2013 Ford C-MAX Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other C-MAX years
- Far more complaints than other years 1st of 6 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 8 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford C-MAX. That is the most of any C-MAX model year in the database (6 years). The most reported problem area is electrical system (51 complaints, 27%), typically at around 51,000 miles. Complaints mention 4 crashes, 5 fires, 2 injuries. There are 8 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
_%E2%80%93_Frontansicht_(1),_30._Juli_2011,_Mettmann.jpg){kind=link}
- 187owner complaints
- 8safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 4complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2013 Ford C-MAX problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System problems | 51 | 27% | 51,000 | “volt battery” (10%) | — |
| Steering | 39 | 21% | 60,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 37 | 20% | 87,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 26 | 14% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 16 | 9% | 65,557 | — | — |
| Structure | 13 | 7% | 53,086 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 8 | 4% | 66,550 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 8 | 4% | 73,350 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 3% | 58,500 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 4 | 2% | 1,500 | — | — |
| Equipment | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 100,078 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 2% | 101,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 1% | 118,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 1% | 13,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 1% | 17,950 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 63,750 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 1% | 110,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | 2,645 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 46,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2013 Ford C-MAX recalls (8)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Power train:shift linkage/cable/rod; power train:automatic transmission:gear position indication (prndl)
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
Risk: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Equipment:electrical
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 120V Convenience charge cords that were supplied with and sold for use with 2013-2015 Ford C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi vehicles and 2012-2015 Ford Focus Electric vehicles. Cords with part numbers FM58-10B706-AA, FM58-10B706-AB, FM58-10B706-AC, FM58-10B706-AD, FM58-10B706-AE and FM58-10B706-AF were manufactured without thermistors, and during vehicle charging, increased resistance in the house's outlet or wiring can cause the cord to overheat and melt.
Risk: An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current cord with a new 120V convenience cord with a thermistor, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S24.
Latches/locks/linkages:doors:latch
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Risk: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Seat belts; air bags:side/window
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.
Risk: The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.
Air bags:side/window; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag.
Risk: If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying in certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S04.
Seats:front assembly:recliner
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."
Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.
Equipment:electrical:anti-theft devices; electrical system:ignition:anti-theft:control module
Problem: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Focus Electric vehicles and 2013 C-Max vehicles equipped with the Intelligent Access Push Button Start System. In the affected vehicles, there is no audible chime when the vehicle is operational and the driver's door is opened. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: Without an audible door chime, a vehicle owner may open the door and exit the vehicle without being reminded that the vehicle is still operational, leaving the vehicle susceptible to theft.
Fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the door chime, free of charge. The recall began on October 30, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C07.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Door Latch Failures (RQ19005) — opened Dec 19, 2019, closed Feb 7, 2022, led to recall 20V177000.
- Door Latch Failure (PE16001) — opened Jan 16, 2016, closed Oct 29, 2016, led to recall 16V643000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a âStop Safely Nowâ warning message and various other dashboard warnings . During these events the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive while the vehicle remains…
The rear impact bar is completely disintegrated and is falling off of the subframe due to extreme rust. There is either no or very little amount of rust on the entirety of the rest of the vehicle. The impact bar is either manufactured with incorrect materials or is otherwise defective. The impact…
Rear view camera display is upside down. Display was normal when the vehicle was purchased and then one day it flipped upside down and all overlay information disappeared (lines and distance indicators).
I took it to the Ford dealership and they diagnosed it as having a parasitic draw from the 12 V battery when the car is shut down so when you go to get into the car if the battery is dead, they will fix it for $425 however, this problem was a recall in 2013 and my car did have a recall done to it…
The backup camera always quits working while in the middle of reversing. It will work for a second, but then the display will flip upside down or go completely black and display a message saying "Camera unavailable. Please contact your dealership." It started doing this about a year ago, but was…
Other Ford C-MAX years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 C-MAX | 10 | 1 |
| 2017 C-MAX | 15 | 1 |
| 2016 C-MAX | 23 | 3 |
| 2015 C-MAX | 55 | 6 |
| 2014 C-MAX | 80 | 8 |
| 2013 | 187 | 8 |
See all Ford C-MAX problems by year, every Ford model, or the Ford VIN decoder.
Similar Ford models
Embed this 2013 Ford C-MAX badge on your site
Copy this code into your blog or forum post. It shows live complaint and recall counts and links back here.
Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford C-MAX?
Owners most often report electrical system, steering, power train problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 51 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford C-MAX?
Yes, 8 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2013 Ford C-MAX a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other C-MAX model years, the 2013 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.