2015 Ford C-MAX Problems

What owners report

Owners of the 2015 Ford C-Max most often report the rearview camera image going blank, distorted, or upside down, and some complaints say the camera recall repair part was not yet available. Power steering assist warnings, transmission noise and shifting problems, and sudden loss of power while driving also appear in the complaints. Steering and power-loss complaints typically describe a sudden event with a dashboard warning, sometimes intermittent, and mileage is given in only some reports.

1. 1
   Back-over prevention (rear camera)

   Rearview camera image failures and recall delays

   • 10 complaints (18%)
   • median 105,916 mi at 11.1 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • 2 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2024–2026

   Owners describe the backup camera image as blank, black, intermittent, distorted, or inverted when the car is in reverse. Some complaints tie this to recall 25V695000 and say the repair part was not yet available, with no estimated timeline given by the manufacturer. Another complaint says the dealer quoted a cost for a diagnostic test. Another owner reports a collision with an object while reversing with the image inverted. Mileage is rarely listed for these reports, and where it is given it ranges from about 72,000 to 140,000 miles.

   Recall 25V695000

   What to check: Test the reverse camera image during a test drive and ask the dealer whether recall 25V695000 has been completed for the VIN. If the repair part is still unavailable, ask for the expected completion date in writing.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I am filing a formal safety complaint regarding NHTSA Recall 25V695 / Ford Recall 25S49 on my 2015 Ford C-MAX (VIN: 1FAD*************). Ford Motor Company’s recall notice dated October 2025 states that the rearview backup camera may display a blank or distorted image, increasing the risk of a crash. Ford further confirms that parts are not available and that there is no estimated timeline for repair. Due to this acknowledged safety defect, my vehicle was removed from service on October 14, 2025 following a rearview camera inspection. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11706588, filed 2025-12

   “2 issues 1) back-up camera has started to intermittently fail. Sometimes it displays when you start to back up then goes blank. 2) the driver side rear door is stuck shut. The inside panel binds against the door jam and prevents it from opening.”

   NHTSA complaint #11576201, filed 2024-03
2. 2
   Steering

   Power steering assist failure warning

   • 8 complaints (14%)
   • median 46,000 mi at 4.8 yrs old (5 state mileage, few)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2019–2026

   Owners describe a sudden loss of power steering assist, with a dashboard warning and steering that becomes heavy, stiff, or locked. Some say it happened while turning or backing out of a space at low speed, and others describe it on the freeway. Some say the problem cleared after a restart, and the warning sometimes came and went. According to complaints, the dealer diagnosed a steering rack or gear problem and said it needed replacement at a high cost. Mileage is given in only some reports, and those range from about 33,000 to 59,000 miles.

   What to check: During a test drive, check for steering assist warnings and for heavy steering at low speed and when parking. Ask the dealer to check stored codes for the steering system and whether any steering parts have been replaced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “At approximately 46,000 miles I was driving on a freeway in the rain and felt the steering was a little jerky I thought it was the wet road condition and wind. A few minutes later an alert popped up on the dashboard saying steering failure and to pull off road safely. I wasn't far from the Ford dealership where I purchased the car. After a diagnostic was done, I was informed that is was the rack and pinion. The dealership quoted me over 3,000.00 to replace. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11206114, filed 2019-05, 46,000 miles

   “The issues that I am having is with the power staring at this. On my way back from dropping off my child I entered the apartment complex and drove over a speed bump and that’s when the fault light came on about the power steering. I noticed that when the light came on my steering wheel started to stiffen however, it’s when I got home and took my car off that the steering wheel became stuck and needed more power to turn the wheel. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11654741, filed 2025-04
3. 3
   Transmission and drivetrain

   Transmission noise and gear-shift problems

   • 7 complaints (13%)
   • median 50,000 mi at 5.9 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2016–2024

   Owners describe a low rumbling noise that rises with acceleration, and a mechanic traced it to the transmission. Other complaints describe hard shifts from first to second, a selector position that did not match the gear chosen, and the car moving forward after being shifted into park. According to complaints, the dealer diagnosed transmission faults that required replacement, and a sudden downshift came with a transmission warning light. Reported mileage ranges from about 5,000 to 142,000 miles, with no clear pattern.

   Recall 22V4130002 related service bulletins

   What to check: On a test drive, check for rumbling under acceleration, smooth first-to-second shifts, and that the selector engages park, reverse, and drive as selected. Ask whether the shifter cable bushing and transmission noise service bulletins were addressed, and request any transmission service records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Reverse gear setting actually put the car in drive after starting the parked car nd attempting to back out ofparking space. I tried turning off engine, and the same thing occurred, the car continued to creep forward until the car made contact with the parking space sign. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10895980, filed 2016-08, 5,000 miles

   “A low rumbling noise seemingly situated at the right front (passenger) tire started with no warning approximately two months prior; no warning lights came on, the car did not change its driving--only a low rumbling noise which increased in revolutions with acceleration and quietened with braking and when in neutral--emerged. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11538439, filed 2023-08
4. 4
   Electrical system

   120-volt charging cord overheating or melting

   • 5 complaints (9%)
   • median 20,100 mi at 4.1 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
   • filed 2019–2024

   Owners describe a 120-volt charging cord or plug that overheats, melts, or shows an intermittent warning light while the car is charging. An owner says the charger stopped charging the car after overheating, and another says a plug melted during charging. Some complaints say a related charging cord recall was in place, but the dealer said the car was not covered or that recall parts were not available. Where mileage is given, reports fall between about 10,000 and 30,200 miles, and the problem appears while the car is charging.

   Recall 18V592000

   What to check: Inspect the charging cord and plug for discoloration, melting, or heat marks, and ask whether recall 18V592000 has been completed or applies to the VIN. Use a dedicated outlet rather than an extension cord, as the recall text advises.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I bought this vehicle in 2018. For the next 6 years, I lived in an area where I was unable to plug it in to a wall to charge, so used it as a hybrid. Now, I have a house and when I plugged it in for several hours, it melted the plug and nearly started an electrical fire. Upon further investigation, I found the serial number to the charger that was included with purchase as the factory-issued charger, matches a known recall due to fire safety hazard, but my VIN does *not* match the recall. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11564193, filed 2024-01

   “Charging cord overheated and melted at the plug. Recall in place on this item, but Ford specifically mentions in recall to ensure charging cord is plugged in to dedicated and undamaged/non corroded outlet (it was-until after event) and not attached to an extension cord (it was not).”

   NHTSA complaint #11170728, filed 2019-01, 30,200 miles
5. 5
   Fuel system

   Sudden loss of power while driving

   • 9 complaints (16%)
   • median 43,925 mi at 4.9 yrs old (8 state mileage, few)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2017–2026

   Owners describe engine or drive power dropping suddenly, sometimes at highway speed, with a red warning to stop safely. An owner says the engine cut out and the car ran only on battery until the battery was drained. Other complaints describe a hybrid switching to electric-only mode with reduced response, and a total loss of power linked to a crankshaft position sensor failure. Another complaint says the car slowed on its own at highway speed. Where mileage is given, reports range from about 31,000 to 55,000 miles, and some happen at highway speeds.

   What to check: Ask the seller for any repair records tied to engine power loss or the crankshaft position sensor, and watch the dashboard for warnings on a highway test drive. Ask the dealer to scan for stored codes related to power loss.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle is not holding EV now/later modes causing unexpected battery usage and fuel consumption. An example is traveling highway speeds (70-75 MPH); vehicle will unexpectedly switch into auto mode and revert from gas/hybrid performance to electric/battery only performance which is reduced power and response again at highway speeds. This is not always the case as I have found this to happen before I enter the highway and can adjust my drive accordingly. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11031986, filed 2017-10, 38,173 miles

   “I was driving in the middle lane of an expressway traveling at 70 MPH when a red warning displayed on the left side of the driver's screen: stop your car safely and get off the road (or words to that effect. The engine had cut out and my car was operating solely on the battery. There were vehicles traveling at the speed limit in each of the outside lanes. Luckily I was able to pull over to the left shoulder at a break in traffic. Soon the battery gave out--charge indicator showed no charge left. I called aaa to tow the car. …”

   NHTSA complaint #11270519, filed 2019-10, 31,000 miles

Buying note. Check the rearview camera recall status and the reverse image before purchase, since complaints describe recall parts that were not yet available. On a test drive, watch for steering assist warnings, transmission noise, and loss of power at highway speed, and ask for service records on the steering system and the charging cord.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 49 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.