2013 Ford C-MAX Electrical System Problems
Owners have filed 51 complaints with NHTSA about electrical system problems on the 2013 Ford C-MAX, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 51,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “volt battery” (10% of reports).
- 51electrical system complaints
- 51,000median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 1related recalls
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Volt battery: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
- Safely now: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
- Failed start: mentioned in 5 of 51 complaints (10%)
At what mileage do electrical system problems happen?
Based on 36 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 51 complaints, 2 a fire.
Ford C-MAX electrical system complaints by model year
| Model year | Electrical System complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 C-MAX | 2 | 20% | 46,500 |
| 2017 C-MAX | 1 | 7% | — |
| 2016 C-MAX | 3 | 13% | 50,000 |
| 2015 C-MAX | 9 | 16% | 38,173 |
| 2014 C-MAX | 20 | 25% | 63,750 |
| 2013 C-MAX | 51 | 27% | 51,000 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (1)
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.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are 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…
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…
WHILE DRIVING the dashboard instrument panel beeps and flashes the word "Put in Park" and "Stop Safely Now", and the speedometer stops working, all kinds of warning lights start flashing on and off on the instrument panel, the heater goes on and off on it's own, then the instrument panel goes…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2013 Ford C-MAXs have electrical system problems?
No. NHTSA has 51 owner complaints about electrical system for the 2013 Ford C-MAX (27% of the 187 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2013 Ford C-MAX electrical system?
Yes: 1 safety recall list electrical system. Check your VIN on NHTSA.gov to see whether the fix was done on your car.
At what mileage do electrical system problems start?
The median reported mileage is 51,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
What do owners say about electrical system problems on the 2013 Ford C-MAX?
The most frequent phrase is “volt battery”, in 5 of 51 complaints, followed by “safely now” (5).
See all 2013 Ford C-MAX problems.