Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2013 Ford C-Max owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, a loud whining noise was present coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle would not properly accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic who diagnosed that the transmission was faulty and needed to be serviced. No additional information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was also notified of the failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000.
This Vehicle has given us numerous numerous issues and left us stranded it has been a safety issue for my family we recently had to have law enforcement involved to try to save us from where we got stranded due to the unreliability of this vehicle and after already having a transmission replacement and having the car right now in the shop for approaching one month and they still cannot find the issue There has been one problem after another forward keeps giving me the run around when I contact them directly and the dealership Is just giving me extremely generic responses and telling me that their staff is not available this week and that they have many other customers to have to worry about and that I basically can go rent a car if I have a problem with not having a vehicle, I do not want to continue to have to risk my life or the life of my wife or children because of the lack of …
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 dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
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. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
In addition to the recall gears of not staying in park the transmission also shifts to early or too late. And also a few years ago before the transmission recalls and problems came to surface one time I noticed car was accelerating all by itself with the foot off of the gas. Once foot was off break it was automatically driving. Once I pulled over stopped turned off the problem went away and hasn't occurred.
While my son was driving his / my 2013 C-Max Energi (on gasoline, the "battery only" range had been depleted), the vehicle lost power and shut down completely, and could only be coasted to the side of the road and not restarted or moved. Fortunately it was not on the highway at the time. The CEL was on, and unfortunately I do not still have the 3 codes which appeared, however the three codes were all for systems in the hybrid propulsion. When I did a google search on the three codes together, for the C-Max, I located a service bulletin from Ford showing that there are two low voltage wires which were improperly routed and insulated, in the back of the car behind the rear seat and under the steel cover over the Energi additional battery. …
I have owned this car for the last 9 years and have kept It well-maintained. For over a year, the car stalls in the midst of driving, even on a highway, leaving me the only option to find a shoulder or safe area to park. After I turn off the engine, wait for a few minutes, and turn it back on, the engine turns on just fine and I am able to drive. Lately (for about a month or so) this has been happening more frequently(every other day, sometimes twice in a short while compared to once every 3-4 weeks). A few months ago I took it to the local Ford dealership and they told me, that they would need to replace the hybrid system, with an estimated cost of $15000, which didn't make any sense as even car is not worth that much. I also called Ford customer service and even they didn't offer much and just told me something to the effect of "tough luck". …
Summary of Safety Issue The vehicle repeatedly experiences sudden loss of propulsion while driving, accompanied by a "Stop Safely Now" warning message and various other dashboard warnings . During these events the accelerator pedal becomes completely unresponsive while the vehicle remains powered, indicating a failure of the hybrid propulsion system or high-voltage battery control system. The vehicle and video footage of the failure are available for inspection upon request. Timeline of Events January 13, 2026 - The vehicle displayed a "Stop Safely Now" warning message and lost the ability to accelerate. The vehicle had to be towed to Lehighton Ford. January 21, 2026 - Paid $866.85 for repairs including battery service, Rear Control Module replacement, and PCM harness repair. Lehighton Ford stated the vehicle was repaired and safe to drive. …
While driving on the highway, a warning light came on instructing me to pull over to the side of the road and stop. When I did pulled over, I set the gearshift in "park" mode, and turned off the car. I restarted the car and didn't have any more problems that day. Subsequently, I noticed that while driving down the road the engine ( both electric and gasoline) shut off suddenly and I lost all power momentarily, then turned on as if nothing was wrong. The car has been doing this more and more frequently lately and I discovered that when I position the gearshift just past the drive mode, the problem stops. In other words, when the gear shift is set just past park, the car never loses power. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 Ford c-Max. The contact heard an abnormal grinding noise in the gears of the vehicle. The contact informed sonora Ford (13254 mono way, sonora, ca 95370; [phone]), but the cause of the failure could not be identified. The contact was informed that there was no failure. While driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The contact was able to coast the vehicle to the shoulder of the bridge. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle, but it failed to start. The vehicle was towed to veracom Ford (790 san mateo drive, san mateo, ca 94401; [phone]) where it was diagnosed that the transmission failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened case number: 13370483. The contact was advised to file a complaint with NHTSA. The approximate failure mileage was 55,000.
Related recalls
Power train › Shift linkage/cable/rod
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.
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.
Transmission complaints in other C-Max years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2013 Ford C-Max?
NHTSA has 37 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2013 Ford C-Max, 20% of the model year's 187 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2013 Ford C-Max transmission problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 22V-413 (shift linkage/cable/rod, Jun 10, 2022). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 Ford C-Max transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles, and 7% before 25,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.