AI Damage2015 Ford C-MAX: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Ford C-MAX filed 58 complaints with NHTSA, most often about backover prevention and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 58
- involving a crash
- 11
What fails most often
- 1 Backover prevention 17% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 16% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 16% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 5% of all complaints
- 8 Engine 3% of all complaints
- Backover prevention: 10 complaints (17% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 9 complaints (16% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 9 complaints (16% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 6 complaints (10% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 6 complaints (10% 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 58 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Backover prevention | 10 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 9 | 3 | 0 |
| Air bags | 6 | 5 | 0 |
| Steering | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 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.
The contact's forehead struck the steering wheel before the front driver's side air bag partially deployed, with smoke coming out of the air bag. The fire department responded to the scene, inspected the vehicle, and advised the contact to drive the vehicle.
Had a front end collision airbags did not deploy car was total
There were no warning lights illuminated. The fire department was on the scene. A police report was filed. There was no reported fire, air bag deployment, or injury. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max hybrid. The contact stated while she was stopped at a stop light her vehicle was rear ended, pushing her vehicle into the rear of the vehicle in front. The contact stated that air bags deployed as well as the driver' s side seat headrest detached exposing the two metal rods.
Consumer writes in regards to unintended acceleration. The consumer stated upon allowing the vehicle to drift into the garage, without depressing the gas, the vehicle lurched forward ramming into the inner wall. While reversing directly after the incident, the lurched backwards. The dealer was notified.
My vehicle was spun around 45 degrees in the opposite direction and I was tossed around in the vehicle with my seat belt on. The cars computer detected an impact serious enough to initiate a 911 call. No airbags deployed.
There has been an open rear view camera recall on this vehicle for nearly a year now, but Ford has not made parts to address it. The intermittent failure of the camera is an ongoing safety hazard.
The vehicle reversed and the back over prevention screen unexpectedly went blank. The failure was a recurring failure. 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 local dealer was contacted.
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 4,956 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 14% most complained about).
On average one model year of the C-MAX has 62 complaints (6 years in the data). This year has 58, about average.
What to check before buying
- Backover prevention. Rear camera and parking sensors after a rear impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Ford C-MAX?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: backover prevention, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 58. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (17%), steering or power steering problems (12%), rear-view camera (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 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 2015 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 2015 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 2026-11-06.