2014 FORD C-MAX ENERGI Complaints

AFTER 3 DAYS SITTING ON MY DRIVEWAY, THIS MORNING I WENT TO START THE CAR AND NOTICED A WARNING ON THE SCREEN "POWER STEERING ASSIST FAULT". I TRIED TO BACK OUT TO THE STREET, BUT THE POWER STEERING REMAINED UN-MANEUVERABLE. ONLINE SEARCH FOUND OUT THERE HAD BEEN A LOT OF REPORTS FOR THE VERY SAME ISSUE ON FOCUS, C-MAX, AND FUSION. IT APPEARS THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE NOT UNIQUE TO MY CAR.

I NOW FIND THAT THE CHARGER FOR THE CAR BATTERY WAS RECALLED ABOUT 6 WEEKS AGO AND THERE IS NO REPLACEMENT AVAILABLE AS YET. THE CHARGER IS SUPPOSED TO ADD 18 MILES TO THE BATTERY BUT LAST TIME I PLUGGED IT IN WHILE PARKED IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, OVERNIGHT (ABOUT 10 HOURS) IT TOOK 10 MGW, AND CHARGED FOR ONE MILE. AND THE CHARGER WAS HOT. IT WAS PLUGGED DIRECTLY INTO A WALL SOCKET OUTSIDE MY HOUSE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD C-MAX ENERGI. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE APPEARED AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE. ALHAMBRA FORD IN ALHAMBRA, CALIFORNIA WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND REQUESTED THAT THE VEHICLE BE BROUGHT IN FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 60,000.

FORD CERTIFIED THE C-MAX AS BEING TOW-ABLE 4 WHEELS DOWN BEHIND A MOTORHOME. THEIR INSTRUCTIONS STATE THAT THE IGNITION SHOULD "OFF". IN THIS STATE THE BRAKES SHOULD NOT BE ACTIVE (UNPOWERED). THE PROBLEM IS THEY SPORADICALLY BECOME ACTIVE (POWERED) THEN RETURN TO INACTIVE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WITH THIS HAPPENING THERE IS NO WAY TO PROPERLY SET A SUPPLEMENTAL BRAKING UNIT. SOMETIMES YOU ARE OVER BREAKING AND OTHER TIMES NOT BRAKING AT ALL. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS AND CAUSED ME BRAKE LOCKUP THREE TIMES ON A MAJOR HIGHWAY WHERE I COULD NOT PULL OVER. THIS EPISODE DESTROYED A BRAND NEW SET OF TIRES. FORD IS WELL AWARE OF THIS ISSUE BUT THEY REFUSE TO RECOGNIZE IT. I EVEN PAID A FORD DEALER TO UPGRADE MY FIRMWARE IN THE HOPE THAT WOULD FIX THE ISSUE. IT DID NOT! I ALSO REPLACED MY SUPPLEMENTAL BRAKE UNIT WITH ANOTHER BRAND WITH THE EXACT SAME RESULT. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SOLUTION IS REALLY THAT DIFFICULT, EITHER THE C-MAX BRAKES SHOULD BE ACTIVE OR INACTIVE WHEN THE IGNITION IS 'OFF' AND THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION. BOUNCING BETWEEN THOSE STATES IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS.

RECEIVED A "STOP SAFELY NOW" DASH INDICATOR LIGHT WHILE DRIVING ON A CITY STREET APPROACHING AN INTERSECTION. CAR BEGAN LOSING POWER AND I APPLIED THE BRAKE TO STOP PRIOR TO INTERSECTION. PLACED THE CAR IN PARK AND ATTEMPTED TO TURN VEHICLE OFF, BUT CAR DID NOT RESPOND OR POWER DOWN. ACCESSORY ITEMS WERE STILL FUNCTIONING IN CAR, BUT UNABLE TO GET THE CAR TO SWITCH INTO GEAR AND DRIVE. EVENTUALLY, PLACED THE CAR IN NEUTRAL AND PUSHED VEHICLE INTO A PARKING LOT. AFTER 10 MINUTES I WAS ABLE TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND ON, BUT STILL UNABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE TO GO INTO MOTION. HAVING VEHICLE TOWED TO FORD DEALERSHIP.

120 VOLT CONVENIENCE CHARGING CORD HEATS UP >150 DEGREES F WHILE CHARGING, AS CHECKED BY A DIGITAL THERMOMETER, RESULTING IN BROWNING OF THE ELECTRICAL OUTLET (PICTURE ENCLOSED). OUTLET IS A STANDARD 120VOLT 15AMP GFCI OUTLET WITH NOTHING ELSE CONNECTED. TESTED ON A DIFFERENT OUTLET WITH SIMILAR RESULTS PICTURE ENCLOSED).*DT *JS

THE PORTABLE CHARGER WALL PLUG MELTED WHILE CHARGING. THE PLASTIC MELTED AND WAS TOO HOT TO TOUCH. THIS WAS AFTER TWO HOURS OF CHARGING AN EMPTY BATTERY. FORD IS NOT REPLACING IT UNDER WARRANTY, IS IT IS JUST OUTSIDE 3 YEARS.

THE CAR DID THE SAME THING THIS MORNING, 7/14/2017, SLIPPED OUT OF GEAR ON THE DOWN GRADE IN LOW. I JUST FILED A REPORTED OF 2 OTHER INSTANCES OVER THE PAST 2 MONTHS OF THE SAME NATURE YESTERDAY 7/13/2017. I ALSO REPORTED TO OUR LOCAL FORD AGENCY THIS MORNING ( AUTONATION FORD IN TORRENCE, CA). IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT THE NEXT TIME THIS HAPPENS HAVE IT TOWED IN AND LET THEM CHECK THE COMPUTER.

THERE IS A RECALL ON DOOR LATCH. FORD IS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET MY CAR FIXED BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT ALLOW THE DEALERDHIP TO ORDER MORE THAN ONE SET OF PARTS AT A TIME. THE DEALERSHIP MUST COMPLETE ONE WORK ORDER BEFORE THE NEXT CAR'S PARTS CAN BE ORDERED, MAKING IT ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE RECALL ISSUE RESOLVED.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 FORD C-MAX ENERGI. WHILE DRIVING 40 MPH, THE LATCHES FAILED AND ALL FOUR OF THE DOORS OPENED INDEPENDENTLY. THE FAILURE RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LATCHES FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE DEALER ALSO STATED THAT THEY COULD ONLY PERFORM THE REPAIR WITH ANOTHER DEFECTIVE PART BECAUSE THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT PROVIDED THE CORRECT PARTS TO CONDUCT THE RECALL REPAIR. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED DUE TO THE FAULTY REPAIR PARTS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE AND STATED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,000.