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Electrical systemPart report

2016 Ford C-MAX Energi Electrical system Problems

Complaints
13about this part
Share
41%of 32 total for the year
Median mileage
50,500miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 13 complaints about the electrical system of the 2016 Ford C-MAX Energi, 41% of the 32 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 50,500 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

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

“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 miles

“While I was driving & turning around a corner on a city street in newport, ri, a silent warning flashed on the car dash in large red capital letters, reading: stop safely now! But the engine stopped immediately - before I could apply the brake - leaving me stranded in the middle of traffic. At the same time, a yellow engine and traction control icon appeared on the dash. I waited a while and tried to start the engine, but no response. Called newport police to get my car out of the traffic lane. …”

NHTSA complaint #11141013, filed 2018-10, 23,000 miles

“I was going to back into my driveway. I put the car in reverse then all of the electrical went haywire.everything turned on( windshield wipers, radio, all the lights. Etc.) then I put my foot on the gas to go in reverse and it went forward. Then I tried turning the car off and it would not turn off, so I was stuck in the middle of the street. I then moved the stick shift back and forth, put it in reverse again and it went a couple of feet, then wouldn't move anymore. All the electrical components remained on, but I couldn't turn the car off. …”

NHTSA complaint #11182118, filed 2019-02, 48,000 miles

“Driving along a highway holding steady speed of 65mph, the car displayed a stop safely now message and disabled the accelerator. We were able to coast to a stop on the side of the road. The car would turn on and off with the push of the on/off button, but the stop safely now message remained on the dashboard any time the car was powered on, and the car would not move. We called Ford as we are still under warranty; however, a tow truck would have taken approx 90 minutes, and I was not in a safe position, so I used a obdii scanner and app to reset the fault codes. …”

NHTSA complaint #11353500, filed 2020-09, 44,500 miles

“Several times now the vehicle has completely shut off while driving. At first, it was driving uphill on the freeway and when it hit a small bump it would shut off. I figured it was just at high speeds that this occurred. Recently, it was just driving up a driveway incline at 5 MPH, and going over a small speed bump triggered it to shut off. I have taken the vehicle in to have service fix it and they can't duplicate the issue. It is very dangerous to be driving 65mph on the freeway and the car just shuts off. It does not go into a safe mode, just completely shuts down. …”

NHTSA complaint #11377393, filed 2020-12, 69,052 miles

Related service bulletins

Electrical system: other model years

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

Other parts of the 2016 Ford C-MAX Energi

Transmission and drivetrain
5 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
4 complaintsEngine
3 complaintsOther or unknown
3 complaintsSteering
3 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsVehicle speed control
2 complaintsWheels
2 complaintsElectronic stability control
1 complaintsEquipment
1 complaintsExterior lighting
1 complaintsLane departure
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2016 Ford C-MAX Energi

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.

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