2016 Ford C-Max Energi Owner Complaints

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera failed to display an image as intended on the center digital screen. No warning light was illuminated. The local dealer was not contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.

NHTSA ID

11714259

Incident

Oct 20, 2025

Mileage

54,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while in reverse(R), the rearview camera image appeared upside down. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

NHTSA ID

11677337

Incident

Jul 30, 2025

Mileage

100,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while charging the hybrid battery, the battery stopped charging after 15-16 minutes. The contact stated that the battery could only be charged for 15-16 minutes at a time. The contact stated that there was a red triangle warning light illuminated on the charger but there was no warning light illuminated on the vehicle. Additionally, the contact stated that the mileage range of the vehicle per charge was decreasing continuously. The vehicle was taken to dealer several times to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure could not be determined. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, Gator Ford (11780 Tampa Gateway Blvd, Seffner, FL 33584), where it was diagnosed that the hybrid battery had failed and needed to be replaced. 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 50,000.

NHTSA ID

11670543

Incident

Jul 1, 2022

Mileage

50,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Service Power Steering" was displayed, and the steering wheel suddenly became difficult to turn in either direction. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the steering rack was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer has not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 37,200.

NHTSA ID

11638212

Incident

Jan 13, 2025

Mileage

37,200 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, she heard an abnormal sound emanating from the engine compartment, prompting her to discontinue driving the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission would need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the transmission had previously been replaced 3 years prior. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 49,000.

NHTSA ID

11634947

Incident

Jan 8, 2025

Mileage

49,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the contact attempted to honk at another vehicle, but the horn failed to respond while depressed. The contact stated that the horn occasionally responded while depressed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was repaired temporarily with electrical gel on a fuse. The contact attempted to check the fuse, but the fuse box cover was difficult to remove. The failure reoccurred after several months but the electrical gel failed to repair the vehicle. In addition, the horn failed to respond while depressed. The local dealer was contacted but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ID

11601224

Incident

Apr 15, 2024

Mileage

92,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while in reverse (R) and backing up at 3 MPH the back-over prevention camera failed and displayed a black screen. The contact stated that when the back-over prevention camera failed to operate, the radio and the GPS became inoperable. The contact stated that the back over prevention screen occasionally turned blue or showed a distorted image. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was intermittent but occurred several times. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that a software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that she was advised by the dealer that the software update was not a certain remedy. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred and that the back-over prevention camera became inoperable. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 127,295.

NHTSA ID

11583321

Incident

Oct 16, 2023

Mileage

127,295 mi

Was driving it to a shop to do a transmission fluid exchange and got a big Stop Safely Now warning on the dash with an AdvanceTrac warning as well. Car stopped dead on a freeway off ramp - was very fortunate to get an immediate SoCal Freeway Service tow off the ramp in Los Angeles to a safe place, and after AAA told me I might wait 4 hours for a tow to my preferred Ford dealer, I got the car restarted and got it to a another dealer a couple miles away. Inspection showed a P0B37 error code with chafing of the high voltage battery harness. The dealer originally quoted me $1200 to fix it, but when I mentioned the California 10/150 hybrid powertrain warranty, they subsequently found TSB 17-0015 which deals with this exact issue on the 2013-16 Energi, and I've now read a report of the same issue on a 2017. The TSB quotes 1.8 hours labor with chafing and installation of heat shrink tubing, tie strap, and electrical tape... where the dealer came up with $1200 is beyond me. Obviously I'm pleased with the fact Ford is covering this one, but hope it doesn't happen to you... I had about 30 seconds to get the car to a safe place before it stopped entirely, and if I'd been in heavier traffic the vehicle would have stopped dead on a very busy expressway.

NHTSA ID

11547715

Incident

Sep 27, 2023

I have a 2016 Ford C-Max. On Saturday, 9-16-2023 my wife and I were traveling on Highway 69 in Prescott AZ. We turned off the highway and about 50 yards from Hwy 69 a STOP SAFELY NOW flashed on the instrument pannel. The car IMMEDIATELY braked hard and stopped. I had no time to pull over. Had it been 50 yards sooner I would have abruptly stopped on Hwy 69. The Hwy was traveling at 55 MPH. You figure it out, we were going to have an accident 100%. The C-Max was towed to Sun Valley Tire, a AAA approved repair shop in Prescott Valley. They pulled up the Ford, Technical Service Bulletin - TSB 17-0015. That bulletin describes wiring that chafes and shorts out the car. Exactly what happened to us. The actual fix is simple, locate the shorted out wire and repair it. To get to it requires disassembling most of the car. Total cost $438.01. That is not the point, Ford knew that this problem existed, sent out a TSB and is allowing Ford owners like me to have a life threatening incident. WHY has Ford been allowed to continue allow these C-Max's to stay on the road without a fix! Are you doing your jobs? I want the NHTSA to do its job. I also want to be reimbursed. Who do I contact. You have my VIN # and therefore all my information.

NHTSA ID

11545522

Incident

Sep 16, 2023

In the course of routine maintenance, it has been brought to my attention that Stock Ford lug nuts have "Swelled" and can not be removed using normal methods, making on the road tire replacement impossible. Ford states this is a known issue with defective Ford lug nuts.

NHTSA ID

11523744

Incident

May 24, 2023

blue images on the rearview camera when trying to reverse. No accidents have happened from the blue-screen problem

NHTSA ID

11504562

Incident

Jan 1, 2020

2016 FORD CMAX. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO FAILURE OF REAR WHEEL HUBS. THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME DETERMING A REMEDY FOR THE FAILURE.

NHTSA ID

11476269

Incident

Jul 28, 2022

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the charging cord overheated and became inoperable. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V592000 (Equipment). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.

NHTSA ID

11472511

Incident

Jun 28, 2022

Mileage

70,000 mi

The contact's father owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that several electrical features including the horn, hazard lights, power locks, and power windows engaged independently while driving at various speeds. The contact also stated that on multiple occasions, all four windows had been lowered upon returning to the vehicle even though the vehicle was turned off. The dealer had been notified of the failure and the contact was given an estimate for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ID

11471976

Incident

Aug 1, 2021

Mileage

55,000 mi

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was locked and failed to open. The contact used the key to enter the vehicle. The contact read the Owner’s Manual and utilized the option provided to start the vehicle. The default power steering message was displayed with an additional message to See Dealer. Additionally, the vehicle failed to start however, after an hour, the vehicle restarted. The vehicle had been jumped started several times. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where the mechanic was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

NHTSA ID

11447344

Incident

Jan 1, 2018

Mileage

18,000 mi

The seat belt no longer retracts. It is available for inspection. The dealership has indicated they will charge us to replace the part and labor.

NHTSA ID

11432183

Incident

Aug 1, 2021

Power steering system failed while driving, just out of warranty above 60,000 miles; vehicle is currently at a dealer for repair within a week. This made it extremely difficult to safely maneuver the car off the road. Dealer confirmed the power steering system is inoperable and needs to be replaced. Warning light appeared when power steering gave out; no other warning was given.

NHTSA ID

11428203

Incident

Aug 6, 2021

The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that the mobile charger failed and the vehicle was unable to be charged. The contact stated that several different outlets were tried however, the failure persisted. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 51,000.

NHTSA ID

11419314

Incident

May 29, 2021

Mileage

51,000 mi

SEVERAL TIMES NOW THE VEHICLE HAS COMPLETELY SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING. AT FIRST, IT WAS DRIVING UPHILL ON THE FREEWAY AND WHEN IT HIT A SMALL BUMP IT WOULD SHUT OFF. I FIGURED IT WAS JUST AT HIGH SPEEDS THAT THIS OCCURRED. RECENTLY, IT WAS JUST DRIVING UP A DRIVEWAY INCLINE AT 5 MPH, AND GOING OVER A SMALL SPEED BUMP TRIGGERED IT TO SHUT OFF. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE SERVICE FIX IT AND THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE THE ISSUE. IT IS VERY DANGEROUS TO BE DRIVING 65MPH ON THE FREEWAY AND THE CAR JUST SHUTS OFF. IT DOES NOT GO INTO A SAFE MODE, JUST COMPLETELY SHUTS DOWN. IN ORDER TO CONTINUE DRIVING, YOU MUST PRESS THE PUSH-BUTTON START AND LET THE CAR SIT FOR A FEW MINUTES. AFTER YOU WAIT, PUSH THE BUTTON AGAIN AND IT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CONTINUE DRIVING AS NORMAL. I BELIEVE IT IS A WIRING ISSUE BUT MULTIPLE SERVICE LOCATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO LOCATE IT. I HAVE PAID HUNDREDS IN LABOR ATTEMPTING TO FIX IT. VERY DANGEROUS!

NHTSA ID

11377393

Incident

Nov 30, 2020

Mileage

69,052 mi

THE FRONT SPLASH GUARD KEEP BECOMING LOOSE THIS IS THE SECOND TIME IT HAS HAPPENED I HAD TO REPLACE THE FIRST ONE. THE FIRST ONE OCCURRED WHEN I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY. SECOND TIME I WAS DRIVING ON THE STREETS.

NHTSA ID

11366589

Incident

Oct 4, 2019

FORD HAS RECALLED MANY CARS/TRUCKS FOR BACKUP CAMERA ISSUES. MY CAR IS NOT PART OF THE RECALL AND HAS HAD MANY ISSUES WITH THE CAMERA WHICH I HAVE MENTIONED TO THE DEALER. I WOULD LIKE YOU TO INCLUDED MY VEHICLE IN THE RECALL AS WELL. THE CAMERA SHOWS A DARK SCREEN AND THEN A MESSAGE APPEARS SAYING IT IS NOT AVAILABLE. I'M ATTACHING THE MOST RECENT INCIDENT WHICH WAS 10/08/2020 & HAPPENED AGAIN NUMEROUS TIMES. I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE STUCK PAYING FOR THIS "REPAIR". THANK YOU KINDLY, BARBARA D. JOHNSON

NHTSA ID

11363573

Incident

Oct 9, 2020

Mileage

77,990 mi

DRIVING ALONG A HIGHWAY HOLDING STEADY SPEED OF 65MPH, THE CAR DISPLAYED A "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE AND DISABLED THE ACCELERATOR. WE WERE ABLE TO COAST TO A STOP ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE CAR WOULD TURN ON AND OFF WITH THE PUSH OF THE ON/OFF BUTTON, BUT THE "STOP SAFELY NOW" MESSAGE REMAINED ON THE DASHBOARD ANY TIME THE CAR WAS POWERED ON, AND THE CAR WOULD NOT MOVE. WE CALLED FORD AS WE ARE STILL UNDER WARRANTY; HOWEVER, A TOW TRUCK WOULD HAVE TAKEN APPROX 90 MINUTES, AND I WAS NOT IN A SAFE POSITION, SO I USED A OBDII SCANNER AND APP TO RESET THE FAULT CODES. AFTER THAT THE VEHICLE RESUMED NORMAL OPERATION. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME WE HAVE SEEN THIS ERROR IN THE LAST 18 MONTHS; HOWEVER, THE LAST TIME WAS APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AGO.

NHTSA ID

11353500

Incident

Sep 6, 2020

Mileage

44,500 mi

MY CHARGER ISN'T ALWAYS FULLY CHARGING AT HOME AND WORK. AT HOME MY CAR IS PARKED IN THE DRIVEWAY, THE OUTLET IS DEDICATED TO THE CHARGER. AT THE TOP OF CHARGER I GET THE RED FLASHING LIGHT AND SOMETIMES ON THE BOTTOM AS WELL.

NHTSA ID

11310690

Incident

Feb 21, 2020

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 FORD C-MAX. ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE CONTACT ARRIVED BACK TO WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED; HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE WAS NO LONGER IN THE PARKING SPOT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE HAD ROLLED AWAY. ON THE FIRST OCCASION, THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED ON A FLAT SURFACE. THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AND CRASHED INTO A TREE, CAUSING MAJOR DAMAGE TO THE VEHICLE. A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. ON THE SECOND OCCASION, THE VEHICLE ROLLED BACKWARDS AGAIN, STRUCK A TREE, AND CONTINUED ONTO THE ROADWAY. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO SANTA MONICA FORD LINCOLN (LOCATED AT 1230 SANTA MONICA BLVD, SANTA MONICA, CA 90404, (310) 451-1588) TO BE DIAGNOSED, BUT THE MECHANIC WAS UNABLE TO REPRODUCE THE FAILURE OR RETRIEVE A FAULT CODE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ID

11196937

Incident

Jan 18, 2019

I WAS GOING TO BACK INTO MY DRIVEWAY. I PUT THE CAR IN REVERSE THEN ALL OF THE ELECTRICAL WENT HAYWIRE.EVERYTHING TURNED ON( WINDSHIELD WIPERS, RADIO, ALL THE LIGHTS. ETC.) THEN I PUT MY FOOT ON THE GAS TO GO IN REVERSE AND IT WENT FORWARD. THEN I TRIED TURNING THE CAR OFF AND IT WOULD NOT TURN OFF, SO I WAS STUCK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET. I THEN MOVED THE STICK SHIFT BACK AND FORTH, PUT IT IN REVERSE AGAIN AND IT WENT A COUPLE OF FEET, THEN WOULDN'T MOVE ANYMORE. ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS REMAINED ON, BUT I COULDN'T TURN THE CAR OFF. I THEN HAD IT TOWED TO THE CAR DEALERSHIP WITH ALL THE ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS STILL ON.THEY COULDN'T GET IT TURNED OFF EITHER. THEY HAVE IT THERE AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO DO. NOW THEY CAN'T GET IT TURNED ON BECAUSE THE BATTERY DIED.

NHTSA ID

11182118

Incident

Feb 21, 2019

Mileage

48,000 mi