KnownCarProblems2013 Ford C-Max Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 187 complaints with NHTSA about the 2013 Ford C-Max, most often about the electrical (27% of complaints, typically around 51,000 miles). It is the most complained-about C-Max model year since 2000 and has 8 recalls.
Most common 2013 Ford C-Max problems
Electrical
51 complaints · 27%Half of these problems showed up before 51,000 miles. Parts named most often: 12v/24v/48v battery.
When you turn off the engine, the radio stays on. When the engine is running, you cannot turn down volume, use navigation, adjust temperature, use cruise control. It began when I was turning the car off after a short drive. This is the second time
Since I purchased the 2013 c max there has been an ongoing problem. It starts with the clock, time is wrong. Next the radio will not work unable to shut it off, change volume basically nothing works. After a day or 2 the car will not start, no power. Once we jump start the car everything will be ok until the next…
Steering
39 complaints · 21%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles.
Power steering failed while driving on a 70mph highway. No warning or indication. The steering just cut out. I was travelling with my 2 year old son in the back when I basically lost all control over the car. It was near impossible to navigate to the side of the road. I had to stop the vehicle in the middle of a busy…
Received warning "power steering requires service" while driving. Shortly after, we pulled over and turned off the engine for several minutes. Upon restarting the car the power steering was gone--almost impossible to turn the steering wheel and the message said "power steering fault". Our local dealer said this was…
Transmission
37 complaints · 20%Half of these problems showed up before 87,000 miles.
The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, a loud whining noise was present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the…
The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max. While driving 10 MPH, the transmission made an abnormal grinding noise. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and opened case number: cas-13704524-h7n0d5. No further assistance was offered. The VIN was unknown.…
Other or unspecified
26 complaints · 14%Half of these problems showed up before 75,000 miles.
Oem electric charger (a separate mechanism not a part of the vehicle) caught fire upon plugging it into a socket (same charger, same socket has been used for over 3 years)
Anytime I break or let off the gas and there is a bump or a steel plate in the road my car slides. This has been happening or 3 years now. When it rains and ita wet outside its even worse. I have brand new tires on and it still happens.
Engine
17 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 71,000 miles.
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…
While driving, the car stalled and displayed a message that said to slow down and pull over safely. The driver was not able to accelerate. There were no other warning signs prior. This was particularly dangerous because it occurred while driving on a highway.
Body and structure
13 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 53,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
The inner door panel on both rear doors warps and sticks to the bottom of the door frame making it impossible to open the rear doors. The only option from Ford was to replace both door panels which cost $400 each + labor. Ford is aware of this issue specifically on the 2013 model but has not issued a recall.
Car, parked in driveway, failed to start because of a dead battery. Hood latch in vehicle failed to work (after being replaced once <1 year before). Could not open hood to access dead battery. Had car towed to dealer. Dealer was unable to open the hood. Was advised by dealer that hood cannot be opened without breaking…
Brakes
8 complaints · 4%Half of these problems showed up before 66,500 miles.
Today, I was parked on the side of the road in a residential area with the engine turned off. I checked my phone, answered a text, and then started the car. As soon as I started the car, the car rolled backward - even when I had my foot completely pressed very hard on the brake pedal (I panicked because having my foot…
Unintended acceleration while parking the car in our garage, the car suddenly accelerated, jumped a 7 inch step and crashed into the wall. When put in reverse, the car accelerated backward with the brakes applied hard. It took about 20 feet to stop the car.
Speed control
8 complaints · 4%While driving on the highway, a warning light came on instructing me to pull over to the side of the road and stop. When I did pulled over, I set the gearshift in "park" mode, and turned off the car. I restarted the car and didn't have any more problems that day. Subsequently, I noticed that while driving down the…
Unintended acceleration while parking the car in our garage, the car suddenly accelerated, jumped a 7 inch step and crashed into the wall. When put in reverse, the car accelerated backward with the brakes applied hard. It took about 20 feet to stop the car.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2013 Ford C-Max recalls
Transmission: shift linkage/cable/rod
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Equipment: electrical
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Doors and locks: latch
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seat belts
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Air bags: side/window
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.
Full defect summary
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.
Seats: recliner
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.
Full defect summary
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."
Equipment: anti-theft devices
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.
Full defect summary
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."
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Door latch failures
Summary
In december 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this investigation based on 235 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) alleging doors failed to latch when closed, and/or inadvertently opened while driving, on model year (my) 2012-2014 ford fiesta, and 2013-2014 fusion and lincoln mkz. Some voqs reported the failure occurred after the latch had been remedied under a prior recall which involved fracture of the latch pawl spring tab due to thermally induced cyclic fatigue. Other voqs alleged a similar failure in vehicles not previously recalled. A latch with a fractured pawl spring tab typically results in a ?door will not close? Condition, however in certain somewhat rare circu
Door latch failure
Summary
In january, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation based on consumers' allegations of doors failing to latch and/or inadvertently opening on model year (my) 2012-2013 ford focus vehicles (subject vehicles).odi has received 464 unique reports related to the alleged problem, with over 200 claiming that the door(s) opened inadvertently while the vehicle was in motion.one consumer alleged an injury that occurred while driving when a door inadvertently opened and then closed on a child's arm.another alleged that a door that inadvertently opened struck a parked vehicle.in response to odi's information request, ford motor company (ford) provided 500 unique repo
Questions about the 2013 Ford C-Max
- What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford C-Max?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: electrical (51 complaints, typically around 51,000 miles); steering (39 complaints, typically around 60,000 miles); transmission (37 complaints, typically around 87,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2013 Ford C-Max have?
- 8 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from June 10, 2022 (transmission). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2013 a bad year for the Ford C-Max?
- It is the most complained-about C-Max model year since 2000, with 187 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.