2013 FORD C-MAX Complaints

FOR THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS THE STEERING SOUNDED LIKE IT NEEDED LUBRICATION, BUT I COULDN'T FIND ANY LUBRICATION POINTS EVERYTHING IS SEALED, THEN THE OTHER DAY WHILE MY WIFE WAS DRIVING THE STEERING WENT OUT AND A WARNING MESSAGE APPEARED SERVICE POWER STEERING ASSIST NOW AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP ( IT WOULD ONLY GO STRAIGHT NOT RIGHT OR LEFT) LUCKILY SHE WAS GOING INTO A TURN WITH A TURN OUT NEXT TO IT SO SHE COULD GET IT STOPPED. SHE RE STARTED THE CAR AND HAD MANUAL STEERING AND GOT THE CAR HOME. LATER I STARTED IT GOT THAT MESSAGE AND AN ADVANCE TRAC WARNING AND COULDN'T TURN THE STEERING WHEEL AFTER MOVING FORWARD AND BACKWARD A FEW TIMES AND RESTARTING THE CAR SEVERAL TIMES I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT TO MY MECHANIC WHO EXPERIENCED THE SAME PROBLEMS AND SUGGESTED WE TAKE IT TO A FORD DEALERSHIP. SO WE LOADED IT ON A CAR DOLLY AND TOWED IT 60 MILES TO THE NEAREST DEALERSHIP AND RECOMMENDED A $2400. REPAIR REPLACING THE POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY THE CAR HAS AROUND 75000 MILES ON IT AND IS ONLY 4 YEARS OLD. I HAVE READ ONLINE THAT FORD HAS HAD RECALLS FOR THE POWER STEERING ASSEMBLY FOR 2013 CAR BUT NOT THE C-MAX. PLEASE HELP BEFORE SOMEONE DIES.

THE STEERING POWER BOX APPARENTLY FAILED ON SEPT. 18 WHEN I WAS GOING TO WORK. THE CHECK POWER STEERING LIGHT CAME ON AND THEN THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP WHEN I TRIED TO BACK OUT OF MY PARKING PLACE AND THEN WHEN I TRIED TO EASE BACK INTO IT, I HAD IT TOWED TO MCCAFFERTY FORD IN LANGHORNE, PA WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED AS THE STEERING POWER BOX FAILURE. I DID A GOOGLE SEARCH AND FOUND THE 2014 CMAX HYBRIDS HAVE BEEN RECALLED FOR THIS ISSUE. ALSO - THE GOOGLE SEARCH SHOWS THAT A LOT OF 2013 MODEL OWNERS HAVE HAD PROBLEMS WITH THE STEERING CONTROL BOX - SAME AS ME - BUT THE FORD DEALERS ARE MAKING THEM PAY ANYWHERE FROM $1,500 TO $1,900 FOR THE REPAIR (I AM BEING CHARGED @ $1,800.) CLEARLY IT SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD REMEDY - AND NOT EXPECT THEIR CUSTOMERS TO PAY FOR IT. (I HAVE OWNED FORD CARS FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS AND NEVER ONCE HAVE HAD THIS KIND OF PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THEM.)

UPON BRAKING, THE CAR HAS LURCHED FORWARD ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, ALMOST REAR ENDING OTHER CARS, HAPPENS IN ALL KINDS OF WEATHER, ROAD SURFACES, INTERMITTENT BUT HAPPENS PROBABLY AT LEAST 3 TIMES PER WEEK. ALSO, WHEN STOPPED AND ACCELERATING, THE CAR HAS A HESITATION ISSUE LIKE NO FUEL GETS TO IT FOR A MOMENT AND THAT HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN THE LAST WEEK AS WELL AS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO FORD OF MONTEBELLO (2747 VIA CAMPO, MONTEBELLO, CA 9064 (323) 838-6920) TO BE SERVICED PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). SEVERAL DAYS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE SEAT BELT INDICATOR FAILED TO ILLUMINATE WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS. THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND/OR FRONT PASSENGER SIDE SEAT BELTS WERE UNLATCHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC OR DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OF THE SEAT BELT WARNING FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS ALSO NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 56,114.

I HAVE HAD A CONTINUAL PROBLEM WITH MY CAR BATTERY GOING DEAD. IT HAPPENS RANDOMLY EVERY 4 OR 5 MONTHS. I USE MY CAR EVERY DAY, THE BATTERY DRAINS OVERNIGHT. THE BATTERY TESTS FINE AT THE FORD DEALER. THIS LAST TIME THE BATTERY DIED, WE TRICKLE CHARGED IT AND AFTER GAINING BACK POWER NOTICED WE LOST ALL POWER FUNCTIONS TO ALL DOORS ON OUR VEHICLE. AFTER A WEEK OF DIAGNOSIS AT THE FORD DEALER IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TWO OF THE DOOR MODULES WENT OUT AT THE SAME TIME. FORD ORDERED NEW MODULES AND ONE CAME TO THEM DEFECTIVE. I HAVE TO GO IN YET AGAIN NEXT WEEK TO HAVE THEM CHANGE OUT THAT MODULE FOR LACK OF THE AUTO UP FEATURE. I THINK FORD HAS A PROBLEM WITH THESE MODULES, I THINK THEY ARE CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN OVERNIGHT, AND LEADING TO EXPENSIVE DIAGNOSTIC/REPAIRS BILLS AT THE VEHICLE OWNERS EXPENSE. THIS ISSUE IS NOT CAUSED BY A VEHICLE OWNER, THIS IS FAULTY PARTS FROM FORD. I AM NOT CONFIDENT THAT THE NEW OEM PARTS WILL LAST LONG, THIS PROBLEM NEEDS TO BE CORRECTED. MY 2013 FORD CMAX ONLY HAS 48K MILES AND IS TAKEN CARE OF AND MAINTAINED REGULARLY.

CAR GOES DEAD AND 12-VOLT BATTERY IS BEING DRAINED BECAUSE FAULTY COMPUTER PROGRAMMING LEAVES ELECTRICAL MODULES ON EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS TURNED "OFF." UNCLEAR IF ITEMS THAT REMAIN ELECTRICALLY "HOT" POSE DIRECT SAFETY PROBLEMS, BUT CONSUMERS RISK BEING UNABLE TO START/RESTART THE CAR IN EMERGENCY OR NORMAL SITUATIONS. FORD DECLINES TO PAY FOR REPROGRAMMING THIS FAULTY DESIGN BEYOND THE NORMAL WARRANTY TIME (EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS COVERED BY A FORD EXTENDED "PREMIUM" WARRANTY). IN MY CASE, THE CAR WAS PARKED AT MY HOME AND THE BATTERY FAILED - TWICE IN A FEW WEEKS - OVERNIGHT IN WARM SUMMER WEATHER. I URGE YOU TO EXAMINE WHAT SYSTEMS ARE BEING LEFT ON AND TO URGE OR REQUIRE FORD TO CORRECT ITS DESIGN DEFICIENCIES. THANKS.

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY STOP RUNNING. AN WARNING LIGHT COMES ON SAYING"STOP SAFELY NOW". BRAKES AND STEERING ARE NOT AFFECTED SO I CAN PULL OVER TO THE SIDE. ONCE THE CAR IS TURNED OFF AND THEN RESTARTED IT WILL RUN NORMALLY.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH). THE PARTS TO DO THE REPAIR WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT CALLED THE LOCAL DEALER (BALISE FORD OF CAPE COD LOCATED AT 90 HIGH SCHOOL RD, HYANNIS, MA, 02601, 508-815-4007), BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE THE RECALL REMEDY PARTS AVAILABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.

MY 2013 FORD C-MAX ENERGI PRODUCES A "STOP SAFELY NOW" WARNING MESSAGE AND QUICKLY LOSES ALL POWER. IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES IN THE LAST 3 DAYS. WHEN IT HAPPENS, YOU HAVE TO PULL TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, TURN OFF THE ENGINE, OPEN AND CLOSE THE DOOR AND WAIT A FEW MORE MINUTES BEFORE IT CAN BE STARTED AGAIN. A WARNING LIGHT IS LEFT ON FOR ~25 MILES. IT ALWAYS HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS ON ALL ELECTRIC. I HAVE NEVER SEEN THIS FAILURE ONCE THE MAIN BATTERY IS DISCHARGED AND THE ENGINE IS RUNNING ON GAS.

OEM ELECTRIC CHARGER (A SEPARATE MECHANISM NOT A PART OF THE VEHICLE) CAUGHT FIRE UPON PLUGGING IT INTO A SOCKET (SAME CHARGER, SAME SOCKET HAS BEEN USED FOR OVER 3 YEARS)