Ford C-MAX Ford C-MAX

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Ford C-MAX repairs by problem area

Engine (15%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (6%)

Brakes and Traction Control (5%)

Suspension and Steering (9%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (46%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (13%)

Other (7%)

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Chart based on 307 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the Ford C-MAX.

Ford C-MAX electrical repair cost distribution

$2500+ (0%)

$1000 - $2499 (2%)

$500 - $999 (1%)

$100 - $499 (25%)

< $100 (71%)

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Chart based on 87 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2017 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Plug-in Hybrid CVT FWD

8000 mi Plastic debris is being expelled from ventilation system (looks like pvc shavings). 
54000 mi

US $180
The SYNC infotainment system is randomly slow when changing radios stations and sources. The deal ungraded all the software, but the problem persists They tell me that a $1000 replacement of the "hub unit" behind the screen would fix the problem. 
1000 mi Battery died after sitting for 5 days, dealer updated software. No problem since 
32000 mi

US $350
Upgrade from 3G to 4G since 3G will no longer be supported starting Feb 2022.Car now cannot connect to Ford Pass . I can no longer start the car remotely nor can it update service info. I paid for part . Ford paid labor. Still is not working after two trips to dealership. Dealership has to wait for information from Ford Tech on how to fix problem. Not dealership's fault. Ford sent me original letter to have the upgrade. 

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2016 Ford C-MAX

Engine not specified

14500 mi

US $150
Sync3 Update due to freezing 

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2016 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD

23000 mi Car would not turn off. Was towed running to the dealership. Eventually the car turned off by itself, but then would not start. Took the dealership a couple days to trace the problem to a loose wire coming from the push button start where it goes into the fuse box. 

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2015 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD

48000 mi Charged battery due to infotainment system shutting off after a very brief period of time. Battery accepted charge but the symptom continued. 
59000 mi

US $175
Car wouldn’t always start the first time I pushed the start button but would the second time. Then one day, it wouldn’t start at all, so I had to use an external battery jumper unit. 
59000 mi

US $9
Fuse went out for cigarette lighter electrical spot 
113000 mi

US $45
Replaced headlamp bulbs with Philips X-treme Vision bulbs 

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2014 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Plug-in Hybrid CVT FWD

11000 mi GPS was not tracking properly 
14000 mi Replaced module controlling the charge indicator ring. 
2000 mi Cruise control non-functional. Disassembled steering column to locate defective part, which was not in stock. 
2000 mi Defective cruise control module successfully replaced. 
10200 mi Electrical system "nervous breakdown" rippled through entire vehicle. Multiple components damaged and replaced. Every repair led to another code and part to be ordered. Still not back on the road after 3.5 weeks. 
19000 mi

US $28
Two fuses that power the 12-volt jacks burned out and needed to be replaced. Surprisingly, these were not covered by the warranty, so I paid out of pocket. 
43000 mi Fairly common issue it seems. There is a service bulletin for it. The Sync infotainment system keeps rebooting and doesn't load. The disables the audio, nav, phone and backup camera when it does. 
31000 mi

US $1800
Failed aux cabin heater. Vehicle had no heat or defrost while under electric mode. 
8000 mi Navigation system not placing vehicle on map in proper location. Placement on map was 100 to 500 feet off from actual location. Dealer reprogrammed GPS and applied updates. 
23000 mi Telematics unit not communicating with Ford, therefore no MyFord Mobile access to vehicle. Dealer was instructed by Ford to flash the telematics unit. Unit unresponsive. Dealer had to order part and vehicle will have to return for installation. Warranty service. 
25000 mi Telematics unit was not communicating with Ford. Needed replacement to allow for remote control activities. 

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2014 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD

27900 mi

C $75
replace turn signal 
28520 mi

C $75
Front turn signal replaced. Dealer has to remove fender. 
13000 mi Tire pressure light was on - they indicated it was due to colder weather although one tire was a little low 
66000 mi

US $1800
Main screen was no longer displaying hybrid information - was told computer needed replaced. Took them many days, once they received parts, to "program" the computer. 
20200 mi Auto wipers failed to work properly 
17200 mi Drivers door was not shutting off MFT other doors were ok just not drivers door 
30000 mi MFT problems 
31000 mi

US $160
replaced battery 5 years old 
17000 mi Gas gauge not working correctly. 
26000 mi found loose pin in plug on body control board which would cause the gas gauge to read low. 
60000 mi

US $200
The 12 volt battery was worn out. 
12000 mi Ford issued a customer service bulletin to check the 12 Volt battery. On our c-max they replaced the battery. 

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2013 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Plug-in Hybrid CVT FWD

44000 mi Reverse camera working intermittently, camera was replaced 
90000 mi

US $130
Car was dead and had to be jumped. Tested 12v battery and replaced. 
56525 mi

US $150
New battery needed. Car had to be jump-started on a few occasions. No warning showed up, had to take the car in to get it diagnosed. 
11100 mi Sync system would no longer display name of artist or radio station tuned to accurately. They replaced head unit under warranty. 
20700 mi Vehicle odometer no longer accurately accounting for electric vehicle miles. According the Ford, the odometer is still counting overall miles so it is fine. Dashboard dimmer fails to retain user settings. Dealer applied SSM 44699 update to gauge cluster. Update failed to fix the issue. 
26900 mi Dashboard dimmer fails to retain user settings. Dealer replaced the gauge cluster and applied software updates. Repair failed to fix issue so the customer was told "You're going to just have to deal with it." 12 volt battery could not hold a charge. Dealer at first claimed that they tested the battery/charging system and that everything was OK. Vehicle would not start when customer returned for pick-up. Battery was replaced under warranty. 
6000 mi Outside temp sensor wasn't working. Dealer diagnosed that sensor had gotten wet. Sensor was dried and reinstalled. No parts replaced. 
1500 mi Issue with rear liftgate 
22000 mi Wrench icon showed up for high voltage issue 
11000 mi Battery that starts gas engine and powers doors and interior electronics died 
41000 mi

US $12
Bulb plug burnt out. 
2300 mi electrical lift gate switch/latch replaced 
15000 mi

US $260
Ford radio was freezing on screen; apparently needed a deep reset. Also, two recall repairs were carried out. 
108000 mi Charging port led circle failed. Ford replaced under warranty. 
137000 mi

US $60
Replaced both front headlights and lower passenger fog light 
16000 mi Airbag module failure. Two weeks to get parts 
34000 mi

US $250
Repair 12 volt charging system software. Performed TSB to update all modules and inspect wiring 
60000 mi Sync system inoperative - intermittent 
73000 mi

US $200
Small 12v battery needed replacement after five years 
111000 mi

US $50
Horn was not operational and dealer quoted over $600 to repair. Verified 12V present at horn terminals. Used FORSCAN tool to verify that horn was being commanded. Purchased horn from local Ford dealer online parts site for < $50, replaced horn, verified repair. Actual replacement takes 10 minutes. I suspect that when vehicle was at dealer (for routine maintenance) they had diagnosed the failed component and knew it was a simple, cheap repair but quoted for a complex repair. 
134670 mi Requested estimate to perform repair for TSB 17-0015, inspection and repair of wire chafing near the high voltage battery, following appearance of DTC U3012 and intermittent electrical anomolies with console message that systems are shutting down to preserve battery. Under emissions warranty, this service requires 1.7 or 1.8 hours of labor and minimal parts to rewrap chafed wire. The connector is located under the back seat, under the shield covering the HV battery. Requested estimate for non-warranty TSB service. Dealer quoted $875 (4 hours labor @195). Declined service, as the labor estimate is unreasonable. I am trained to work on HV systems, and I will do the repair myself. 
137323 mi

US $210
12V battery needed jump start three times in the same day, then a few days later, battery was dead and would not take a jump start and showed a voltage around 3V at the jump terminals. This Motorcraft battery was 3 years and 1 month old, replaced by the dealer in Feb. 2020. I decided to do the battery replacement myself. Upon access to the battery, I found the battery compartment to be about 1/3 full of clear liquid, apparently water (neutral pH). This must be a new situation because there was not yet corrosion of metal components. I used a transfer pump to remove most of the water then cleaned with baking soda and rinsed with water to neutralize any acid. I opened the cell that was not covered with paper, and the electrolyte was low, which may explain the low voltage. Replaced Motorcraft battery with Diehard Gold Group 67R. The battery ventilation tube fitting was broken; I don't know if it was already that way or if it broke when I removed the old battery. Purchased replacement vent tube, part FV6Z-10A818-A, for about $10. The Diehard came with a plug for the other battery vent (as the vent tube vents only one side), but I transferred the plug from the old battery. Before installing the battery, I drilled a hole in the bottom of the battery compartment and epoxied a small tube into the hole to drain the battery compartment. This will also give a visual indication upon inspection of whether fluid is present in the battery compartment. I found a long wrench loose to the left of the battery compartment, evidently from the dealer's battery service February 2020. Fortunately I have not made any sharp left turns in the past 3 years. So happy that I decided not to take the car to the dealer for this battery replacement, given several concerning issues. I have decided to inspect the 12V battery every few months for electrolyte levels, signs of leakage, condition of terminals, etc. After installing the new battery, performed the BMS reset using Forscan. When charging the HV battery, capacity has increased from 11 mi to 17 mi since the reset. Finally, the 96R battery spec in the owner's manual is WRONG. That battery is too long to fit in the compartment. 

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2013 Ford C-MAX 4dr Hatch

141-horsepower 2.0L I4 Hybrid CVT FWD

2000 mi Radio presets went away. Clock time had to be reset every couple days. Had to replace chip when the original one would not accept a reflash. 
3000 mi MY FORD SYNC AND NAVIGATION UPDATED. COMPUTER UPGRADE. 
18000 mi Lift gate did not function from sensor, two trips. One to diagnose and second when parts came in. Replaced sensor and related module. AUDIO OFF MESSAGE COMES AND GOES AWAY IN MINUTES TO HOURS,MANY FAILURES TWO DEALERS, PROB NOT FOUND. COULD NOT DUPLICATE. COMPLAINT FILED WITH FORD MOTOR CO. NOT REPAIRED. SOFTWARE UPDATES AND MASTER REBOOT DID NOT SOLVE 
27000 mi Since purchase I've had and reported many incidents of AUDIO OFF message and nothing works. Always No trouble found and the system would work for a while then fail. This trip they replaced the audio module and no failures for three weeks! 
2000 mi Battery dead. Battery recharged. TSB-13-5-1 performed. 
7000 mi Battery dead. On-board computer had to be reprogrammed. Dealer performed according to the invoice: under Recall13B07, 13B07B Reprogram the Powertrain Control Module Recall13B12, 13B12B Check Battery with GR-1, Reprogram FCDIM 
8000 mi Defective air bag module. Restraint control module replaced. Sensor asembly - air bag replaced. 
12000 mi 3rd dead battery. Also dealer did recall work. 
23517 mi

US $100
Door ajar light came on when there was no problem due to bad part installed for recall on door latch issue. 
8000 mi A/C vent close lever was sunken into dash and hard to turn. Update to MFT Hand-free liftgate doesn't always open on first kick. Navigation sometimes has me several feet off from my current location. 
10000 mi GPS shows me off location sometimes. Very loud. GPS shows me several feet away. 
12300 mi Door chime recall. Chime doesn't sound when door opens. 
19000 mi

US $37
GPS module had to be replaced, she never knew where she was. Back hatch had to be worked on so it would latch properly. 
52439 mi

US $18
Left, front turn signal bulb. I was in and out in about fifteen minutes and the labor was $11.50. I wish I would have watched because the procedure description that I read sounded difficult. 
57146 mi

US $155
12V battery dead. Replaced battery and reset battery monitor. (BXT 67R) 
50800 mi

US $100
ac /heater fan malfunction 
16000 mi Battery dead multiple times. Car stereo came on by itself after car was off without key in ignition. Ford replaced stereo button, applied 3 computer program updates and replaced battery to fix problems. 
17700 mi Car was dead in driveway - not even enough juice for the dome light. Jump-started it and drove it to dealer, who implemented a TSB (recall) for this problem, replacing the battery and reflashing the dash computer software. 
41000 mi Recalls to install new firmware to prevent battery drain 
2000 mi Update MySync to new version. Foot-activated liftgate doesn't always open. 
15300 mi 12 volt battery test and module software update 
51000 mi

US $852
Rear view camera failed. Camera replaced. 
The Instrument Panel created a slow drain on the 12VDC battery causing the car to require being jump started in the morning. The dealership replaced the IP and installed a new 12VDC battery to correct the issue. 
50000 mi

US $179
Kick sensor to open back hatch, not working 
2500 mi battery replaced 
3000 mi a/c didn't work; condenser replaced. 
8000 mi sync not recognizing phonebook 
35000 mi

US $50
12v battery was unexpectedly dead overnight. Bought a charger and charged it and it's fine. Second time the unexpected dead battery has happened in 9 months. 
91000 mi

US $60
Upon performing a software update, the dealer rendered the touchscreen unusable. Dealer refused to accept responsibility and presented owner with an $1100 repair estimate. Owner secured a used replacement part for $60 and installed it. 
10000 mi Experienced dead battery: easily jump started, dealer unable to determine/replace. Audio system freeze-up when parked in sun, dealer unable to resolve at this time. 
12000 mi Replaced defective Audio Control Module 
21000 mi Audio fails to start occasionally, reprogrammed module. 
23000 mi Defective module replaced. 
40000 mi

US $120
Ford My-Touch voice controls stopped working. Took to dealer and service adviser suggested I make a service appointment to fix. She didn't bother to tell me I could do a "system hard re-boot" myself, which is all the dealer service tech did. 
10000 mi Primary Controller Module that runs the hybrid efficiency needed a software update to improve fuel economy. 
MFT was sluggish, freezing, not working at times The NAV system was not working correctly 
3000 mi MFT was sluggish, freezing, not working at times The NAV system was not working correctly 
3600 mi MFT was sluggish, freezing, not working at times The NAV system was not working correctly 
5000 mi MFT was sluggish, freezing, not working at times The NAV system was not working correctly MFT Fixed NAV still not working 
27160 mi Sync system would not work in heat. 
28000 mi Recalls 
28520 mi CD player skips Navigation screen flickers 
36300 mi Battery would not hold a charge. 
20000 mi Main A/C fan was making irregular noises. A/C blower replaced under factory warranty. 
29000 mi Restraints Control Module reprogrammed in accordance with Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 14S21. Test 12-volt battery, inspect wiring, and update software module in accordance with TSB 15B04. 
33000 mi Loud noise from HVAC system at all fan speeds. Same symptoms from a previous repair that required replacement of the HVAC module. Issue not repaired, as car was traded in. 
4000 mi There were a few intermittent problems, but a constant issue was the driver's window would reverse if you attempted to roll it up. Dealer checked grounds and reprogrammed the security computer and all problems were fixed. 
24300 mi Clock on Sync screen was wrong and couldn't be set. The clock on the dash worked and could be set fine. 
35000 mi Rear automatic hatch would not secure without manually pushing it closed. TSB applied. Door would work properly with interior door button but not with button on door. Car returned to customer this way. Claimed no adjustment possible. 
36000 mi Reported to the second dealer that the automatic hatch would not secure without manually pushing it closed. Replaced entire mechanism. Functions properly now. Both trips took a full day in the shop. 
93000 mi

US $107
Repair Drivers seat warmer. 
101000 mi

US $107
Radio stopped working 
130000 mi 12v to 110vac inverter replaced, new inverter made similar noise so ordered another one. Waiting for that one to show up 
130800 mi

US $122
Replaced Inside temp sensor with micro fan in it. The inverter wasn't the problem. 
9000 mi navigation system failure. The GPS would track the vehicle incorrectly. Oftentimes the car was 100 yards ahead or to the side of where GPS reported it to be. Dealer updated software and resolved problem. 
31300 mi Not sure. Car wouldn't start, towed to dealer. No fault found 
17000 mi The 12v battery appeared to be dead but quickly recharged. Actually it was not dead but the control module had cut it out of the system. I found that giving the system a good 12+ volts revives the module. Dealer could find nothing wrong. 
19000 mi Replaced Battery. 
31000 mi GPS showed vehicle off roadway. Dealer reprogrammed GPSM module with latest calibration from Ford. Fixed issue 
31000 mi Wiring repaired. 
53000 mi

US $130
Replace 12v battery (hard to find compact battery). 
21515 mi

US $152
12-volt battery replaced after 5 years. 'Low battery' noted several times on the audio system dashboard display. No problems starting car, primarily replaced for preventive maintenance. 
45000 mi We found the car without power one morning. 2 day previously the radio had stopped working. The car was able to start with jumper cables, and was taken to the shop. "Nothing wrong" was the diagnosis, but "perhaps the SYNC system did not turn off, draining the primary battery overnight". Car seems fine now. 
24000 mi Sync infotainment update 
4000 mi Rear left gate would not always open with foot/kick sensor 
41000 mi Horn wasn't working and was replaced. 
28000 mi Courtesy FoMoCo notification of problems with vehicle not starting after extended non-op. New battery installed, 3 systems flashed. 
8000 mi My Ford Touch firmware update to correct system freezes and phone disconnects. Rattles in the front suspension, this is the 3rd time this has been reported to dealer with no successful outcome. 
8200 mi MFT upgraded to v3.5.1, took a week to complete the upgrade. Rattles in front suspension remain unresolved. 
21500 mi Door chime recall. 
14000 mi System had a glitch in the computer software that had to be reprogrammed. Also had a seatbelt sensor that was not functioning properly. The days were because had to wait for a replacement part. They gave me a new loaner car during that time. 
41000 mi

US $250
USB port and 110V outlet inside the car were nonfunctional and were fixed. 
50000 mi Car has had intermittent problems being dead in the morning. 12V accessory battery was previously replaced so unsure if this is a different system or not. 

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2013 Ford C-MAX 4-door

4-cylinder CVT 2WD

32000 mi recall, the one about fixing the programming for the computer programm on the display. 

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Ford C-MAX Electrical Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently Ford C-MAX problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.