FORD C MAX Reliability by YearBest & worst years, problems & recalls — NHTSA data
Comparing used FORD C MAX options? We analyzed 6 model years (2013–2018) using real NHTSA complaint and recall data so you can spot stronger years, avoid riskier ones, and know what to inspect before buying.
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- Accident & damage history
- Odometer rollback records
- Open recalls & title brands
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the FORD C MAX has 14 owner complaints and 27 safety recalls across model years 2013–2018. The most reported issue area is BACK OVER PREVENTION. 2016 drew the most complaints; 2014 drew the fewest.
- Make
- FORD
- Model
- C MAX
- Model years analyzed
- 2013–2018 (6 years)
- Total NHTSA complaints
- 14
- Safety recall campaigns
- 27
- Crash-related complaints
- 0
- Fire-related complaints
- 0
- Worst model year (by complaints)
- 2016 (7 complaints)
- Best model year (fewest complaints)
- 2014 (1 complaints)
- Top reported issue area
- BACK OVER PREVENTION
- Reliability signal
- Good
By model year
FORD C MAX: which years to avoid & which to buy
Based on total NHTSA owner complaints per model year. Higher complaint counts indicate a riskier year to buy used — lower counts suggest a cleaner reliability record.
These years have the most owner complaints. Inspect carefully and always run a VIN check.
These years have the fewest owner complaints on record — lower risk starting points.
Crash test ratings
NHTSA NCAP crash test ratings
New Car Assessment ProgramNCAP crash tests measure how well a vehicle protects occupants in controlled frontal crash, side crash, and rollover scenarios. Stars are awarded per category (5 = safest). These laboratory results are independent of owner complaints and are performed by NHTSA engineers on new production vehicles.
NCAP crash test ratings for this model are not yet loaded or this vehicle was not tested in the years analyzed. NHTSA tests a subset of new vehicles each year. Check nhtsa.gov/ratings directly for the latest results.
What the complaint data suggests
GoodThe FORD C MAX has 14 NHTSA complaints and 27 recalls on record. This data reflects owner-reported issues submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
- 14 total complaints filed with NHTSA
- 27 federal recall campaigns
- No crash-related complaints on record
- Review NHTSA complaint history for the most-reported components
- Check recall completion status at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Verify service records for frequently complained components
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with elevated complaint rates.
Consult the by-year breakdown to identify model years with fewer reported issues.
- Run a VIN check on the specific vehicle you are considering
- Verify all open recalls are completed at nhtsa.gov/recalls
- Request service records for the most-reported complaint components
- Have a certified mechanic inspect the vehicle before purchase
Problems by model year (best vs. worst)
Source: NHTSA public complaints database. Updated: Sep 2026
Safety recalls
NHTSA safety recalls
27 recalls foundSafety recalls are mandatory repair campaigns ordered by NHTSA when a vehicle defect poses an unreasonable risk to safety. Manufacturers are required to fix recalled vehicles free of charge. Always verify open recalls before buying a used car.
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL)
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE
SEATS:FRONT ASSEMBLY:RECLINER
AIR BAGS
STEERING
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
STRUCTURE:BODY
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
Source: NHTSA Recalls Database. Data covers model years 2013–2018. Always run a VIN-specific check below for the most up-to-date open recall status.
Common problems
What goes wrong most often
The vehicle systems owners complain about most, ranked from all 14 NHTSA complaints — these are the areas to inspect first on a used car.
Owner complaints
NHTSA complaint reports
14 totalThese are consumer-submitted safety complaints filed directly with NHTSA. Each complaint describes a real owner's experience. Complaints flagged as crash-related or fire-related are highlighted.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while driving 3 MPH, the vehicle started to stall and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that gasoline was leaking onto the wires and spark plugs. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Major electrical issues, including rear view camera not working, vehicle starting when no key fob is in or near the vehicle, tail lights burning out even after replacement, one taillight blinking faster than the other, screen for infotainment not turning on, all of a sudden vehicle not starting with complete battery drainage even after vehicle was just charged. And too many other issues to name, my year vehicle has many of the same issues that have been reported for both a 2015 and a 2016 Ford Cmax energi yet my year does not have the same recall notices despite the same issues. My vehicle has very low miles I believe less than 100,000
See attached document for complaint
See attached document for complaint
The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-MAX. The contact stated that while seated inside the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, the rear-view camera displayed a blinking screen with the message “Camera not Available. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure.
The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure.
Read 8 more owner reports
The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the rear-view camera displayed a black screen while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The contact stated that the failure obstructed the driver's visibility, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. The message "Rear-view Camera not Available" was displayed on the screen. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000.
See attached document for complaint. RE: NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 25V695 To whom it may concern, In August 2025 we took our 2016 CMAX into the Ford Dealer we purchased it from to have the check out the back-up camera that was not working and have a service done. They charges us $225.00 to check it out and then wanted to service it for several hundred dollars more. There was no mention at that time about a recall, and after re-reading the bulletin you sent out, that did not come until October. The online status was that any repairs were not to begin until June 2026. Both of us are seniors and being concerned of the safety issues with the camera, we looked for the best price to repair/replace the camera and found a company, G&O Body in Placerville that did the repair for $618.25 In November.. So, at this point, we are out of pocket $843.25 to fix an issue that was put under free repair thru the recall. I would like to know how to apply for reimbursement for this camera replacement cost.
TOUCHSCREEPROBLEMS BEGAN WITH GPS GLITCHES IN DEC 2018, AND HAVE GOTTEN STEADILY WORSE...AS OF TODAY - TOUCHSCREEN DASHBOARD IS NOT WORKING - INCLUDING REAR VIEW CAMERA, HANDLESS FEATURES, GPS, CD PLAYER, ENTERTAINMENT/AUDIO SYSTEM. N SOMETIMES REMAINS ON EVEN AFTER THE CAR HAS BEEN TURNED OFF. REQUIRES REPEATED TURNING ON AND OFF OF CAR, AND LOCKING/UNLOCKING THE DOORS TO HAVE TOUCHSCREEN FINALLY TURN OFF. HAVE CONTACTED FORD MULTIPLE TIMES, AND FOLLOWED THEIR DIRECTIONS TO TRY AND UPDATE SYSTEM, AND HAS NOT WORKED. NOW FORD WANTS ME TO TAKE THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP, BUT THE CAR (WHILE LESS THAN 3 YEARS OLD), IS OVER 36,000 MILES, SO WARRANTY HAS EXPIRED. ON INTERNET, SEEMS LIKE MANY OTHER FOLKS ARE ALSO HAVING THIS PROBLEM. FRIENDS HAVE 2017 FORD FUSION, WHICH IS HAVING THE EXACT SAME ISSUES, BUT SINCE IT IS STILL UNDER WARRANTY, FORD IS REPLACING THEIR TOUCHSCREEN UNIT FOR FREE. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A FACTORY DEFECT, AND FORD SHOULD DO A RECALL.
INTERMITTENT INABILITY TO CONTROL SPEED. FINALLY GOT AN ERROR CODE OF P2112 (THROTTLE ACTUATOR CONTROL SYSTEM) WHILE IN MOTION AND VIBRATION BECAUSE THE BATTERY DOES NOT ENGAGE PROPERLY
MY 2016 FORD C-MAX WITH 10000 MILES HAS BRAKE ISSUES... ACCORDING TO THE DEALER THE BRAKES ARE RUSTED AND NEED REPLACED FOR $1000.00. SERIOUSLY, A VEHICLE WITH 10000 MILES HAS BAD BRAKES AND NOT COVERED BY THE FORD WARRANTY..... I HOPE NOTHING HAPPENS WHILE MY WIFE IS DRIVING THE CAR AS SHE DOES NOT FEEL SAFE.....
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT DOWN AND THE "STOP NOW PULL OVER" WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS PUSHED TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND TOWED TO PERRY FORD OF POWAY (12740 POWAY RD, POWAY, CA 92064), BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE COULD NOT BE DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 18,000. *BF ** *TR
RECEIVED A LETTER FROM FORD ALTHOUGH FORD IS NOT CALLING THIS A RECALL I BELIEVE IT IS PRETTY SERIOUS. THIS IF FOR THE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION PROGRAM;17B28 FORD IS SAYING THE ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY MAY DEVELOP CONTAMINATION AND MAY RESULT IN THE VEHCILE ENTERING A PROTECTIVE LOW-SPEED MODE WHICH CAN BE DANGEROUS IF THIS HAPPENS ON THE HIGHWAY. I CALLED MY LOCAL DEALER AND THEY ARE SAYING THAT THE THE NEXT APPOINTMENT FOR THIS FIX IS NOT UNTIL AUGUST 2018! I THINK THIS IS A PRETTY SERIOUS PROBLEM THAT FORD SHOULD FIX RIGHT AWAY. I HAVE NOT HAD ANY ISSUES HOWEVER I HAVE READ FROM SOME PEOPLE THAT THIS HAS HAPPEN ON THEIR VEHICLE IN WHICH THEIR CAR DROPPED TO 5MPH.
THE LOW PRESSURE LIGHT CAME ON AS I WAS TAKING A TRIP OF ABOUT 65 MILES TO MY MOTHERS HOME. I STOPPED AND CHECKED THE TIRES AND HAD TO PUT AIR IN THE TWO TIRES ON THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. THE LIGHT DID NOT GO OUT; BUT I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE BECAUSE I DID NOT TURN THE CAR OFF SO I CONTINUED THE LAST 3 MILES OF MY TRIP. I PARKED THE CAR AT MY MOTHERS AND VISITED FOR ABOUT 4 HOURS. WHEN I GOT READY TO LEAVE, I WALKED AROUND THE CAR AND CHECKED THE TIRES AGAIN. I DID NOT NOTE ANY PROBLEMS WITH THE TIRES OR THEM BEING LOW; BUT THE LIGHT CAME BACK ON WHEN I STARTED THE CAR. I CONTINUED ON HOME WITH THE INTENTION OF TAKING THE CAR BACK TO MY DEALERSHIP. ABOUT A THIRD OF WAY HOME I HAD THE PASSENGER SIDE REAR TIRE BLOW OUT. THERE IS A WHOLE IN THE OUTSIDE TIRE WALL, AND THE INSIDE TIRE WALL SEPARATED FROM THE TIRE. *TR
Showing 14 of 14 total NHTSA complaints. Source: NHTSA Complaints Database
Check the exact car
Before you buy, check the exact FORD C MAX
These pages show model-year patterns across 6 years. Enter a VIN to verify the exact vehicle's accident history, title brands, odometer records, and open recall status before purchase.
The basics
How to read this data
Complaints, recalls, investigations — here’s what each number actually tells you about a used FORD C MAX, in plain English.
What is an NHTSA Complaint?
An NHTSA safety complaint is a report filed directly by a vehicle owner or driver describing a safety-related issue. Anyone can submit a complaint at NHTSA.gov. The number of complaints is a signal of how common a problem is — but complaints per model-year matter more than raw totals, since popular vehicles naturally receive more reports. The FORD C MAX has 14 complaints on record across 6 model years.
What is a Safety Recall?
A safety recall is a mandatory campaign issued by NHTSA when a vehicle component poses an unreasonable risk to safety or does not comply with federal motor vehicle safety standards. Unlike complaints (which are owner-reported), recalls are formally investigated and confirmed by regulators. Manufacturers must fix recalled vehicles free of charge. The FORD C MAX has 27 recall campaigns in the NHTSA database.
What Are Crash Complaints?
Crash complaints are NHTSA filings where the owner indicates a crash occurred as part of the incident. 0 of the FORD C MAX's 14 complaints involved a crash. This metric is particularly important because it indicates how often defects resulted in actual collisions — a key safety signal beyond general reliability.
How Is the Reliability Verdict Calculated?
The reliability verdict (Good) is generated by analyzing the vehicle's total complaints, recall history, crash complaint ratio, fire complaint ratio, and top component failures relative to class averages. This verdict gives buyers a quick interpretation before they review year-level details and VIN-level history. It should be treated as one decision input, not a substitute for a VIN-specific report.
Why Do Newer Years Have Fewer Complaints?
Newer model years appear to have fewer complaints because there has been less time for owners to file them. Complaints accumulate over years of ownership. A 2020 model year vehicle will typically show fewer complaints than a 2015 model year even if it is less reliable — simply because fewer owners have had time to report issues. Focus on complaints per year of market presence when comparing across model years.
Fleet Data vs. Individual VIN
Everything on this page reflects aggregated data across all FORD C MAX vehicles on the road — not any specific car. Two FORD C MAX vehicles of the same year can have very different histories: one may have been in three accidents and have an open recall; another may be clean. A VIN check gives you the individual car's history: accidents, title brands, odometer records, service history, and real-time recall status.
What Are NHTSA Investigations?
When NHTSA receives a pattern of related safety complaints, it opens a formal investigation. A Preliminary Evaluation (PE) is the first stage — NHTSA determines if a safety defect may exist. If evidence is strong, it escalates to an Engineering Analysis (EA), which can result in a mandatory recall. The FORD C MAX has 0 investigations on record (0 active). Investigations listed above may have already led to the recalls shown on this page.
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Check a FORD C MAX by state
Title-branding rules, flood-damage exposure, and salvage laws vary by state. Run a free VIN check or explore state-specific vehicle history guidance before buying a used FORD C MAX.
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Keep researching before you buy
Compare brands and categories, then check the exact car's history by VIN.
FORD C MAX reliability — frequently asked questions
Is the FORD C MAX reliable?
Good. The FORD C MAX has 14 NHTSA owner complaints and 27 recall campaigns across model years. A commonly reported issue area is BACK OVER PREVENTION. Use year-level data as a pattern guide, then verify the exact car with a VIN check before purchase.
Which FORD C MAX years to avoid?
Years with the most NHTSA complaints: 2016 (7 complaints), 2015 (4 complaints), 2013 (1 complaints). Use these years as a shortlist for deeper inspection, and always run a VIN check on the exact vehicle before purchase.
What are the most common FORD C MAX problems?
Top reported issues: BACK OVER PREVENTION (6 complaints); UNKNOWN OR OTHER (2 complaints); FUEL SYSTEM (1 complaints).
Does the FORD C MAX have recalls?
Yes — 27 NHTSA recall campaigns have been issued for the FORD C MAX. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls or run a VIN check to see if your specific vehicle has open recalls.