2015 FORD C-MAX — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 65 complaints · 6 recalls
Most-reported system: BACK OVER PREVENTION (10 complaints · 15.4%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 11
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 8
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2014 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution BACK OVER PREVENTION appears in 10 of 65 owner complaints (15.4%) in this vehicle snapshot. BACK OVER PREVENTION: 10 complaints, 15.4% of reports BACK OVER PREVENTION 10 · 15.4% POWER TRAIN: 9 complaints, 13.8% of reports POWER TRAIN 9 · 13.8% · 3 crash reports STEERING: 8 complaints, 12.3% of reports STEERING 8 · 12.3% ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 7 complaints, 10.8% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 · 10.8% AIR BAGS: 4 complaints, 6.2% of reports AIR BAGS 4 · 6.2% · 4 crash reports ENGINE: 3 complaints, 4.6% of reports ENGINE 3 · 4.6% · 1 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 3 complaints, 4.6% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 3 · 4.6% SERVICE BRAKES: 3 complaints, 4.6% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 3 · 4.6% STRUCTURE: 2 complaints, 3.1% of reports STRUCTURE 2 · 3.1% UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 18 complaints, 27.7% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18 · 27.7% · 3 crash reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
BACK OVER PREVENTION 10 15.4% 0 crashes · 0 fires
POWER TRAIN 9 13.8% 3 crashes · 0 fires
STEERING 8 12.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 7 10.8% 0 crashes · 0 fires
AIR BAGS 4 6.2% 4 crashes · 0 fires
ENGINE 3 4.6% 1 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 3 4.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 3 4.6% 0 crashes · 0 fires
STRUCTURE 2 3.1% 0 crashes · 0 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 18 27.7% 3 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Oct 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Jul 2015. 2015-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2016-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2017-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q2: 3 owner reports 3 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2020-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2022-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2024-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q1: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2025-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q1: 3 owner reports 3 2026-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2026-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 Owner reports Jul 2015 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 15V436000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V436000 Recall campaign 16V643000 ◆ Recall campaign 16V643000 Recall campaign 18V592000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V592000 Recall campaign 20V331000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V331000 Recall campaign 22V413000 ◆ Recall campaign 22V413000 Recall campaign 25V695000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V695000 Investigation PE16001 ● Investigation PE16001 Investigation PE16001 ● Investigation PE16001 Investigation PE16001 ● Investigation PE16001 Investigation RQ19005 ● Investigation RQ19005 Investigation RQ19005 ● Investigation RQ19005 Investigation RQ19005 ● Investigation RQ19005 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005 Investigation DP22005 ● Investigation DP22005
  • Campaign 16V643000 was reported 201 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 18V592000 was reported 935 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 20V331000 was reported 1,572 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 22V413000 was reported 2,125 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 25V695000 was reported 584 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q4 Owner reports 1
2016-Q1 Owner reports 2
2016-Q2 Owner reports 2
2016-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 1
2017-Q1 Owner reports 1
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q3 Owner reports 1
2017-Q4 Owner reports 1
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q1 Owner reports 2
2019-Q2 Owner reports 3
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2019-Q4 Owner reports 2
2020-Q1 Owner reports 1
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 3
2020-Q4 Owner reports 1
2021-Q1 Owner reports 1
2021-Q2 Owner reports 2
2021-Q3 Owner reports 1
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q1 Owner reports 1
2022-Q2 Owner reports 1
2022-Q3 Owner reports 5
2022-Q4 Owner reports 2
2023-Q3 Owner reports 3
2024-Q1 Owner reports 2
2024-Q2 Owner reports 2
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2025-Q1 Owner reports 1
2025-Q2 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 1
2025-Q4 Owner reports 2
2026-Q1 Owner reports 3
2026-Q2 Owner reports 2
2026-Q3 Owner reports 3
Recall campaign 1 15V436000
Recall campaign 1 16V643000
Recall campaign 1 18V592000
Recall campaign 1 20V331000
Recall campaign 1 22V413000
Recall campaign 1 25V695000
Defect investigation 1 PE16001
Defect investigation 1 PE16001
Defect investigation 1 PE16001
Defect investigation 1 RQ19005
Defect investigation 1 RQ19005
Defect investigation 1 RQ19005
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
Defect investigation 1 DP22005
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (6)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V436000

    Report date
    Component:
    ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 16V643000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V592000

    Report date
    Component:
    EQUIPMENT
    Consequence:
    An overheated cord can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V331000

    Report date
    Component:
    LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES
    Consequence:
    A door that is not securely latched could open while the vehicle is in motion, increasing the risk of injury to a vehicle occupant.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 22V413000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 25V695000

    Report date
    Component:
    BACK OVER PREVENTION
    Consequence:
    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.
    Remedy:
    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's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 65 complaints · page 1 of 3

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources