2013 Ford C-Max recalls & complaints

1. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. Cords with part numbers FM58-10B706-AA, FM58-10B706-AB, FM58-10B706-AC, FM58-10B706-AD, FM58-10B706-AE and FM58-10B706-AF were manufactured without thermistors, and during vehicle charging, increased resistance in the house's outlet or wiring can cause the cord to overheat and melt.

What could happen: An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current cord with a new 120V convenience cord with a thermistor, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S24.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 18V592000 (manufacturer code 18S24).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

2. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured January 19, 2012, to November 21, 2013; Ford Fusion vehicles manufactured February 3, 2012, to August 24, 2013; Ford Escape vehicles manufactured October 5, 2011, to November 1, 2013; and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured April 25, 2012, to September 30, 2013. The coating on portions of the Restraint Control Module (…

What could happen: The short circuits could cause the frontal air bags, side curtain air bags and the seat belt pretensioners to not function as intended when needed, increasing the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the RCM, free of charge. Parts are not currently available. The recall began on May 26,2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 14S21.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 14V597000 (manufacturer code 14S21).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

3. Seats

What's wrong, in plain English: Seat frames, adjusters or child-seat anchors. The driver and passenger seatback assemblies may have been produced with sub-standard weld joints used to attach the seat back recliner mechanism to the seat frame. The affected seat backs may have insufficient strength to meet the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 207, "Seating Systems."

What could happen: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the seatback, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14C03.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 14V164000 (manufacturer code 14C03).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-392-3673.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

4. Transmission / drivetrain

What's wrong, in plain English: The parts that send engine power to the wheels. Failure can mean a sudden loss of power or the car rolling away. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.

What could happen: A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.

The fix: Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were m…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 22V413000 (manufacturer code 22S43).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

5. Latches / locks

What's wrong, in plain English: Doors, hood or trunk may open unexpectedly. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

What could happen: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 16V643000 (manufacturer code 16S30).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

6. Airbags

What's wrong, in plain English: The airbag system — the part that is supposed to protect you in a crash. In the affected vehicles, the restraint control module (RCM) may have errors in the programming software which may result in a delayed deployment of the side-curtain rollover air bag.

What could happen: If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying in certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will reprogram the RCM, free of charge. The recall began on May 30, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S04.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 14V237000 (manufacturer code 14S04).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-800-392-3673.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

7. Latches / locks

What's wrong, in plain English: Doors, hood or trunk may open unexpectedly. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.

What could happen: A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the l…

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 20V331000 (manufacturer code 20S30).
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

8. Electrical system

What's wrong, in plain English: Wiring, modules, batteries. Short circuits can cause stalls or fires. In the affected vehicles, there is no audible chime when the vehicle is operational and the driver's door is opened. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."

What could happen: Without an audible door chime, a vehicle owner may open the door and exit the vehicle without being reminded that the vehicle is still operational, leaving the vehicle susceptible to theft.

The fix: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the software for the door chime, free of charge. The recall began on October 30, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C07.

What to do

1. Check whether your car is affected: enter your 17-digit VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. A recall covers specific VINs, not every 2013 C-MAX.
2. Book a repair at any authorized Ford dealer. Quote NHTSA campaign 13V475000.
3. The repair is free. By US law, safety recall repairs cost the owner nothing, no matter the car's age or mileage.
4. Manufacturer hotline: 1-866-436-7332.
5. Buying this car used? Ask the seller for proof the recall was completed, or run the VIN yourself before paying.

Owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Most complained-about parts: Wheels / tires (1).

Complaints are unverified reports from owners. A pattern (many complaints about the same part) matters more than any single one.