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Ford C-MAX EnergiModel year report

2015 Ford C-MAX Energi Problems

Complaints
15filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
20,000miles, 10 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4 / 5stars overall
EPA fuel economy
38 mpgcombined (gas only), 2.0L 4-cyl · plug-in hybrid FWD · 40 city / 36 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints for the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi. The part named most often is back-over prevention, with 5 complaints (33% of the total), followed by electrical system (4) and steering (3). 10 of the complaints include a mileage, and 70% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 20,000 miles. Of all complaints, 2 involved a crash, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 17 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 11 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (1).

Example complaints

Back-over prevention (rear camera): “The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while attempting to reverse, the rearview camera became inoperable. The contact stated that the rearview camera image failed to function properly, and the image appeared upside down. 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 dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. …”

NHTSA complaint #11733422, filed 2026-04, 115,000 miles

Electrical system: “1. Rear windows open 6 to 8 inches upon returning to car from store- happened 4 times. (sitting in parking lots) 2. Car on overnight in garage. Garage has the gas furnace and heater 3. Does not steer when you want it to./ just takes off on its own/ caused wreck. Slow left turn. Went all by itself into the sidewalk. 4. Does not turn off or on when told to do so/ moves after parked, even if fully belted in 5. The sync does not work and navigation got me lost twice in la 6. Humming noises and vibration below my feet at speed (65 to 70)”

NHTSA complaint #10836817, filed 2016-02, 6,000 miles

Steering: “This car has 57,500 miles and is inside the powertrain warranty period. The power assist steering felt sticky, not smooth like normal, so I took it in to the dealership. When almost there an error light came on saying there was a power steering issue. It cleared and nothing happened, then soon after a power steering fault message came on, but the performance was still sticky but functional. I pulled into the dealership lot and powered down, then back up to drive into the service bay. The power steering was non-operational at that point. …”

NHTSA complaint #11151212, filed 2018-11, 57,500 miles

Air bags: “About a month ago in april 2016, I pulled into my driveway and upon pressing the brake pedal the car surged ahead and struck my garage door, damaging it. In this instance I moved the shift lever into reverse to stop the car. On may17, 2016 after picking up my grandson from his school, I experienced a sudden unexplained acceleration with no depression of the gas pedal, and despite depressing the brake pedal as hard as I could, would not stop until I hit and severely damaged my car and 2 other cars, then was only able to stop the car by moving the shift lever into park. …”

NHTSA complaint #10865727, filed 2016-05, 8,200 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

70% of the 10 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 8,200 and 57,500 miles.

30%0–1030%10–2510%25–5010%50–7510%75–10010%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (10 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 20,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

20165201720182019202220265
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Cmax Energi · hatchback FWD★★★★☆4 / 4554 · 14.7% risk

Neighbouring years: 2014: same overall rating; 2016: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving); plug-in hybrid figures are for gasoline-only (hybrid mode) driving, so no annual cost is shown.

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid FWD2.0L 4-cyl · plug-in hybridCVT403638 gas only—

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 17 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 17 bulletins →

Other model years of the Ford C-MAX Energi

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20171012,9480439—Not enough data
20163248,500043850 · TypicalStable
20151520,0000438—Falling
20143032,000043845 · TypicalRising
20135045,450143865 · MoreFalling

All Ford C-MAX Energi model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi have?

NHTSA recorded 15 consumer complaints for the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi as of Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi is reported most often?

Back-over prevention is named most often, in 5 complaints (33% of the total), followed by electrical system with 4.

Has the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi 4 out of 5 stars overall. Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi get?

The EPA rates the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi (C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid, 2.0L 4-cyl · plug-in hybrid) at 38 mpg combined, 40 city and 36 highway when running on gasoline in hybrid mode. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2015 Ford C-MAX Energi reported?

Among the 10 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 20,000 miles and the middle half falls between 8,200 and 57,500 miles; 70% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 29, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.