Ford C-Max Recalls (2013-2018)
The Ford C-Max has been the subject of 14 recall campaigns on record with NHTSA across the 2013 to 2018 model years. They cluster mostly around the latches/locks/linkages, equipment, and structure. At least one is serious enough that NHTSA tells owners to stop driving the vehicle until it is fixed.
The Ford C-Max scores 22 out of 100 (grade D), a busier recall record than most. That score reflects how serious the recalls are rather than how many. 79% involve a critical safety system, 1 carried a do-not-drive warning, and 7% were issued in the last three years. How the score works.
Those 14 campaigns span 6 model years of the Ford C-Max. The single largest affected 508 vehicles, over steering. Some carry a do-not-drive warning, the most serious class of recall, which means NHTSA advises against driving the vehicle until the repair is done. A recall repair is free at a franchised dealer and most never expire, so an older open recall is still worth fixing. Beyond recalls, you can also see the most common C-Max problems owners report.
The full record is below, grouped first by model year and then listed in detail. Each entry gives the defect NHTSA describes, the safety risk it creates, the manufacturer's remedy, the number of vehicles in that campaign, and the dates. A recall covers a whole production run, so a campaign listed for the Ford C-Max may not apply to your exact vehicle, and one you have already had repaired will still appear in the history. To see what is actually open and unfixed on a specific car, check its 17-digit VIN.
Ford C-Max recalls by model year
Recall activity by model year. Select a year to jump to its recalls below. Older years often carry more recalls simply because defects surface over time.
Ford C-Max recalls by affected system
Which vehicle systems the recalls touch, using NHTSA's component groups. Select a system to see how it is recalled across every make and model.
Recalls by model year
2018 Ford C-Max Recalls
1 recall affects the 2018 Ford C-Max, involving the power train.
2017 Ford C-Max Recalls
1 recall affects the 2017 Ford C-Max, involving the power train.
2016 Ford C-Max Recalls
3 recalls affect the 2016 Ford C-Max, involving the back over prevention, power train, and structure.
2015 Ford C-Max Recalls
6 recalls affect the 2015 Ford C-Max, involving the latches/locks/linkages, back over prevention, and power train.
2014 Ford C-Max Recalls
8 recalls affect the 2014 Ford C-Max, involving the latches/locks/linkages, air bags, and power train. One carries a do-not-drive warning.
2013 Ford C-Max Recalls
10 recalls affect the 2013 Ford C-Max, involving the latches/locks/linkages, equipment, and air bags.
Every Ford C-Max recall in detail
Select any recall to read the full defect, risk, and remedy text. Do Not Drive and Park Outside warnings stay visible without opening anything.
Back Over Prevention
- Affected years
- 2015-2016 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 1,448,655
- Reported
- Oct 13, 2025
- Owners notified
- Jan 2, 2026
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Risk: A rearview camera that fails to properly display an image can reduce the driver’s view behind the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
NHTSA campaign number 25V695000.
Power Train
- Affected years
- 2013-2018 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 2,925,968
- Reported
- Jun 10, 2022
- Owners notified
- Oct 27, 2022
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach.
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. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury.
Remedy: 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 mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.
NHTSA campaign number 22V413000.
Latches/Locks/Linkages
- Affected years
- 2013-2015 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 2,147,323
- Reported
- Jun 8, 2020
- Owners notified
- Jul 27, 2020
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. 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.
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.
Remedy: 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 latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
NHTSA campaign number 20V331000.
Equipment
- Affected years
- 2013-2015 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 49,197
- Reported
- Sep 10, 2018
- Owners notified
- Jan 18, 2019
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 120V Convenience charge cords that were supplied with and sold for use with 2013-2015 Ford C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi vehicles and 2012-2015 Ford Focus Electric vehicles. 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.
Risk: An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign number 18V592000.
Structure
- Affected years
- 2016 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 17
- Reported
- Jan 24, 2017
- Owners notified
- Mar 8, 2017
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Focus and C-Max vehicles. The floor pan may have improperly welded left-hand apron joints.
Risk: Improperly welded apron joints may reduce the front-end structural integrity of the vehicle, increasing the risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the apron joints, repairing the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S03.
NHTSA campaign number 17V052000.
Latches/Locks/Linkages
- Affected years
- 2013-2015 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 2,046,297
- Reported
- Sep 6, 2016
- Owners notified
- Jan 27, 2017
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign number 16V643000.
Electrical System
- Affected years
- 2015 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 374,781
- Reported
- Jul 8, 2015
- Owners notified
- Jul 27, 2015
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Risk: If the engine does not turn off as expected, someone could move the transmission shifter out of park and the vehicle may move unintentionally, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
NHTSA campaign number 15V436000.
Air Bags
- Affected years
- 2013-2014 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 746,842
- Reported
- Sep 26, 2014
- Owners notified
- May 26, 2015
Defect: 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 (RCM) may crack, and when exposed to humidity, circuits on the printed circuit board may short.
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 the risk of occupant injury in the event of a crash.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign number 14V597000.
Steering
- Affected years
- 2014 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 508
- Reported
- Aug 22, 2014
- Owners notified
- Nov 11, 2014
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2014 Focus and C-Max vehicles manufactured August 8, 2014, to August 15, 2014. The affected vehicles may have steering gears that were incorrectly assembled.
Risk: The incorrectly manufactured steering gears may cause impaired steering, including the loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the steering gears, free of charge. The recall began on November 11, 2014. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-800-392-3673. Ford's number for this recall is 14S18.
NHTSA campaign number 14V514000.
Air Bags
- Affected years
- 2013-2014 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 594,785
- Reported
- May 7, 2014
- Owners notified
- May 30, 2014
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 C-MAX, and Escape vehicles. 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.
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.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign number 14V237000.
Seats
- Affected years
- 2013-2014 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 43,135
- Reported
- Apr 2, 2014
- Owners notified
- May 30, 2014
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2013-2014 Ford Fusion and Lincoln MKZ vehicles manufactured August 15, 2012, through September 10, 2013, 2013-2014 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured June 5, 2012, through August 12, 2013, and 2013-2014 Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured from July 23, 2012, through May 28, 2013. 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."
Risk: The back of the subject seats may become loose or lean while driving and potentially increase the risk of injury in certain crashes.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign number 14V164000.
Electrical System
- Affected years
- 2013 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 23,000
- Reported
- Oct 17, 2013
- Owners notified
- Oct 30, 2013
Defect: Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2013 Focus Electric vehicles and 2013 C-Max vehicles equipped with the Intelligent Access Push Button Start System. 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."
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 vehicle susceptible to theft.
Remedy: 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.
NHTSA campaign number 13V475000.
Structure
- Affected years
- 2013 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 33,021
- Reported
- Jul 10, 2013
- Owners notified
- Aug 5, 2013
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.
NHTSA campaign number 13V303000.
Latches/Locks/Linkages
- Affected years
- 2013 Ford C-Max
- Vehicles in this recall
- 5,675
- Reported
- Mar 7, 2013
- Owners notified
- Mar 27, 2013
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.
NHTSA campaign number 13V085000.
Common questions about Ford C-Max recalls
- Does the Ford C-Max have any recalls?
- Yes. NHTSA has 14 recall campaigns on record for the Ford C-Max across the 2013 to 2018 model years. The most common areas are the latches/locks/linkages, equipment, and structure.
- How many times has the Ford C-Max been recalled?
- The Ford C-Max has 14 recall campaigns from the 2013 to 2018 model years. A single campaign often covers several model years at once, so the number of recalls is not the same as the number of years affected.
- What is the most serious Ford C-Max recall?
- The most serious recall on record involves the steering, affecting 508 vehicles. NHTSA flagged it as do-not-drive, meaning owners should stop driving the vehicle until the repair is done. The incorrectly manufactured steering gears may cause impaired steering, including the loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Which Ford C-Max model year has the most recalls?
- The 2013 Ford C-Max has the most, with 10 recall campaigns on record. Older model years often pick up more recalls over time, since defects can surface years after a car is built.
- How do I check if my Ford C-Max has an open recall?
- Enter your 17-digit VIN on the recall check page. It returns the recalls tied to your exact vehicle straight from NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at a franchised dealer, with no expiration on most safety recalls.
Recall data comes from NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. For how it is sourced and how the safety score is built, see the methodology and data sources. This page is a reference, not legal or safety advice.