi 2025-02-22
Vehicle year: 2013
Hi there! I hope you're doing well. I wanted to share my experience with the C-Max Energi. I initially thought I could drive it just a few miles per day, plug it in at night, and avoid gas stations altogether. However, I ran into a bit of an issue. It turns out that while the lithium ion battery charges, the 12 volt battery that initially cranks the engine doesn't charge at the same time. As a result, if you don't drive extended miles every few days or so, the 12 volt battery will gradually be drained. I learned this the hard way when my battery died twice. According to my local dealer, this is because the Energi doesn't have an alternator. Just something to keep in mind! Let me know if you have any questions.
Walker Senger 2025-01-03
Vehicle year: 2016
We signed the papers to lease this car on Saturday, August 13, 2016. The odometer read 62 miles. After familiarizing ourselves with the car, we were excited to hit the road! However, the car wouldn't start. No one knew what to do, but eventually, they got it going. The salesman explained that they reset the code. We drove home with a Ford employee following us, just in case. Thankfully, we made it home without any issues. On Wednesday, August 17th, the car wouldn't start again. This time, the odometer read 122 miles. I had the car towed to the nearest dealership and left it there. The service manager called and informed me that the 'electronic control module for hybrid' needed replacing, but unfortunately, the part was on back order. Does this mean that there is a run on this part? I was disappointed because I bought this car to replace my 14-year-old car, hoping for a reliable vehicle. I'd like to keep in touch with Ray Brisbine of CA, who seems to have had the same experience. I wonder if his problems were resolved. After two weeks, we finally got the car back from the dealer service. The service manager told us that Ford engineers called him and said the car did not need a new control module, but rather the computer needed re-programming. So, Ford engineers talked the dealer tech people through a complete re-programming of my c-max energi. We've had it back for four days now, and it is running well. We hope that this is 'the fix'. The service manager said that they have gotten a recall for all c-max energi cars, probably for this reprogramming. We still have a minor problem: holding the lock sensor area for a second does not work to lock the doors. However, unlocking does work. Also, if I lock the doors with the power door locks while exiting, the car locks, but about 15 seconds later the horn beeps loudly until the car is unlocked. We found the Ford dealership to be very helpful during this period, even giving us a lender car to keep for the duration of the repair.
Sherman Bayer 2024-11-17
Vehicle year: 2015
I experienced problems with the electrical system early on. However, I am confident that the issue was primarily caused by the dealership. Despite the sales people and management appearing to care, the car had to be towed twice due to the technicians failing to make proper electrical connections. Shockingly, the second time they delivered the car to me without reassembling the hybrid battery compartment! Fortunately, FMC came to the rescue and made some commercial accommodation that has worked for me.
Robert Windler 2024-10-19
Vehicle year: 2017
The C-Max has some quirks to consider before purchasing. During the winter, it takes a while for the car to warm up and the battery drains quickly when using the heater and fans on short trips. However, during the summer, the car averages 43mpg and can even eliminate the need for gas entirely. It's important to note that the hybrid mode may not kick in on short trips below 20 degrees. The lithium ion battery has an 8-year warranty and typically lasts around 10 years with proper care. While the C-Max is a good car, there may be better options available from competitors.
Guiseppe Shields 2024-10-18
Vehicle year: 2013
Hi there! I bought this car 2 months ago and have been driving it to and from work mostly. I really like the concept of a plugin hatchback. The car handles fairly well and the motors work great. However, I have to admit that the electronics still need some work. The charging software, navigation, and voice recognition are not up to par yet and have made the experience less enjoyable for me.