AI Damage2013 Ford C-MAX: common problems
Owners of the 2013 Ford C-MAX filed 187 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and steering. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 187
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 27% of all complaints
- 2 Steering 21% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 20% of all complaints
- 4 Engine 9% of all complaints
- 5 Structure 7% of all complaints
- 6 Service brakes 4% of all complaints
- 7 Vehicle speed control 4% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel/propulsion system 3% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 51 complaints (27% of all).
- Steering: 39 complaints (21% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 37 complaints (20% of all).
- Engine: 16 complaints (9% of all).
- Structure: 13 complaints (7% of all).
Engines and transmissions
US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.
- 2 L · hybrid · 4 cyl
- 2 L · plug-in hybrid · 4 cyl
- CVT
Drive: FWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 187 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 51 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 39 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 3 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Backover prevention | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Unintended acceleration while parking the car in our garage, the car suddenly accelerated, jumped a 7 inch step and crashed into the wall. When put in reverse, the car accelerated backward with the brakes applied hard. It took about 20 feet to stop the car.
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a âStop Safely Nowâ warning message and various other dashboard warnings .
The rear impact bar is completely disintegrated and is falling off of the subframe due to extreme rust. There is either no or very little amount of rust on the entirety of the rest of the vehicle. The impact bar is either manufactured with incorrect materials or is otherwise defective.
Engine light came on. Mechanic said 2 codes showed up. One for low coolant, another for engine misfiring. The misfiring code had come on several times in past and spark plugs were replaced. Upon inspection was told the engine block is cracked due to faulty design. I will need a new engine!
While driving car, power steering will fail and deactivate leaving the steering extremely heavy and manual. Can happen at any speed, and has happened on the interstate at highway speeds.
WHILE DRIVING the dashboard instrument panel beeps and flashes the word "Put in Park" and "Stop Safely Now", and the speedometer stops working, all kinds of warning lights start flashing on and off on the instrument panel, the heater goes on and off on it's own, then the instrument panel goes black, speedometer shows…
Got a âPower steering assist faultâ message on the screen. It was very hard to steer the wheel. The case on the wheel was turning around it. Managed to drive 3 more miles to the dealership. A lot of other ford models have same issues, even under 50.000 miles.
A few months later, (2 weeks ago) my battery died and could not be jumped, so I had it towed to my Ford Dealer. He informed me that the potential cause of the battery damage was a short in the Console/Radio/Nav/Screen system. I agreed to go forward with the costly repair...
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 2,177 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C-MAX has 62 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 187, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Steering. Steering play, power assist, rack and tie rods after a wheel impact.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2013 Ford C-MAX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, steering, powertrain. Total complaints: 187. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: steering or power steering problems (19%), warning lights, check engine (14%), infotainment or screen glitches (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 Ford C-MAX?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2013 Ford C-MAX from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2013 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.