2013 Ford Redundant C-Max Hybrid

Defect. Ford Motor Company is recalling certain model year 2013 C-Max hybrid vehicles, without panoramic roofs, that were manufactured January 19, 2012, through June 25, 2013. During vehicle testing, the vehicle exceeded a head injury criteria requirement set by the standard. Thus, these vehicles fail to conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, "Occupant Protection in Interior Impact."

Risk. In the event of a crash, an occupant could be at an increased risk of an injury.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will install energy absorbers between the headliner and the roof. The recall began on August 5, 2013. Owners may contact the Ford customer relationship center at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's recall number is 13C02.

Defect. Ford is recalling certain model year 2013 Focus and C-Max vehicles built from November 16, 2012, through November 21, 2012; and model year 2013 Escape vehicles manufactured from November 14, 2012, through November 21, 2012. The left rear door child lock was built incorrectly. As a result, the child lock may not engage when the operator uses normal force to activate the child lock.

Risk. The operator may incorrectly believe the child lock is engaged. However, the door may be opened from the inside, increasing the risk of injury to an unrestrained child.

Remedy. Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the affected rear door latches, and replace them as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 27, 2013. Owners may contact Ford Motor Company Customer Relationship Center at 1-866-436-7332.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The message "Stop Safely Now'" was displayed on the screen. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. However, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The failure persisted. The vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle stalled. The message "Stop Safely Now'" was displayed on the screen. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. After waiting for several minutes, the contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle functioned as intended. The vehicle was towed to the dealer; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the failure first occurred three years ago, and the dealer diagnosed that it as a battery failure. The contact was unsure if the battery was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 107,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that on several occasions, while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start. The vehicle was jump-started on several occasions but needed to be towed occasionally. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with battery failure. The contact was informed that the battery needed to be replaced. The battery was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed. The dealer suggested that a waiver be signed for the battery replacement. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced electrical failures. The instrument panel intermittently malfunctioned, and the turn signals failed to operate properly. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 36,463.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while in reverse, the rearview camera failed to display a rearview image, potentially compromising the back over prevention system. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The rearview camera warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention), but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 230,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated while driving approximately 15-20 MPH, the steering wheel was wobbly. The contact exited the highway immediately and was able to pull over to the side of the roadway. The contact then pulled into a parking lot and the vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the rear subframe was rusted, causing the control arms to separate. The dealer determined that the rear subframe and connecting parts needed to be replaced. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that a high voltage wire was chewed on by rodents. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated while driving on three occasions at approximately 30-55 MPH, several unknown warning lights were flashing. The message to shift to park(P) was flashing. The vehicle was shifted to park, and the vehicle stalled and failed to restart. The contact's husband assisted with restarting the vehicle. The contact determined that the battery was working as designed. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer for five weeks, where it was diagnosed that the battery junction box had corrosion and defective fuses. Additionally, there was a failing control unit. The dealer informed the contact a Ford engineer was advising with the repairs. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

The contact's wife owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated there was an abnormal hissing and crackling sound coming from the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed with a defective transmission. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was informed that there were no recalls or warranties on the vehicle. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 180,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that upon exiting the vehicle, the driver’s side doors failed to latch closed. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and attempting to get another driver’s attention, he became aware that the horn was not functioning as needed. The vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: RQ19005 (Latches/Locks/Linkages, Structure); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the hatchback ajar message was displayed. The contact attempted to raise the liftgate; however, the liftgate failed to raise up. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was able to restart after several attempts. Additionally, the vehicle remained on after the contact had pushed the Auto Start/Stop button to turn off the vehicle. The contact was able to turn off the vehicle after pushing the Auto Start/Stop button numerous times. The dealer and Five Star Ford Stone Mountain (3800 US-78, Snellville, GA 30039) were made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V413000 (Power Train) and 20V331000 (Latches, Locks, and Linkages) however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had experienced a transmission failure and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds a grinding noise was heard with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure was diagnosed with a defective passenger’s side rear wheel bearing. The contact was informed that the wheel bearing needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and was transported to Maryland. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who replaced the passenger’s side rear wheel bearing. The contact stated that the grinding noise continued. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the front brake pads and rotors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the grinding noise continued with unknown warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer and the contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced in the near future. The transmission was not replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact stated that the manufacturer offered to assist in paying for the transmission repair. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle started making an abnormal sound. After exceeding 20 MPH, the abnormal sound stopped. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to another local dealer: Krause Family Ford of Woodstock (195 Woodstock Pkwy, Woodstock, GA 30188, (770) 809-1030) where it was diagnosed with needing the transmission to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000. Consumer wanted to add to existing complaint that this vehicle was serviced TWICE at the Ford Lithia Spring (870 Thornton Rd, Lithia Springs, GA 30122) location prior to reaching the 100,000 miles. Consumer's step-father (the previous owner of the vehicle) stated that the vehicle was making the whining noise as early as DECEMBER 2021, but that he believed it was normal due to it being a hybrid vehicle and it having been serviced and not informed of any issues.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The vehicle previously had the passenger's side front door latch replaced by an independent mechanic; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the front driver's and passenger's side front door latches were inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that the rear doors had seized and failed to open. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and the doors were repaired three times. The manufacturer was contacted but no additional assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 88,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that the small battery in the vehicle had malfunctioned on several occasions and the vehicle could not be started. The contact indicated that the battery had been replaced by the dealer on at least 5 separate occasions. The cause of the failure was not determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The VIN was not available. The failure mileage was 25,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact stated that on several occasions, the vehicle failed to start up or unlock due to a defective battery. The contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer several times to have her battery replaced or her software updated; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was also notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle had been repaired as of her last visit. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would shut-off without warning. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to the dealer on three separate occasions for service. Each time the vehicle was towed to the dealer, the vehicle would resume normal operation upon arrival and the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING 5 MPH, THE REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE DOOR UNEXPECTEDLY OPENED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DOOR AJAR WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V643000 (LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES). RIVERSIDE FORD (2089 RIVERSIDE DR, MACON, GA 31204, (478) 464-2900) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE VIN WAS INCLUDED IN THE RECALL. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RADIO OPERATIONAL AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS TURNED OFF CAUSING THE BATTERY TO DRAIN. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO RECALIBRATED THE RADIO FUSE HOWEVER, A YEAR LATER THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MECHANIC THEN REMOVED THE RADIO FUSE FROM THE VEHICLE WHICH DISABLED ALL AUDIBLE SOUNDS FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT IT WAS A MAJOR SAFETY HAZARD FOR HER AS IT TOOK AWAY THE BACKUP ALERT SOUNDS THAT WOULD ALERT HER OF IMMINENT OBJECTS WHEN REVERSING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT THEN CALLED HANSEL FORD (3075 CORBY AVE, SANTA ROSA, CA 95407) AND WAS PROVIDED AN ESTIMATE FOR THE REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THERE WERE NO RECALLS ON THE VIN. THE CONTACT WAS THEN REFERRED TO NHTSA FOR ASSISTANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 FORD C-MAX HYBRID. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE STEERING WHEEL AND VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE WITH THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE HESITATED TO ACCELERATE PROPERLY WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT MANAGED TO VEER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROADWAY, TURNED THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON WHICH FAILED TO RESUME BACK TO NORMAL. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER PEACOCK FORD (1875 S ORLANDO AVE, MAITLAND, FL 32751) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TRANSMISSION FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DRIVABLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND INFORMED THE CONTACT TO CONTACT NHTSA TO FILE A COMPLAINT. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 100,060.