2013 FORD C-MAX Complaints

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO OPERATIONAL AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO RECALIBRATED THE RADIO FUSE HOWEVER, A YEAR LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MECHANIC THEN REMOVED THE RADIO FUSE FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH DISABLED ALL AUDIBLE SOUNDS FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD FOR HER AS IT TOOK AWAY THE BACKUP ALERT SOUNDS THAT WOULD ALERT HER OF IMMINENT OBJECTS WHEN REVERSING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN CALLED HANSEL FORD (3075 CORBY AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407) AND WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VIN. THE CONTACT WAS THEN REFERRED TO NHTSA FOR ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

FAILED TRANSMISSION BEARING AS DESCRIBED BY TSB 14B07. DIAGNOSED BY FORD, DOCUMENT ATTACHED CONFIRMING THE FAILURE.

THE TAIL LIGHTS HAVE TO BE MANUALLY TURNED ON WHEN LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE ON. THE LOW BEAM HEADLIGHTS ARE ON AUTOMATICALLY AT ALL TIMES. WHAT THIS MEANS IS IF I PARK THE CAR DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS AND COME BACK WHEN DARK I OFTEN DRIVE WITHOUT TAILLIGHTS. PEOPLE HAVE YELLED AT ME AND HONKED AT ME TO TURN ON MY TAILLIGHTS WHEN DARK BECUASE THERE ARE NONE! THIS OCCURS BECAUSE I GET IN THE CAR AND START THE ENGINE AND THE LOW BEAM FRONT LIGHTS COME ON AUTOMATICALLY. THE TAIL LIGHTS HAVE TO BE TURNED ON. BUT, AS THE CMAX DOES NOT ACT TO THE STANDARD METHOD OF HEADLIGHTS MUST BE TURNED ON TO SEE IN DARK, THE TAILLIGHTS ARE FORGOTTEN. I AM NOT THE ONLY DRIVER OR MAKE OF CAR WITH THIS PROBLEM. WE HAVE TRAINED OURSELVES TO TURN ON TAILLIGHTS IN MY FAMILY BUT STILL OCCURS OCCASIONALLY.

CAR WILL STALL AND BRAKES AND STEERING LOCK UP. THIS HAS OCCURRED IN WHEN PULLING INTO TRAFFIC. IT ALWAYS OCCURS WHEN ON A HILL. VERY DANGEROUS BUT FORD DENIES ANY PROBLEMS. IT HAS OCCURRED SINCE 2014. LAST TIME WAS AS BELOW

I BOUGHT THIS 2013 FORD C-MAX ENERGI USED IN 2017, RIGHT OFF THE BAT AFTER CHECKING OUT VEHICLE, THE TOYOTA DEALERSHIP HAD TO JUMPSTART THE CAR. NOW, THE CURRENT ISSUE IS THAT THIS VEHICLE HAS TO BE JUMP-STARTED EVERY TIME I TRY TO START THE CAR. THIS HAS BEEN OCCURING SINCE NOVEMBER 2020. THESE ISSUES HAD OCCURED SPORADICALLY, EVEN AFTER REPLACING THE BATTERY IN 2018 WITH OTHER BRAND BATTERY, THOUGH NOT AS FREQUENTLY, AND EVERY DAY AS IT DOES NOW. SOMETIMES THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START AFTER SIRIUS SOFTWARE UPDATE GOT STUCK AT 0%, THIS OCCURED A FEW TIMES IN 2018. IN LATE 2018 I BOUGHT A PORTABLE JUMP STARTER BECAUSE THIS VEHICLE BECAME UNTRUSTWORTHY TO START. THOUGH, IF I HAD KNOWN ABOUT SERVICE BULLETINS AND NOT JUST RECALLS I WOULD HAVE TAKEN THE CAR IN TO HAVE IT REPAIRED EARLIER WHEN ISSUES PRESENTED THEMSELVES. SO I FINALLY TOOK IN MY C-MAX IN TO A LOCAL HYBRID REPAIR SHOP, BUT THE TECHNICIANS WERE NOT ABLE TO REPLACE THE SPECIFIC PART, THEY REFERRED ME TO THE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE IT. THEY PRINTED OUT MATERIALS THAT STATED THERE HAD BEEN A FEW TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETINS FOR DISCHARGED BATTERIES. I UNFORTUNATELY MISSED THE REPAIR WINDOW BY 6 MONTHS AND WILL INCUR THE COSTS. MY CAR AS OF 1/13/2021 HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP FOR TWO WEEKS NOW AT DEALERSHIP WAITING FOR PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER DEFECT WILL COST ME AROUND $1,100. IT SEEMS THERE HAS BEEN MANY BATTERY DISCHARGE BULLETINS FOR THIS MODEL THROUGHOUT THE YEARS FOR THIS YEAR, MAKE AND MODEL. THE FORD DEALERSHIP AT MANAHAWKIN, NJ EVEN STATED THIS VEHICLE IS NOT AS COMMON, SO PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY. I FEEL FORD SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL TO BE REIMBURSED FOR THE TROUBLE THIS CAR HAS CAUSED. THESE ISSUES SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIXED BY FIRST OWNER OF VEHICLE. THERE ARE SEVERAL REPORTED ISSUES ON CARCOMPLAINTS.COM FOR THIS ISSUE. THIS SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED IF RECALL CAN BE MADE ON THIS YEAR AND MODEL.

I HAVE RECEIVED 3 SAFETY RECALL NOTICES REGARDING THE DOOR LATCHES, ONE IN JANUARY 2017 (RECALL NOTICE 16S30), ONE IN AUGUST 2020 (NOTICE 20S30), AND NOW AGAIN IN DECEMBER 2020 (NOTICE 20S30). I HAVE RESPONDED TWICE AND SUPPOSEDLY THE LATCHES WERE FIXED OR REPLACED BY THE DEALER. NOW THAT I HAVE RECEIVED THE THIRD NOTICE OF REQUIRED DEALER INSPECTION, I AM VERY WORRIED THAT THE PREVIOUS REPAIR HAD NOT BEEN DONE , OR HAD BEEN DONE INCORRECTLY. FORD WILL NOT RESPOND, OTHER THAN STATING I MUST BRING THE CAR TO THE DEALER. THIS IS VERY CONCERNING FROM A SAFETY POINT OF VIEW AND IS TIME CONSUMING AND EXPENSIVE WHEN MISSING TIME FROM WORK. THEY PROVIDE A WEBSITE TO CHECK THE LATCH NUMBERS ON EACH DOOR, HOWEVER, AFTER ENTERING THE NUMBERS, THE WEBSITE STATES THAT THE VEHICLE MUST BE INSPECTED BY THE DEALER. THE REPRESENTATIVE ON THE PHONE SAID TO REFER TO THE WEBSITE.

I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND THE CAR STALLED. WARNING LIGHT CAME ON THAT SAYS, STOP SAFELY NOW. THE CAR COMPLETELY LOST POWER ON THE HIGHWAY. I WAS LUCKY BECAUSE THAT PUT ME IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION. FINALLY GOT IT TOWED TO THE DEALERSHIP AND MODULE-ENGINE CONTROL. PCM GET TOO HOT AND THE IGNITION SWITCH. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AT THE DEALERSHIP SINCE 10.14.20 AND HAS NOT BEEN FIXED AND THERE STILL IS NOT ETA. PART IS ON BACKORDER. THIS CAR HAS BEEN TAG A LEMON AND IT SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SOLD. I DIDN'T KNOW THIS PRIOR TO PURCHASING THE VEHICLE.

TOTAL POWER STEERING LOSS. ISSUE HAPPENED TWICE SINCE OWNING THE CAR . ONCE AT 30,000 MILES AND THE SECOND AT 80,000 MILES.FORD DEALER SAID IT NEEDED A ELECTRIC POWER STEERING RACK & PINION.

ELECTRIC STEERING RACK FAILED CAUSING NO POWER STEERING. SYMPTOMS STARTED WITH INTERMITTENT LOCKING. LUCKILY THE VEHICLE WAS AT THE DEALERSHIP TO REPLACE FAULTY HIGH ENERGY BATTERY PACK STILL UNDER WARRANTY. REPROGRAMMING DID NOT CORRECT THE ISSUE. IT APPEARS FORD HAD A RECALL FOR HIGHER PRODUCTION MODELS USING THE SAME RACK BUT NOT FOR C-MAX WHICH HAD LOW PRODUCTION. MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD TO LOSE STEERING CAPABILITY.

AS WITH MANY COMPLAINTS LISTED IN FORUMS OUTSIDE OF THE NHTSA MY 2013 C MAX IS EXPERIENCING THE SAME STEERING ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN RESOLVED IN OTHER FORD MODELS UNDER RECALL 15S18. THE ELECTRIC STEERING RACK NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AT AN APPROXIMATE COST OF $2,000. ISSUES ARE SCRAPING AND MINOR SEIZING STEERING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN TURNING AND PROGRESSIVELY WORSENING. CURRENTLY NOTING NOISE WHEN LEAVING TURNING THE STEERING WHEEL. NO ISSUES DRIVING STRAIGHT, AT THIS TIME. MANY STATE THEIR STEERING SEIZES COMPLETELY AND CLEARLY I DO NOT WISH THIS TO HAPPEN, PARTICULARLY WITH KIDS IN THE CAR. I HAVE NO ON BOARD SCREEN ERRORS ILLUMINATING AT THIS POINT AND HAVE VALID FEAR OF DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THIS CAR AND OTHERS SHOULD BE COVERED UNDER THE 15S18 RECALL AND WHY OTHERS ARE COMPLAINING OUTSIDE OF NHTSA I DON'T KNOW BUT THIS AFFECTS MANY MORE CARS THAN LISTED IN THE ORIGINAL RECALL. I AM REQUESTING THIS VEHICLE BE INCLUDED IN RECALL 15S18 BEFORE DEATH OCCURS. THIS ISSUE BEGAN IN WINTER AND HAS PROGRESSED. 40,000 MILES ON CAR.