2013 FORD C-MAX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE MADE A LOUD GRINDING NOISE FROM THE TRANSMISSION. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED BEFORE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER (MITCHELL SELIG FORD, 801 BLOOMFIELD AVE, WINDSOR, CT 06095) AND THE NOISE WAS UNABLE TO BE DUPLICATED. THE DEALER DIAGNOSED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

PUSH TO START / STOP BUTTON FAILS TO SHUT OFF VEHICLE. VEHICLE IS STATIONARY AND IN PARK. UNABLE TO SECURE VEHICLE, UNABLE TO LOCK DOORS UNABLE TO TURN OFF LIGHTS, UNABLE TO SHUT VEHICLE DOWN. EACH TIME PUSH TO STOP PRESSED VEHICLE STARTS AGAIN, DASH FLASHES FORD LOGO. IF YOU WALK AWAY THE CAR HONKS HORN. VEHICLE LOCATED AT PARKING GARAGE LLOYD CENTER. PROBLEM SIMILAR TO RECALL 15V436000 AND FORD RECALL 15C06. CAR SHUT OFF HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE PAST.

GRINDING NOISE COMING FROM THE TRANSMISSION, TOOK CAR TO TWO DEALERSHIPS, BOTH SAID THE TRANSMISSION WAS FAILING - MARCH OF 2018. CAR HAS 135,000 MILES ON IT. FORD HAD ISSUED TSB 15-0174, WHICH DEALT WITH TRANSMISSIONS FAILING. AFFECTED CARS ARE C-MAX HYBRIDS BUILT BETWEEN AUG 8, 2012 AND JUN 17, 2014. LETTERS WERE TO BE SENT OUT THE WEEK OF NOV 16, 2015. WE PURCHASED THE CAR MID APRIL OF 2015 AND ARE COMPLAINING BECAUSE FORD DID NOT SEND US A LETTER ALTHOUGH THEY KNEW WE HAD BOUGHT THIS CAR?

CAR WON'T START NOR CAN THE DOORS BE OPENED WITH THE FOB OR KEYS AFTER SITTING IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT. CAR IS COMPLETELY DEAD. HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES SINCE DEC 2017, TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP. FIRST TIME BATTERY WAS REPLACED. CAR DIED 4 DAYS LATER. NO WARNING THAT THE CAR IS DYING. FORD HAS NO IDEA HOW TO FIX IT AND PLAN TO RETURN DEAD CAR TO ME SINCE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S WRONG. CAN'T DRIVE FOR FEAR OF CAR SHUTTING OFF WITHOUT WARNING CREATING DANGEROUS SITUATION, OR STRANDED IN CRIME AREA, OR WITH NO CELL SERVICE. CAR WAS IN MY HOME'S GARAGE STATIONARY EVERY TIME IT WOULDN'T START IN THE MORNING. NOTHING LEFT ON INSIDE CAR. MILEAGE AROUND 32,000.

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING THE CAR IN OUR GARAGE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, JUMPED A 7 INCH STEP AND CRASHED INTO THE WALL. WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, THE CAR ACCELERATED BACKWARD WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED HARD. IT TOOK ABOUT 20 FEET TO STOP THE CAR.

REAR HATCHBACK LATCH FAILS TO RELEASE. DRIVER CAN HEAR THE LATCH MOTOR ACTIVATING WHILE DRIVING AND DOOR UNEXPECTEDLY OPENED WHILE DRIVING WHICH COULD RESULT IN EJECTING CARGO WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. AFTER PULLING OVER AND CLOSING THE HATCHBACK, IT FAILS TO RE-OPEN, STUCK AGAIN, AND THE PROCESS STARTS ALL OVER. DEALERSHIP SAYS MOTOR AND LATCH SYSTEM FOR THE HATCH-BACK IS FAULTY AND NEEDS REPLACING, AND ISSUED ME A RENTAL CAR FOR 3-5 DAYS. THEY SAID IT WASN'T SAFE FOR ME TO DRIVE IT. LUCKILY I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN EXTENDED WARRANTY HOWEVER BECAUSE THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE I'M REPORTING IT. I'VE HAD LATCH PROBLEMS WITH THE SIDE DOORS IN THE PAST, HOWEVER THOSE WERE FIXED AFTER A RECALL. SIDE DOORS HAVE SOME LATCHING ISSUES THAT CONTINUE BUT HAVE NOT OPENED UNEXPECTEDLY WHILE DRIVING LIKE THE HATCHBACK.

I HAVE A FORD C-MAX 2013, THE TRANSMISSION STARTED GRINDING AT JUST OVER 100K MILES. THE DEALER TOLD ME THIS WAS KNOWN ISSUE, BUT BEING OVER 100K MILES FORD WOULD NOT HELP. I OPENED A CASE WITH FORD AFTER FINDING OUT THAT UP TO 75% OF ALL C-CMAX HAVE THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE. (SEE PDF EVIDENCE). ALSO FOUND THE FOLLOWING: HTTPS://WWW.CARS.COM/ARTICLES/2013-2014-FORD-FUSION-HYBRID-C-MAX-HYBRID-TRANSMISSION-ISSUE-1420684957170/ WHILE I UNDERSTAND BEING OUT OF WARRANTY, ITS UNFORTUNATE THAT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL OR NOTICE TO OWNERS. TRANSMISSION ON C-MAX ARE NOT CHEAP. I WOULD EVEN BE WILLING TO MEET FORD HALF WAY ON A REPAIR. THIS TRANSMISSION ISSUE HAS MADE ME SERIOUSLY QUESTION FORDS COMMITMENT TO ITS CUSTOMERS AND THE QUALITY OF ITS PRODUCT.

THE 12-VOLT BATTERY WILL DIE WITHOUT WARNING OR REASON. NO LIGHTS LEFT ON, OR ANYTHING THAT MAY DRAIN THE BATTERY. THIS LEAVES YOU WITHOUT ACCESS TO YOUR CAR AS THERE ARE NO KEYS. PARKED THE CAR AT NIGHT, AND WOKE UP THE NEXT DAY TO A COMPLETELY DEAD CAR. AFTER GETTING A JUMP START, THE CAR WILL BE FINE FOR A MONTH OR TWO; BUT THEN HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM AGAIN. HAS HAPPENED AT LEAST 4 TIMES IN THE YEAR I HAVE OWNED THE CAR.

ON 12/20/2017 AT ABOUT 8:30 PM ON ROUTE 139 (HIGHWAY) EAST BOUND, AFTER STOPPING FOR A RED LIGHT, I TRIED TO ACCELERATE BUT THE VEHICLE PROPULSION SHUT OFF. NO WARNING LIGHTS OR ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD TO PLACE GEAR IN PARK, AND RESTART VEHICLE. THIS HAPPENED AGAIN ON 12TH STREET IN JERSEY CITY, NJ BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO PARK LESS THAN A MILE AWAY. IN THE MORNING I WAS ATTEMPTING TO BRING IT TO WAYNE FORD AT 444 ROUTE 46, WAYNE , NJ 07470, WHEN THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF A INTERSECTION. ON ROUTE 1(HIGHWAY) IN JERSEY CITY, NJ. AGAIN I HAD TO PLACE VEHICLE IN PARK AND RESTART VEHICLE. THIS OCCURRED MULTIPLY TIMES BEFORE I FINALLY ARRIVED AT THE DEALERSHIP, FORTUNATELY THE VEHICLE ONLY STOPPED AGAIN ON LOCAL ROADS ANS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY OF ROUTE 46 OR ROUTE 3 WHICH I HAD TO USE TO GET TO THIS LOCATION.. I EXPLAINED TO THE REPAIR PERSON MY VEHICLE SHUT DOWN WHILE IN MOTION AS I PRESSED ON THE ACCELERATOR, ONCE WHILE TURNING, ALWAYS WHEN IN MOTION. ALSO ASKED THAT ALL RECALL ITEMS OF THIS VEHICLE BE CORRECTED AT THIS TIME TOO. AS OF THIS DATE 1/01/2018 WAYNE FORD HAS YET TO TELL ME WHAT THE PROBLEM IS OR WHEN MY VEHICLE WILL BE REPAIRED.

TRANSMISSION WENT OUT 2200 MILES AWAY FROM HOME TWICE ABOUT ONE YEAR APART. BOTH TIMES THE TRANSMISSION BEGAN TO MAKE TERRIBLE NOISE BOTH IDLING AND ON THE ROAD. THE TWO DEALERS, ONE IN NASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE AND TNE OTHER IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, CHECKED THE TRANSMISSION OIL FOR METAL PARTICLES WHICH WERE FOUND IN ABUNDANCE BOTH TIMES. I LOOKED AT THE OPENED TRANSMISSION WHERE I OBSERVED THE VERY LARGE ROLLER BEARINGS AND RACE FULL OF PITS AND GULLS OBVIOUSLY FROM POOR QUALITY METAL PARTS SINCE THE TRANSMISSION IS SEALED.