MODELYEARINDEX

Ford C-MAX

203 complaints across 5 scored model years and 12 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Ford C-MAX Full report
F
Grade 2013–2017
2013 vs model median 2.5×
Model median3× median
Electrical 22
Body & Interior 9
Steering 8
Avoid

2013 · 2014

Best

2016 · 2017

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2013
2.52× 83 F
2014
1.52× 52 D
2015
1.00× 27 C
2016
0.91× 25 C
2017
0.38× 10 A

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

Combined MPG40
City / Highway42 / 38
Engine2L, 4 cyl
DriveFront-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost$1,550

Recalls

12 campaigns on record, 1 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
22V413000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:GEAR POSITION INDICATION (PRNDL) 2013–2017 2,925,968
20V331000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH 2013–2015 2,147,323
16V643000 LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LATCH 2013–2015 2,046,297
25V695000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2015, 2016 1,448,655
14V597000 AIR BAGS 2013, 2014 746,842
14V237000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE-INACTIVE 2013, 2014 594,785
15V436000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:IGNITION 2015 374,781
18V592000 EQUIPMENT:ELECTRICAL 2013–2015 49,197

+ 4 further campaigns

Others in Compact Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Model Years to avoid Grade
Acura ILX
20142016
C
Audi A3
20152017
C
BMW 1 Series
none flagged
C
BMW I3
none flagged
C
Buick Verano
none flagged
C
Chevrolet Bolt EV
2017
C
Chevrolet Cobalt
none flagged
C
Chevrolet Cruze
20112012
C

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2013 C-MAX
Complaints in window
83
Severity-weighted
136
Model median (weighted)
54
vs model median
2.52×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
8
Open investigations
0
Score 22 F