repaired · 2024 Q3
Automatic transmission: gear position indication (prndl)
Risk. 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.
2013 Ford C-MAXProblems, recalls & complaints
NHTSA has logged 187 owner complaints about the 2013 Ford C-MAX, most often about the electrical system. It is covered by 8 safety recalls, and for recall 20V-331 the manufacturer reports only 44% of affected cars repaired.
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 7, 2026. Updated daily.
Complaints by system
Where the 2013 Ford C-MAX has problems
187 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.
51Electrical system2 crash/fire/injury
39Steering1 crash/fire/injury
37Power train
16Engine
13Structure
8Vehicle speed control
8Service brakes
5Fuel/propulsion system
4Air bags
2413 other systems
| System | Complaints | Crash, fire or injury |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 51 | 2 |
| Steering | 39 | 1 |
| Power train | 37 | 0 |
| Engine | 16 | 0 |
| Structure | 13 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 8 | 1 |
| Service brakes | 8 | 3 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 5 | 1 |
| Air bags | 4 | 0 |
| 13 other systems | 24 | 0 |
Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.
8 recalls
2013 Ford C-MAX recalls and how many were fixed
Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
repaired · 2022 Q2
Doors: latch
Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
repaired · 2020 Q2
Equipment: electrical
Risk. An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.
repaired · 2018 Q2
Doors: latch
Risk. A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
Show 4 more recalls
repaired · 2015 Q4
Air bags
Risk. 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…
repaired · 2015 Q3
Frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Risk. If the side-curtain rollover air bag is delayed in deploying in certain rollover circumstances, the risk of injury to the passengers is increased.
repaired · 2015 Q3
Front assembly: recliner
Risk. The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.
repaired · 2015 Q1
Anti-theft: control module
Risk. 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…
Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Ford.
Mileage at failure
When do electrical system problems start?
52kmiles, median
Based on the odometer reading in 36 electrical system complaints. 86% were reported before 100,000 miles.
12under 30k miles31under 100k miles5100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs
What owners say repairs cost
Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.
Steering
15 owners mentioned a cost$2,000median
Middle half: $2,000 – $2,313
If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.
Best & worst years
2013 vs. every other C-MAX year
Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the C-MAX median. How we score
'13'14'15'16'17'18
- Avoid
- Caution
- Solid
- Best
- Not rated
2 investigations
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal investigations that included the 2013 Ford C-MAX, and the recalls they led to.
- Door Latch FailureLed to recall 16V-643
- Door Latch FailuresLed to recall 20V-177
In owners' words
What C-MAX owners report
Recent electrical system complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a “Stop Safely Now” warning message and various other dashboard warnings. During these events the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive while the vehicle remains powered,…
I took it to the Ford dealership and they diagnosed it as having a parasitic draw from the 12 V battery when the car is shut down so when you go to get into the car if the battery is dead, they will fix it for $425 however, this problem was a recall in 2013 and my car did have a recall done to it.…
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…
Own a 2013 C-MAX?
Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.