2013 FORD C-MAX Complaints

I AM EXPERIENCING CHRONIC ISSUES WITH THE 12V LOW VOLTAGE BATTERY DRAINING AND LEAVING THE CAR DEAD. THE CAR PULLS LOAD FROM THE BATTERY WHEN THE VEHICLE IS OFF AND ALL ELECTRONICS ARE SUPPOSEDLY OFF. THIS APPEARS TO BE AN EXTREMELY COMMON ISSUE AMONG OWNERS OF 2013-2014 FORD C-MAX OWNERS. FORD HAS BEEN UNABLE TO ASSIST AS THEY SAY MY VEHICLE (BASED ON VIN) WAS NOT AN EFFECTED MODEL ON THEIR CSP-15B04 PROGRAM.

THE DRIVER'S SEAT BELT WILL NOT RETRACT PROPERLY. RESULTS IN EXTREME SLACK WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,600.

THE BATTERY UNLOADS. UNLESS BATTERY REPLACEMENT. I FEAR ABOUT SHORTAGE WHICH MAY LEAD TO FIRE.

I WENT TO OPEN THE HATCH OF MY 2013 FORD CMAX HYBRID AND THE LATCH COMPLETELY CAME OFF. IT WAS DANGLING BY THE LICENSE PLATE LIGHTS CORDS. I HAD TO PUT PACKING TAPE ON IT UNTIL I GOT HOME. I CALLED THE DEALER AND HE SAID TO BRING THE CAR IN. THERE IS NO REASON WHY THAT PART SHOULD HAVE CAME OFF WHEN I WENT TO LIFT THE HATCH OPEN. THEN I GOT THE WARNING LIGHT THAT THE HATCH WAS NOT CLOSED. SO I HAD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO OPEN UP THE BROKEN LIFT IN ORDER TO GET THE HATCH SHUT. THE CAR WAS PARKED WHEN I WENT TO OPEN THE HATCH

THE BATTERY 12V IS UNEXPECTEDLY DISCHARGED VIA THE TCU MODULE (MODEM) GM5Z-14G229-BD. THE DRIVER CAN NOT START THE CAR. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED ABOUT 8 MONTHS AGO THE MENTIONED PROBLEM REMAINED. THE DEALER DID NOT COMPLY WITH TSB 16-0157 AND DID NOT REPLACE THE DEFECTIVE PART. FORD DOES NOT SEE THE POSSIBILITY OF REPAIRING THE PROBLEM. MODULE NUMBER GM5Z-14G229-BD.I ALREADY HAD PROBLEMS TWICE. ONCE IN THE PARKING LOT IN FRONT OF THE HOUSE AND ONCE AT WORK.

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.

BEFORE 50,000 MILES STEERING WENT FROM INTERMITTENTLY HAVING NO POWER TO CONTINUOUSLY HAVING NO POWER. USUALLY POWER STEERING IS ABSENT AT START-UP. VEHICLE DISPLAYS "SERVICE POWER STEERING" MESSAGE. OBD2/CAN THROWS A PSCM - POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE U3000 CM CONTROL MODULE CODE. STEERING WOULD OCCASIONALLY NOT WORK UNDER WARRANTY - ASKED AT FORD IF THERE WERE STEERING RECALLS AND TOLD THERE WERE NONE. I DID NOT ESCALATE BECAUSE TURNING OFF THE CAR ONE OR MORE TIMES WOULD RESET. NOW THAT THE CAR IS OUTSIDE OF WARRANTY, NO ACTION I CAN TAKE, (SUCH AS RESTARTING THE CAR OR CLEARING THE ERROR CODE) WILL RESET THE STEERING. STEERING EFFORT IS MUCH HIGHER THAN ANY NON-POWER STEERING CAR OR OLD TRUCK I HAVE EVER DRIVEN. THE FAILED PSCM (POWER STEERING CONTROL MODULE) DOES NOT APPEAR TO EXIST AS A STAND-ALONE PART. FORD TELLS ME ~$700-$800 IF STEERING COLUMN, OR $2300 IF RACK AND PINION NEED REPLACED. HOURS SPENT SEARCHING FOR THE PART TO DO MY OWN REPAIRS HAS NOT GIVEN ME A SINGLE PART NUMBER THAT RELATES TO THE SPECIFIC PROBLEM. THIS ALL SEEMS TO BE PART OF FORDS TROUBLE PRONE AND HUGELY EXPENSIVE EPAS (ELECTRONIC POWER ASSISTED STEERING) SYSTEM. EPAS HAS HAD RECALLS IN MORE POPULAR FORD MODELS, SUCH AS RECALL 15S18 BEGINNING JULY 20, 2015. I SUSPECT LOW PRODUCTION QUANTITY CARS SUCH AS THE HYBRID C-MAX LIKELY HAVE A SIMILAR FAILURE RATE, BUT IT ISN'T NOTICEABLE DUE TO THE MUCH LOWER QUANTITY PRODUCED. FORD REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE SAME FLAWED SYSTEM ON MULTIPLE MODELS DESERVES THE SAME FIX. WHILE I NEVER LOST POWER STEERING WHILE DRIVING, IT WOULD BE CATASTROPHIC FOR SMALL/WEAK DRIVERS OR THOSE WHA HAVE NEVER DRIVEN A VEHICLE WITHOUT POWER STEERING. I'VE DRIVEN BOTH CARS WITHOUT POWER STEERING AND WITH FAILED POWER STEERING, BUT I HAVE NEVER HAD TO USE THE LEVEL OF EFFORT IT TAKES TO STEER THE EPAS SYSTEM WHENE IT SHUTS DOWN.

I KEEP HAVING MY BACK TIRES WEAR OUT & CAUSES ME TO HAVE A BLOW OUT, THANKFULLY SO FAR IT HASN'T CAUSED ANY ACCIDENTS. I HAVE HAD MY CAR LINED UP AND THEY SAID IT WASN'T OUT OF LINE BAD ENOUGH TO CAUSE THIS ISSUE. CAN YOU HELP ME FIND OUT WHAT IS CAUSING THIS ISSUE? IT IS GETTING VERY EXPENSIVE BUYING NEW TIRES. WHEN THE TIRES GO OUT IS DURING THE TIME I AM DRIVING IT. I'M INCLUDING THE LAST DATE THIS HAS HAPPENED BELOW, BUT IT HAS HAPPENED 2 TIMES IN THE PAST 6 MONTHS & A TOTAL OF 4 TIMES SINCE I HAVE HAD THE CAR.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE BATTERY SAVER WARNING INDICATOR TURNED OFF AND THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE DISPLAYED ACROSS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL: "911 ASSIST IS DISABLED, CONTACT DEALER". IMMEDIATELY AFTERWARDS, THE SHIFTER INDICATOR DISPLAYED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE CONTACT TURNED THE KEY IN THE IGNITION, BUT THE MOTOR DID NOT INDICATE THAT IT WAS READY TO DRIVE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY ONE MINUTE LATER. THE CONTACT PLACED THE SHIFTER INTO REVERSE AND ATTEMPTED TO REVERSE, BUT A SUDDEN LOSS OF POWER STEERING OCCURRED. THE CONTACT PLACED THE VEHICLE IN THE DRIVE GEAR AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IN AN ATTEMPT TO STOP THE VEHICLE; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED BEYOND 35 MPH. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO STOP THE VEHICLE BY DEPRESSING THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT STOP. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO DRIVE THE VEHICLE TO BOB MOORE FORD (8948 S I-35 SERVICE RD, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA 73159) WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INNER CELL OF THE BATTERY WAS FAULTY AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 73,000.

WHEN WE ARRIVED HOME FROM A SHORT DRIVE, THE DRIVER SIDE, REAR PASSENGER DOOR WOULD ONLY OPEN 4 OR 5 INCHES. AFTER PASSENGER EXITED (ANOTHER DOOR) WE TRIED AGAIN. SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT WHEN ATTEMPTING TO OPEN IT, THIS TIME IT OPENED ONLY AN INCH. IT APPEARS THE INSIDE PANEL IS LOOSE AND IS PREVENTING HINGE FROM OPERATING.