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Electrical systemPart report

2013 Ford C-MAX Energi Electrical system Problems

Complaints
19about this part
Share
38%of 50 total for the year
Median mileage
47,900miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 19 complaints about the electrical system of the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi, 38% of the 50 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 47,900 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“My car failed to start for 2 consecutive days after non-operation overnight and when I took the dealership they said they need to perform a TSB 15-0089, since my car was out of warranty less than 2 months, Ford said I need to pay $1500 to fix this issue. Based on research this issues seems to affect multiple vehicles in this category and Ford is not owning up to fixing this issue that is affecting these cars.”

NHTSA complaint #10862914, filed 2016-05, 28,400 miles

“We have used the supplied utility 120v charging cable since we acquired the car to charge it at home. Recently, I noticed that the utility cable plug was melted and the weatherproof socket fixture plastic housing was burnt I changed the unit to a different outdoor outlet. It burned that outlet so badly that it's gfci was tripped and could not be reset. Fearing a possible house fire, I stopped using the cord. I reported it to our Ford dealer as a hazardous product defect. Out of warranty was the reply. …”

NHTSA complaint #11098863, filed 2018-05, 63,000 miles

“Car goes dead and 12-volt battery is being drained because faulty computer programming leaves electrical modules on even when the car is turned off. Unclear if items that remain electrically hot pose direct safety problems, but consumers risk being unable to start/restart the car in emergency or normal situations. Ford declines to pay for reprogramming this faulty design beyond the normal warranty time (even when the car is covered by a Ford extended premium warranty). In my case, the car was parked at my home and the battery failed - twice in a few weeks - overnight in warm summer weather. …”

NHTSA complaint #11011299, filed 2017-07, 47,900 miles

“The 120 volt, 12 amp charge cord that came with my car (Ford part no. Fm58-10b706ac) is overheating creating a fire hazard. The end of the cord that plugs into the wall has melted and the plug has left burn marks on three different electrical outlets on my house where I plug the car in to charge. Photos of the melted cord and outlet burn marks are attached. There is a design flaw in that the control unit built into the cord is too heavy and pulls the prongs from the outlet and if a prong is only partially plugged into the outlet it draws more current than the cord can handle. …”

NHTSA complaint #10904811, filed 2016-09, 23,000 miles

“Power steering went out while in motion in a parking lot. Car was less than 2,000 miles outside of warranty. Poor design of column that had been recalled on similar vehicles caused shorts throughout the electrical system. This resulted in three pages worth of system errors when checked. $2,000 to repair. No shorts since replacement of faulty part.”

NHTSA complaint #11234265, filed 2019-07, 37,500 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Electrical system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2017220%
20161341%
2015427%
20141653%
20131938%

Other parts of the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi

Steering
9 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
8 complaintsOther or unknown
5 complaintsBody and structure
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsFuel system
3 complaintsWheels
3 complaintsSuspension
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsAir bags
1 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2013 Ford C-MAX Energi

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology