The Lemon IndexFord C-Max reliability.
Is it reliable? Yes. Somewhat fewer complaints than the average car.
Better than average · 2013–2015
What owners say on YouTube
2013–2018 C-Max · 199 most-watched videos
Owners praise
Owners complain about
Nothing stands out.
Fixes owners look up most
- Infotainment, battery & electrical420K views
- Oil changes & service321K views
- Heat, A/C & blend door276K views
Before you buy, watch
Praise and complaints: the share of each generation's most-watched videos that mention a topic with a praise or trouble word next to it, in the title or what's said. YouTube rank: how positive owners and reviewers sound, compared with every car of the same model year. It measures tone, not failure rates. Videos belong to their creators; we link to them.
Looking at a 2016 or newer? Those are too new for a full complaint score (any score shown is partial, in gray), but YouTube owners like the 2017 best.
Fewest complaints
2015.
Only 3 Ford C-Max years have enough complaints and sales to score, too few for best and worst lists. 2015 drew about half as many complaints as the average car.
Every year. Lower is better. Tap a year for its full report.
Newest year first. Red = worse than average, gray = about average or too few complaints to score. #1, #2… = that year's YouTube rank among the 3 Ford C-Max years with enough videos (#1 = the year owners and reviewers talk about most positively). It is not a reliability rank.
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<iframe src="https://lemonindex.com/embed/cars/ford-c-max/" title="Ford C-Max reliability by model year (The Lemon Index)" width="100%" height="284" style="border:0;max-width:720px" loading="lazy"></iframe><p style="font-size:13px;margin:4px 0 0">Data: <a href="https://lemonindex.com/cars/ford-c-max/">Lemon Index</a> (Ford C-Max reliability by year)</p>YouTube rank: we read 198 YouTube videos about the Ford C-Max, 2013 to 2018, and ranked every year by how much they praise it vs. how much they talk about problems. YouTube's favorite: 2015. Old cars rank lower partly because most of their videos are repair and restoration videos. A gray dot means not enough data yet: under 10 videos, or a new year with no owner complaints to compare.
Compare the Ford C-Max.
Opens the compare tool with both cars, every year side by side. Compare with any car →
Quick answers.
Is the Ford C-Max reliable?
Yes. It draws somewhat fewer complaints than the average car, and YouTube owners rate it about average for its age. Fewest complaints: 2015.
Is the Ford C-Max a good car?
Yes, it draws fewer complaints than the average car, by owner complaints to the government per car sold (2013-2015: Lemon Index 83; 100 is average). Some years are much better than others: 2015 drew the fewest complaints and 2014 the most.
What are the best Ford C-Max years to buy?
Only 3 Ford C-Max years have enough data to score, so we don't list best years. 2015 drew the fewest complaints (about half as many complaints as the average car).
What Ford C-Max years should you stay away from?
Only 3 Ford C-Max years have enough data to score, too few to single out years to avoid.
How many recalls does the Ford C-Max have?
27 safety recalls across the 6 model years we track. Most: 2013 (8), 2014 (8), 2015 (6). Each year's page lists them, and every Ford C-Max recall is in one list here.
What are the most common Ford C-Max problems?
Across every year, owners' complaints to the government name electrical, transmission & drivetrain and steering most. Some years are much worse than others: see the chart above.
Every year in one table
| Year | Index | Compared with average | Complaints | Top complaint | Recalls | Crash test | MPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 75 | about three-quarters as many complaints as the average car | 45 | electrical (40%) | 8 | ★★★★☆ | 38–40 |
| 2014 | 87 | somewhat fewer complaints than the average car | 34 | electrical (41%) | 8 | ★★★★☆ | 38–39 |
| 2015 | 55 | about half as many complaints as the average car | 13 | transmission & drivetrain (31%) | 6 | ★★★★☆ | 38–39 |
| 2016 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 18 | electrical (28%) | 3 | ★★★★☆ | 38–39 |
| 2017 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 6 | speed control (33%) | 1 | ★★★★☆ | 39–40 |
| 2018 | – | complaints only, too few sold to score | 5 | steering (20%) | 1 | ★★★★☆ | 40 |
The Lemon Index counts owner complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model years (100 = average, lower is better). It measures complaints, not crash safety. U.S. sales source: goodcarbadcar.net. How it works
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Updated · Free to use with credit: Source: The Lemon Index (lemonindex.com)
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