Home · 2013 Ford Cmax Energi · Complaints

What 228 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 Ford Cmax Energi

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (228)Crash / fire / injury (15)Electrical system (68)Steering (47)Transmission & drivetrain (44)Engine (17)Body & structure (16)Fuel system (9)Speed control (9)Brakes (7)Wheels (6)Airbags (5)

9 of 228 complaints match · Speed control · clear filters

Mar 16, 2025Electrical systemSpeed control

WHILE DRIVING the dashboard instrument panel beeps and flashes the word "Put in Park" and "Stop Safely Now", and the speedometer stops working, all kinds of warning lights start flashing on and off on the instrument panel, the heater goes on and off on it's own, then the instrument panel goes black, speedometer shows zero and car goes into shutdown mode. I was put in risk while driving without a speedometer and other vehicles near me were put into risk; when I pull over and stop the vehicle it strands me and I need a tow. This has happened randomly many times; I took it to FORD for repair, they didn't know how to fix the problem, my car was at FORD for 6 weeks! and I was without a car all that time, now 3 months later it's doing the same thing! I have videos of it happening along with the pictures I'm posting here, it is very scary when it's happening while driving and it's scary being stranded in unsafe places having to wait for a tow. This issue is Unresolved and DANGEROUS, I need FORD to get more involved.

NHTSA ODI 11648591

Jul 20, 2024Speed control

The wrench light came on in my car. and when I put it in drive the car took off without me putting my foot on the gas. and it was like I had no control over the gas pedal. I tried hitting the brakes and it was still wanting to accelerate.

NHTSA ODI 11603572

Dec 8, 2023Speed control

I pulled over to take a phone call. The car was in park but idling. When I finished the call, I put the car in drive and released my foot from the brake. The car began to accelerate as if I was pressing the accelerator, but I was not. I checked the make sure there was no obstruction near the pedals. There was nothing there, no random object, no floor mat, nothing. I tried to release my foot a few more times and it continued to accelerate without any pressure on the accelerator. I put the car in park, noticed there was a wrench image lit up on the dash and then turned off the car. When I started it again, the wrench was gone and the car drove normally. I called the service center to make an appointment to have the car looked at. The earliest appointment is in 19 days.

NHTSA ODI 11559226

Apr 4, 2021SteeringSpeed controlBrakes

TURNED THE CAR ON IN A PARKING LOT AND SAW THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. HAD TOTALLY LOST POWER STEERING AND ACCELERATION, AND BRAKING WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT. ROLLED DOWN THE PARKING LOT AND WAS ABLE TO STOP THE CAR WITH THE PARKING BRAKE AND TURN IT OFF. TURNED IT BACK ON AND THE POWER STEERING AND BRAKES AND ACCELERATOR WERE BACK. DROVE THE CAR HOME AND TRIED TURNING IT ON AND OFF A FEW MORE TIMES. POWER STEERING SEEMS TO BE COMPLETELY GONE. CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS ON.

NHTSA ODI 11406320

Jun 9, 2020Speed controlEngine

WHILE DRIVING, THE CAR STALLED AND DISPLAYED A MESSAGE THAT SAID TO SLOW DOWN AND PULL OVER SAFELY. THE DRIVER WAS NOT ABLE TO ACCELERATE. THERE WERE NO OTHER WARNING SIGNS PRIOR. THIS WAS PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS BECAUSE IT OCCURRED WHILE DRIVING ON A HIGHWAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11328027

Feb 16, 2018Speed controlBrakesCrash

UNINTENDED ACCELERATION WHILE PARKING THE CAR IN OUR GARAGE, THE CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED, JUMPED A 7 INCH STEP AND CRASHED INTO THE WALL. WHEN PUT IN REVERSE, THE CAR ACCELERATED BACKWARD WITH THE BRAKES APPLIED HARD. IT TOOK ABOUT 20 FEET TO STOP THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11073288

Mar 17, 2016Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlEngine

DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45MPH AND LOST POWER ON A BUSY ROAD WITH SEMI COMING UP BEHIND ME. DISPLAY STATED "STOP SAFELY NOW".

NHTSA ODI 10850301

Apr 7, 2015Transmission & drivetrainSpeed controlBrakesEngine

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. WHEN I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR IN JANUARY 2015, I WAS TOLD THAT THE GEARSHIFT WAS NOT COVERED BY THE WARRANTY AND FURTHERMORE THE PART IS NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF MARCH (IT'S ON BACKORDER). *TR

NHTSA ODI 10704268

Mar 10, 2015Speed control

PARKED. STARTED CAR, PUT IN REVERSE. CAR SURGED BACKWARD AT A VERY FAST SPEED. LUCKILY I HAD MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE. 2ND INCIDENT 2-27-15. PULLING INTO PARKING PLACE. APPROXIMATELY 2 MPH. REMOVED FOOT FROM ACCELERATOR TO APPLY BRAKE. CAR SURGED FORWARD AT A VERY FAST SPEED AND HIT A CEMENT/METAL POLE AT THE FRONT OF THE PARKING SPACE. LUCKY IT WASN'T A PERSON OR ANOTHER CAR. DEALER SAYS THEY CHECKED CAR AND NO PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10693422

Working with the data? Download all 228 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 24, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2013 Ford Cmax Energi verdict →