What breaks most · 2013 to 2018 model years
Ford C-MAX problems by year
Owners have filed 128 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford C-MAX across model years 2013 to 2018. Three years stand out: 2013 for electrical system complaints, 2014 for electrical system complaints and 2015 for powertrain and transmission complaints. The quietest years are 2016.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2014, 2015
- Fewest complaints: 2016
- Complaints on file
- 1282013 to 2018, all trims
- Worst year
- 201379 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 126 fires · 8 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 38kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 27Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79 | 4 | 8 | Electrical system (24) | |
| 26 | 3 | 8 | Electrical system (7) | |
| 11 | 3 | 6 | Powertrain and transmission (4) | |
| 8 | 1 | 3 | Unknown or other (3) | |
| 2 | 1 | 1 | Steering (1) | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | Steering (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Ford C-MAX
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 30% |
24 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 22% |
17 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 16% |
13 | 1 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX |
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 11% |
9 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 8% |
6 | 3 | Shop brakes parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 6% |
5 | 0 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX |
| Air bags | 5% |
4 | 0 | Check recalls for air bags on NHTSA.gov |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 4% |
3 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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Have a warning check engine light, it's a stop safety message. Came on and orange engine light came on with it. Seems FORD has a wire problem at the battery, i understand it might be caused by a wire becoming bare from rubbing. Is this a recall??????????
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Power electrical horn continues to not work, within 3 year of driving started to have problems and i reattached wires to the horn once and within 1 month they stopped working again.
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Charging cord overheated and melted at the plug. Recall in place on this item, but FORD specifically mentions in recall to ensure charging cord is plugged in to dedicated and undamaged/non corroded outlet (it was-until after event) and not attached to an extension cord (it was not).
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Ford C-MAX years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2014, 2015 carry the most filings on the Ford C-MAX. The 2013 alone has 79 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Ford C-MAX problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 24 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford C-MAX problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford C-MAX complaints that include mileage is about 38,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.