Ford C-MAX Energi Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 137 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Ford C-MAX Energi (2013–2017) that have at least 5 complaints. 2013 has the most, with 50. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (54 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
Best and worst C-MAX Energi years →
All C-MAX Energi model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 10 | 12,948 | 0 | 13 | — | Not enough data |
| 2016 | 32 | 48,500 | 0 | 19 | 50 · Typical | Stable |
| 2015 | 15 | 20,000 | 0 | 17 | — | Falling |
| 2014 | 30 | 32,000 | 0 | 22 | 45 · Typical | Rising |
| 2013 | 50 | 45,450 | 1 | 44 | 65 · More | Falling |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system54 38%
- Transmission and drivetrain18 13%
- Steering18 13%
- Body and structure12 8.5%
- Other or unknown12 8.5%
- Back-over prevention (rear camera)11 7.7%
- Engine9 6.3%
- Fuel system8 5.6%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2014: “After 3 days sitting on my driveway, this morning I went to start the car and noticed a warning on the screen power steering assist fault . I tried to back out to the street, but the power steering remained un-maneuverable. Online search found out there had been a lot of reports for the very same issue on focus, c-max, and fusion. It appears this is a known issue not unique to my car.”
NHTSA complaint #11153596, filed 2018-11, 40,992 miles2016: “I entered the car and tried to start. Immediately it failed to start and warning lights came on saying not to drive the car then it went dark and I am not certain if the car is running or not. I was unable to drive it at all and had to get it towed to the dealer. This is the second time I have had rodent damage since I bought the car new. First time was in august 2016.”
NHTSA complaint #10939733, filed 2017-01, 13,000 miles2013: “Hi on the 11/19/2014 around 2:30 my wife and her manager at work we was going to meet up with client . The offended vehicle break the stop sign and hit my vehicle from the right side and my car spin and face the opposite direction for the traffic .completely disabled my vehicle I called the police .I wait till the police come and we make the report . …”
NHTSA complaint #10662696, filed 2014-12, 36,790 milesOther Ford models
38,905 complaintsFord Explorer
34,631 complaintsFord Escape
27,537 complaintsFord Fusion
22,443 complaintsFord Focus
22,108 complaintsFord Taurus
18,163 complaintsFord Windstar
14,152 complaintsFord Edge
14,106 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology