2013 FORD C-MAX Complaints

THE INNER DOOR PANEL ON BOTH REAR DOORS WARPS AND STICKS TO THE BOTTOM OF THE DOOR FRAME MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO OPEN THE REAR DOORS. THE ONLY OPTION FROM FORD WAS TO REPLACE BOTH DOOR PANELS WHICH COST $400 EACH + LABOR. FORD IS AWARE OF THIS ISSUE SPECIFICALLY ON THE 2013 MODEL BUT HAS NOT ISSUED A RECALL.

ON MY 2013 CMAX ENERGI OVER THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, POWER STEERING INTERMITTENTLY STOPS WORKING, WHICH MAKES HIT HARD TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL. "POWER STEERING REQUIRES SERVICE" WARNING COMES ON. IT GENERLLY OCCURS JUST AFTER STARTING THE CAR. AFTER RE-STARTING SEVERAL TIMES, POWER STEERING WILL TYPICALLY KICK BACK IN. DEALER INDICATED NEED TO REPLACE STEERING COLUMN. PARTS COST IS AROUND $2000 AND LABOR $1000.

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.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE VEHICLE WAS BEING TOWED BY A 2009 ITASA WINNEBAGO MOTOR HOME. WHILE ACCELERATING FROM A STOP SIGN, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE SEPARATED FROM THE FRAME. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED FROM THE SCENE. IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE FRONT END BOLTS HAD FRACTURED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. FOREST CITY FORD (745 US-69, FOREST CITY, IA) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: CAS [XXX], BUT NO ASSISTANCE WAS OFFERED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 57,000. *TR *JS *DL PARTS OF THIS DOCUMENT HAVE BEEN REDACTED TO PROTECT PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

MY REAR PASSENGER'S DOOR LATCH ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IS NOT WORKING PROPERLY. IT IS KEEPING THE DOOR CLOSED BUT NOT EVEN TO LOCK THE DOOR. WHEN I LOCK THE DOORS WITH THE KEY FOB IT BEEPS TWICE WHICH WOULD INDICATE A DOOR IS NOT CLOSED PROPERLY AND IS NOT SECURELY LOCKED. ALTHOUGH ON THE DASH IT IS NOT INDICATING A DOOR IS NOT CLOSED.

RECEIVED WARNING "POWER STEERING REQUIRES SERVICE" WHILE DRIVING. SHORTLY AFTER, WE PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE ENGINE FOR SEVERAL MINUTES. UPON RESTARTING THE CAR THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE--ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AND THE MESSAGE SAID "POWER STEERING FAULT". OUR LOCAL DEALER SAID THIS WAS NOT COVERED BY WARRANTY OR RECALL. RESEARCH SHOWS MULTIPLE RECALLS ON 2013 FORD VEHICLES FOR THIS PROBLEM, BUT NOT FOR THE CMAX ENERGI (PERHAPS BECAUSE IT'S NOT A VERY POPULAR CAR AND THERE WEREN'T ENOUGH SOLD TO TRIGGER THE RECALL THRESHOLD).

THERE WAS A GRINDING SOUND FOR WEEKS AND THEN ONE NIGHT AFTER I STOPPED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM AND I WAS ON MY WAY HOME ON WAYNE, RD. AND THE CAR WAS JERKING REALLY BAD AND WOULD NOT CHANGE GEARS AND THEN ALL OF SUDDEN THE CAR WOULDN'T DRIVE AND THE WRENCH LIGHT WENT ON.

REAR FOLDING SEAT LATCH DISENGAGED. NO LONGER ABLE TO FOLD 60% OF REAR SEAT. NOW FACED WITH CHARGES UPWARDS OF 600$ BECAUSE ENTIRE SEAT NEEDS REPLACEMENT. CAR WAS STATIONARY WHEN OPENED AND ON LEVEL SURFACE. WAS LIGHTLY USED, MAYBE 15 TIMES IN ENTIRE LIFE. ALSO, APIM MODULE DRAINING BATTERY ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. FIELD SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT MADE, BUT CAR IS NOW OUT OF APPLICABLE TIME.

RADIO NO LONGER WORKS...CANNOT TURN ON OR OFF...WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN OPERATION SPEAKERS SUDDENLY GENERATES LOUD STATIC. THIS UNEXPECTED NOISE COMING SUDDENLY FROM THE SPEAKERS IS EXTREMELY UNSETTLING/DISTRACTING WHEN DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE OR ANY HIGHWAY. THE INTERNET IS REPLETE WITH SIMILAR COMPLAINTS CONCERNING THIS YEAR/MODEL VEHICLE. THIS IS A CONTINUING PROBLEM.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX. WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO LES STUMPF FORD (3030 W COLLEGE AVE, APPLETON, WI 54914, 920-731-5211) AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TRANSMISSION NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 103,000. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.