2015 Ford C-Max problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Back Over Prevention (8) · Steering (6) · Power Train (6)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Ford C-Max model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
30 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera 2025-10-13 · campaign 25V695000 · 1,448,655 vehicles
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.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford'
Power Train:shift Linkage/Cable/Rod 2022-06-10 · campaign 22V413000 · 2,925,968 vehicles
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.
Fix: 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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2020-06-08 · campaign 20V331000 · 2,147,323 vehicles
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 beli
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.
Fix: 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.
Equipment:electrical 2018-09-10 · campaign 18V592000 · 49,197 vehicles
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
Risk: An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Latches/Locks/Linkages:doors:latch 2016-09-06 · campaign 16V643000 · 2,046,297 vehicles
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.
Fix: 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.
Electrical System:ignition 2015-07-08 · campaign 15V436000 · 374,781 vehicles
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)
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.
Fix: 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.
Service bulletins (88)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Unknown Or Other 2026-02-24 · SSM 54601 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
ford and lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the
Power Train 2025-11-12 · SSM 54366 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2015-2021 ford and lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated mil with diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0011, p0012, p0014, p0015, p0016, p0017, p0018, p0019, p0021, p0022, p0024 and/or p0025. pinpoint test hk in the powertrain control and emissions diagnosis (pc/ed) or in section 303-14 of th
Unknown Or Other 2024-10-10 · SSM 53040 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
while performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 ford and lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
Equipment 2024-04-24 · SSM 52476 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
all accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. if the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicle s owner during initial delivery. unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad,
Power Train 2022-10-25 · TSB 22-2396 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2013-2020 fusion, mkz and 2013-2018 c-max vehicles equipped with an hf35 transmission may exhibit a thumping/rubbing or grinding noise coming from the transmission. the noise may be present in all gear ranges including neutral when the vehicle is moving but will not be present when the vehicle
Equipment:electrical:infotainment 2022-08-03 · TSB 22-2309 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
some 2013-2017 c-max energi, 2013-2018 focus battery electric vehicle (bev), 2013-2020 fusion plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (phev), 2015-2017 mkz/mkz hybrid/mkc, 2016-2017 mkx and 2017 continental vehicles equipped with 8 inch or larger center display screen may be unable to complete modem authori
Showing the 6 most recent of 88 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-23 · Back Over Prevention · 45,000 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max. the contact stated that while the vehicle was in reverse(r), the rear-view camera intermittently operated. the vehicle reversed and the back over prevention screen unexpectedly went blank. the failure was a recurring failure. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevent…”
2026-10-18 · Unknown Or Other“backup camera does not work 50% of the time. ford has a recall #25sa9 that is about a year old. ford not provided any guidelines on when they will address the matter.…”
2026-10-07 · Back Over Prevention · 71,833 mi“the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max. 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 reversing, the rear-view camera image was blank or black, and the image became permanently inverted. the dealer was contacted…”
2026-10-02 · Back Over Prevention · 140,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max. 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 shifted into reverse(r), the rear-view camera displayed an upside-down image. the contact stated that while reversing, the ve…”
2026-10-02 · Air Bags · 187,000 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owned a 2015 ford c-max. the contact stated that upon accelerating from a complete stop at a traffic light, the vehicle ahead suddenly slammed on the brakes and was rear-ended by the contact's vehicle. the contact's forehead struck the steering wheel before the front driver's side air bag partially deployed, with smoke coming out of the…”
2026-08-21 · Back Over Prevention“see attached document for complaint…”
2026-08-12 · Back Over Prevention“the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max. the contact stated that while seated inside the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, the rear-view camera displayed a blinking screen with the message “camera not available. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v695000 (back over prevention); however, the part to do the recall rep…”
2026-08-06 · Back Over Prevention“the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max. 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 the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the dealer was made aware of the issue and confirm…”
2026-05-15 · Back Over Prevention“the contact owns a 2015 ford c-max. the contact stated that the rearview camera became inoperable. no warning lights were illuminated. the contact received the recall notification letter related to the nhtsa campaign number. 25v695000 (back over prevention). the local dealer was contacted, who referred him to the manufacturer. the vehicle was not d…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.