2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID Complaints

6 OF 21 AVAILABLE PLUG-IN MILES REMAINING, DRIVING IN NORMAL FREEWAY TRAFFIC. VEHICLE SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND WENT INTO "STOP SAFELY NOW" MODE WITH WRENCH ICON AND RED WARNING TRIANGLE. VEHICLE RETAINED MINIMAL POWER AVAILABILITY AND WAS EVENTUALLY ABLE TO LIMP VEHICLE OUT OF TRAFFIC AND ONTO SIDE ROAD. CALLED TWO DIFFERENT DEALERS AND WAS TOLD TO WAIT A FEW MINUTES AND RESTART. AFTER 10 TO 12 MINUTES AND THREE RESTART ATTEMPTS, FINALLY RESTARTED WITH FULL FUNCTIONALITY RESTORED. ERROR AGAIN APPEARED JUST AS I REACHED HOME. CALLED DEALER AGAIN AND WAS TOLD BATTERY MUST HAVE OVERHEATED; CHECK AGAIN IN THE MORNING AND IT SHOULD BE FINE. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THE PROBLEM HAS OCCURRED SINCE PURCHASE IN MID-JUNE 2012. EACH TIME TAKEN TO DEALER THEY CAN FIND "NOTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE - NO ERROR CODES SET." CONCERNED ABOUT THE SUDDEN LOSS OF PROPULSION POWER IN FREEWAY TRAFFIC, AND LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF SERVICE PEOPLE / LIMITED RETENTION OF ERROR CONDITION CODES BY THE VEHICLE'S COMPUTERS. RUNNING A FORD SYNC VEHICLE HEALTH REPORT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE EVENT OCCURS SHOWS ALL SYSTEMS "OKAY." *JB

AFTER STARTING (PUSH BUTTON START) AND DRIVING OUT OF MY GARAGE, THE POWER STEERING FAILED AND A "SERVICE POWER STEERING SOON" WARNING WAS DISPLAYED. AFTER I STOPPED AND STARTED AGAIN, THE POWER STEERING WAS AGAIN ENABLED. I TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALER BUT NO REPAIRS WERE PERFORMED AS THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. ERROR CODE U3000:49 WAS STORED. *TT

DON DAVIS AUTO GROUP DIDN'T COMPLETE NHTSA RECALL 13V-303. DON DAVIS AUTO GROUP 633 N HIGHWAY 360 ARLINGTON TX 76011. *TR

I THOUGHT I HAD PLACED MY C MAX IN PARK. I TURNED CAR OFF WITH POWER BUTTON AND WENT INTO A STORE TO SHOP. THE CAR ROLLED OUT OF PARKING SPACE AND ALMOST HIT ANOTHER VEHICLE. I FORGOT TO PLACE MY C MAX IN PARK BUT THE CAR GAVE ME ZERO WARNING THAT THE CAR WAS NOT IN PARK AND TURNED OFF LIKE NORMAL. I USED TO DRIVE A PRIUS HYBRID AND THAT CAR WAS PUSH BUTTON START AS WELL BUT THE PRIUS WOULD TELL ME TO PLACE THE VEHICLE IN PARK IF I TRIED TO TURN IT OFF WHILE IT WAS IN GEAR. FORD NEEDS TO CORRECT THIS. THE C MAX SHOULD NOT TURN OFF WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN GEAR. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET SERIOUSLY INJURED BECAUSE OF THIS DESIGN FLAW. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE NAVIGATIONAL SYSTEM FAILED TO PROVIDE PROPER DIRECTIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 5,000.

** EVENT 1, 17 MAY 2013: CAR FAILED TO START. SOME INDICATION OF ELECTRICAL FUNCTION. FORD SERVICE UNABLE TO LOCATE ANY PROBLEM ** EVENT 2, 5 JUNE 2013: CAR FAILED TO START. FORD SERVICE FOUND A BAD CELL IN BATTERY, THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE THE PROBLEM. ** EVENT 3: 17 JULY 2013: CAR FAILED TO START. MY AMMETER VERIFIED 13+ VOLTS ACROSS BATTERY. FORD SERVICE (DIFFERENT FROM PREVIOUS) FOUND A PROBLEM BUT NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE. ** EVENT 4, 18 JULY 2013: CAR LOST ALL ELECTRICAL AND POWER WHILE MOVING AT 30 MPH. PROBLEM IDENTIFIED BY FORD SERVICE AS BEING CONNECTED TO FORD SPECIAL SERVICE MESSAGE 32167, DATED 2 APRIL. CONCERN #1: POWER LOST AT ANY SPEED IS A SERIOUS SAFETY HAZARD TO THE CAR'S OCCUPANTS AND TO OTHERS ON THE ROAD -- PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT! FORD SHOULD PURSUE A RECALL TO FIND THESE CARS AND FIX THEM BEFORE INJURY OCCURS.THE PROBLEM IS KNOWN AND IS STRAIGHTFORWARD TO DIAGNOSE AND REPAIR. CONCERN #2: FORD KNEW ABOUT THIS PROBLEM BUT FAILED TO LOCATE AND REPAIR CARS ON DEALER LOTS BEFORE SELLING THEM. IT SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO LOCATED UNSOLD INVENTORY AND CHECK IT. *TR

VEHICLE BATTERY DISCOVERED TO BE TOTALLY DISCHARGED AFTER SITTING IN GARAGE OVERNIGHT. TOLD BY FORD DEALER TO "JUMP START" IT AND BRING IN FOR SERVICE. THIS WAS DONE. WHEN I PICKED THE CAR UP AT DEALERSHIP, THE SERVICE WRITER, STATED THAT THE "COMPUTERS" INDICATED THAT FOR SOME UNKNOWN REASON, THE RADIO HAD TURNED ON (ON IT'S OWN, AND WITHOUT ANY KEY IN THE IGNITION) AND HAD DRAINED THE BATTERY OVERNIGHT. HE STATED THAT THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT HAD "REPROGRAMMED THE DCDC MODULE PER TSB 13-6-23", (THIS BULLETIN IS FOR COLD WEATHER CHARGING IMPROVEMENTS - TEMPERATURE FOR THE LAST 60 DAYS HAS BEEN OVER 75 DEGREES AND PER THE BULLETIN IT WOULD NOT APPLY) AND THIS WOULD CURE THE SITUATION. ON 7-5-2013, I ENTERED MY GARAGE AT 5AM, AND DISCOVERED THAT THE "FUEL PUMP" HAD TURNED ITSELF ON AND WAS RUNNING CONSTANTLY. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN OPERATED FOR OVER 12 HOURS AND THE KEYS WERE INSIDE THE HOUSE. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT SOMETHING MAY "TURN ITSELF ON" AND A FIRE WILL START. VEHICLE IS SCHEDULED TO RETURN TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE TIRE EXPLODED. THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT EQUIPPED WITH A SPARE TIRE, WHICH WAS DESIGNED BY THE MANUFACTURER. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,000.

I COULD NOT START MY CAR AT A SCHOOL PARKING LOT ON 3/30/2013. IT SHOWED A RED TRIANGLE WARNING AND WRENCH LIGHT. I CALLED THE FORD DEALER. THEY SENT PEOPLE TO HELP ME. HOWEVER, THE CAR WOULD NOT START FOR A HALF HOUR. THERE WAS NO ISSUE UNTIL 5/9/2013. IT STOPPED THREE TIMES ON MY WAY HOME WHEN I WAS STOPPED AT TRAFFIC LIGHT OR AT TRAFFIC JAM. THE ONLY WAY TO START THE CAR WAS TO TURN THE POWER OFF AND RE-START THE ENGINE. IT MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO START RIGHT AWAY. IT TOOK A FEW SECONDS TO A FEW MINUTES ON THAT DAY IN EACH CASE. THAT IS VERY DANGEROUS ON THE ROAD. I DROVE MY CAR DIRECTLY TO THE DEALER THAT DAY. DEALER HAD TAKEN ONE WEEK TO FIX THIS ISSUE. I PICKED UP MY CAR ON 5/16 AFTER THEY TOLD ME THAT IT WAS OK. MY WIFE DROVE TO SCHOOL TO PICK UP MY SON THE NEXT DAY. IT HAPPENED AGAIN AT THE SCHOOL PARKING LOT, WHERE SHE COULD NOT START THE CAR AGAIN. THERE WAS NO POWER FOR A WHILE BEFORE SHE COULD START THIS CAR. DEALER IS STILL TRYING TO FIX THIS CAR. IT IS NOT EASY FOR LOCAL DEALER TO FIND THE ROOT CAUSE. I THINK THE DESIGNER SHOULD TAKE OVER AND DEBUG THIS ISSUE. IT IS NOT SAFE FOR ANY DRIVER TO DRIVE A CAR THAT COULD STOP ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE. THERE IS NO WARNING SIGN UNTIL IT HAPPENS. DRIVER CAN'T PLAN A TRIP TO MEET THE SCHEDULE BECAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW WHEN THE CAR WILL STOP RUNNING OR WHETHER YOU CAN RE-START THE CAR IN SHORT PERIOD. I HOPE FORD CAN FIND THE ROOT CAUSE AND RECALL ALL THE CARS IF IT IS A DESIGN ISSUE. OTHERWISE, SOMEONE WILL HAVE AN ACCIDENT SOONER OR LATER FOR ANYONE WHO DRIVE THIS MODEL CAR.

VEHICLE COMPLETELY LOST POWER (NO LIGHTS, ACCESSORIES, ETC.) AND WOULD NOT START. EVEN A JUMP WOULD NOT ALLOW VEHICLE TO START. THIS HAS SINCE HAPPENED ON 2 ADDITIONAL OCCASIONS. IN EACH CASE IT WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER. *TR