Which year to buy
Bar height: serious owner complaints to NHTSA for that year, against this model's usual year.
2013AVOIDSerious complaints 5.5× usual, mostly steering and power train
221 serious complaints of 349, the most about steering (62) and power train (59); 5.5× this model's usual share of all serious complaints about 2013 vehicles. 8 recalls. NHTSA investigation RQ19005: door latch failures.
What owners report
“Steering warning light came on after driving away from home. Power Steering failed, no possible way to move steering wheel. Powered vehicle off. Next day, steering worked and took vehicle to Ford Dealer. Upon inspection by Dealer, the steering gear failed and needs to be replaced. Vehicle has less than 50,000 miles driven.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the steering, Oct 2022
“The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue.”
An owner's complaint to NHTSA about the power train, Jul 2022
349 owner complaints · 8 recalls (check a car's VIN for open recalls) · EPA combined: 38–40 mpg · NHTSA: 4 of 5 stars · 2013 trims and features
Verdicts computed from NHTSA owner complaints, defect investigations and recalls. NHTSA doesn't publish sales, so only big differences count. (How we judge.) Data checked 2026-10-06.
Trims and features
Engines: 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 141 hp; 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, 141 hp · Drive: FWD
2013 Cmax trims
| Premium | SE | SEL |
|---|
base price, seating and driver-assistance equipment from NHTSA's vehicle database (vPIC), as Ford reports it. Tech and comfort features (CarPlay, heated seats, sunroof) for Ford aren't in our data yet. "—": not verified in our sources. "Varies": standard on some versions of the trim.
Year by year
| Year | Engines | Drive | Fuel economy | Crash rating | Recalls | Owner complaints | Most-reported problem | CarPlay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 188 hp | FWD | 40 mpg | 4 of 5 | 0 | 10 | Air bags (2) | — |
| 2017 | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 188 hp 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, 188 hp | FWD | 39–40 mpg | 4 of 5 | 1 | 23 | Unknown or other (5) | — |
| 2016 | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 188 hp 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, 188 hp | FWD | 38–39 mpg | 4 of 5 | 3 | 54 | Electrical system (15) | — |
| 2015 | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 188 hp 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, 188 hp | FWD | 38–39 mpg | 4 of 5 | 6 | 64 | Back over prevention (11) | — |
| 2014 | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 141 hp 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, 141 hp | FWD | 38–39 mpg | 4 of 5 | 8 | 107 | Electrical system (35) | — |
| 2013 | 2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, 141 hp 2.0L 4-cyl plug-in hybrid, 141 hp | FWD | 38–40 mpg | 4 of 5 | 8 | 349 | Electrical system (117) | — |
Owner complaints are unverified reports to NHTSA, counted as filed: older years have had longer to collect them and sales aren't adjusted for, so see Which year to buy for a fair comparison. Most-reported problem: the component named in the most complaints that year. Sources: EPA, NHTSA, Apple.
Which years have…
Every NHTSA-rated version: crash ratings, safety tech, recalls, complaints
| Year | Version | Stars | Forward collision warning | Lane departure warning | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 1 | 10 |
| 2017 | Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 1 | 22 |
| 2017 | Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 1 | 22 |
| 2016 | Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 2 | 46 |
| 2016 | Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 2 | 14 |
| 2015 | Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 5 | 60 |
| 2015 | Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 5 | 45 |
| 2014 | Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 8 | 106 |
| 2014 | Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 8 | 106 |
| 2013 | Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 8 | 228 |
| 2013 | Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD | 4 | No | No | 9 | 298 |
Source: NHTSA.
Every EPA-rated version: engines and combined mpg
| Year | EPA model | Engines | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | C-MAX Hybrid FWD | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 40 |
| 2017 | C-MAX Energi Plug-In Hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 39 |
| 2017 | C-MAX Hybrid FWD | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 40 |
| 2016 | C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 38 |
| 2016 | C-MAX Hybrid FWD | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 39 |
| 2015 | C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 38 |
| 2015 | C-MAX Hybrid FWD | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 39 |
| 2014 | C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 38 |
| 2014 | C-MAX Hybrid FWD | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 39 |
| 2013 | C-MAX Energi Plug-in Hybrid | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 38 |
| 2013 | C-MAX Hybrid FWD | Auto (variable gear ratios), 4 cyl, 2.0 L | 40 |
Source: fueleconomy.gov.