What breaks most · 2013 to 2017 model years
Ford C-MAX Energi problems by year
Owners have filed 77 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Ford C-MAX Energi across model years 2013 to 2017. Three years stand out: 2013 for electrical system complaints, 2014 for electrical system complaints and 2016 for electrical system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2013, 2014, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 772013 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 201335 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 94 fires · 6 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 29kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 1Across 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 35 | 2 | 1 | Electrical system (15) | |
| 25 | 0 | 0 | Electrical system (15) | |
| 7 | 2 | 0 | Steering (3) | |
| 9 | 5 | 0 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Body and structure (1) |
What fails on the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 43% |
15 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi |
| SteeringPower steering pumps, racks and hoses | 17% |
6 | 0 | Shop steering parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 11% |
4 | 2 | Shop body and structure parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi |
| Unknown or other | 11% |
4 | 0 | — |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 9% |
3 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 9% |
3 | 0 | Shop fuel system parts for the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 6% |
2 | 0 | Shop all speed control and throttle parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 6% |
2 | 1 | — |
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.
-
The car is completely dead. No lights and will not start. This is the forth time and the dealer does not know how to fix the problem
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The charge housing cap fell off. Dealer says it affects the charging capacity $500 cheap crap!!!! It did not even last 2-years!!!! How can u abuse it when all u do is push a button!! Never more... A FORD!!!
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1.reverse camera stays on 2.very slow to respond to touch 3.navigation 4.navigation not safe, features not disabled during driving
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 Energi years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2013, 2014, 2016 carry the most filings on the Ford C-MAX Energi. The 2013 alone has 35 complaints, led by electrical system.
What is the most common Ford C-MAX Energi problem?
On the 2013 model year, the most-reported component is electrical system with 15 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Ford C-MAX Energi problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Ford C-MAX Energi complaints that include mileage is about 29,000 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.