VehicleVerdict

Ford C-Max years to avoid

The Ford C-Max years to avoid are 2013, 2014 — each drew complaint volumes well above the model's norm or has an open safety investigation. The 2018 is the cleanest year on record.

473

Total complaints

11

Recall campaigns

2013–2018

Years covered

2

Years to avoid

Complaints by model year

Ford C-Max NHTSA complaints by model year231 complaints2013: 231 complaints2014: 104 complaints2015: 60 complaints2016: 40 complaints2017: 26 complaints2018: 12 complaints
Ford C-Max NHTSA complaints by model year. Red bars are years to avoid.

C-Max years to avoid

YearWhyComplaints
2013High complaint rate231
2014High complaint rate104

Every C-Max year

YearComplaintsRecalls
2018121
2017261
2016403
2015606
2014avoid1048
2013avoid2317

Common questions

What are the worst Ford C-Max years?

Based on NHTSA complaint rates and open investigations, the C-Max years to avoid are 2013, 2014. The cleanest year on record is 2018.

What is the best year for the Ford C-Max?

By complaint volume, 2018 has the cleanest NHTSA record among C-Max years with enough data to compare.

How many recalls does the Ford C-Max have?

Across all model years, the C-Max has 11 distinct NHTSA recall campaigns and 473 consumer complaints on file.

Based on NHTSA ODI data through June 2026. Complaints are consumer-reported and unverified. Updated July 5, 2026.