What 106 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Ford Cmax Energi

The contact owns a 2014 Ford C-MAX Energi. The contact stated the front driver’s seat power seat was stuck in the reclined position. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer to be repaired. The vehicle was returned, and the contact became aware that the rear driver’s side door panel was loose, causing the door to not open properly. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer who diagnosed that the door panel was damaged and need to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the parts not being available. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 92,000.

NHTSA ODI 11440251

The passenger side rear door plastic panel keeps dislodging from its metal casing, then gets stuck on part of the interior frame, causing the door to not be operational. The plastic overlaps the frame once it is dislodged; the metal part of the door is opening, but the plastic panel holds it back from being able to go past an inch. The door is, essentially, stuck. One must reach in and manually push the plastic panel back into place (sticking fingers in to first dislodge from where it's stuck, then guide it back to where it's supposed to be, then bang on it to get it back in place). There are plastic pegs that are supposed to hold the door panels on, but they don't (and they fall out). There are many message boards, Consumer Reports, and other sites showing this is a common problem for 2013-2014 C Max Hybrid doors. Ford is making consumers pay to replace the panels. They need to change the plastic pegs so that they actually hold, or affix the whole panel is a much more secure way! This is extremely unsafe because we cannot exit the car sometimes, and in an accident that could be dangerous. More importantly, it affects us every day because my children cannot exit our vehicle on the sidewalk side; they must open the driver's side rear door and exit the car into the street, oftentimes into traffic! They need to be able to exit on the SAFE side of the car!! Ford issued a repair for 2013 model cars but not for ours. They know this is a problem. Here is a link to the repair order: https://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/4807-tsb-14-0030-rear-door-trim-panels-loose-built-on-or-before-6282013/ I will put today's date as today was the most recent time my daughter walked into traffic outside school because her door was jammed. But this has happened many, many times over the course of our ownership, and has been getting worse over the last year (if we had driven more often -- like we did pre-pandemic -- I'm sure it would be even worse now).

NHTSA ODI 11434532

TRUNK RANDOMLY OPENING BY ITSELF EVEN WHEN KEYS ARE NOT CLOSE BY. SO FAR HAS ONLY HAPPENED WHEN IT IS STATIONARY

NHTSA ODI 11340658

I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE USED IN MARCH OF 2018. THE 12 VOLT BATTERY HAS COMPLETELY DRAINED NUMEROUS TIMES THE FIRST MONTH I OWNED IT. ABOUT 10 - 12 TIMES. FINALLY IN APRIL OF 2018 I REPLACED THE 12 VOLT BATTER TO THE TUNE OF $155.00. I THOUGHT THIS WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE PROBLEM. IT DID FOR A FEW WEEKS. THEN I WOULD GET UP TO LEAVE FOR WORK AND MY BATTERY WOULD BE DEAD AGAIN. I HAVE BEEN AVERAGING 3-4 JUMPS A WEEK TO GET CAR RUNNING. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED YET AGAIN IN JULY 2018. THIS WEEK I HAVE HAD TO JUMP MY CAR A TOTAL OF 6 TIMES IN 5 DAYS. I HAVE BEEN LATE TO WORK TWICE. AND TWO OF THE MORNINGS THE CAR DID START IT HAD BEEN ON THE BATTERY CHARGER OVERNIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO WORK THESE TWO MORNINGS, BUT 4 HOURS LATER WHEN I WENT OUT TO GO TO LUNCH THE BATTERY WAS DEAD AGAIN.I AM TYPING THIS ON MY LUNCH HOUR AS I SIT AT MY DESK. CAR IS DEAD AGAIN AND I CAN'T LEAVE. I READ ALL THE ISSUES OTHER OWNERS ARE HAVING THAT ARE JUST LIKE MINE AND DO NOT KNOW WHY FORD HAS REFUSED TO ISSUE A RECALL. I HAVE TO CARRY AROUND JUMPER CABLES AND A BATTERY CHARGER IN MY CAR AND HOPE SOMEONE COMES ALONG TO ASSIST ME. THIS CAR IS UNRELIABLE. THEN NOVEMBER 17 WHEN WE WERE IN BRANSON, MO FOR THANKSGIVING THE REAR TAILGATE LATCH FAILED. IT HAS NOT WORKED SINCE. I UNDERSTAND ANOTHER OF FORD'S ISSUES. WE HAVE ADJUSTED THE REAR BUMPER PADS PER FORD'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THAT ISSUE.IT DID NOT HELP. NOW I HAVE TO TAKE IT IN THE FORD DEALER ON 12/15 AND HAVE THAT REPLACED TO THE TUNE OF $358.00. HOW CAN THEY GET AWAY WITH ISSUES WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY?

NHTSA ODI 11161151

THERE IS A RECALL ON DOOR LATCH. FORD IS MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE TO GET MY CAR FIXED BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT ALLOW THE DEALERDHIP TO ORDER MORE THAN ONE SET OF PARTS AT A TIME. THE DEALERSHIP MUST COMPLETE ONE WORK ORDER BEFORE THE NEXT CAR'S PARTS CAN BE ORDERED, MAKING IT ESSENTIALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GET THE RECALL ISSUE RESOLVED.

NHTSA ODI 11000959

I HAVE NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE PROBLEM WITH THE DOORS ON MY VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 10934292

AFTER RAIN, THE SENSOR WARNING ON MY CAR WENT OFF ALMOST CONTINUOUSLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING SIGNS ON THE DASHBOARD, AND I RAN A VEHICLE DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT CLAIMED EVERYTHING TO BE FINE. I TRIED USING MY CAR HOURS LATER (BY THIS TIME MY CAR WAS DRY AND HAD BEEN PARKED IN AN INDOOR GARAGE). WHEN PUTTING THE CAR INTO REVERSE OR DRIVE THE LOUD WARNING SOUND AGAIN WENT OFF. SOMETIMES IT IS A CONTINUOUS SOUND, OTHER TIMES IT STARTS WHEN I COME TO A STOP AT A RED LIGHT OR STOP SIGN (EVEN WHEN THERE ARE NO CARS OR ANYTHING NEARBY MY CAR TO WOULD SET THE SENSORS OFF). THE LONGEST TIME THE WARNING SOUND WENT OFF CONTINUOUSLY WAS FOR A 30 MINUTE. HOWEVER, THE SENSOR WARNING WENT OFF (ON AND OFF) THROUGHOUT A 2 HOUR DRIVE. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF SPEEDS AT WHICH THIS HAS HAPPENED- WHEN THE CAR IS NOT MOVING (PUTTING IT IN REVERSE OR DRIVE), WHEN SLOWING DOWN TO A STOP FROM ABOUT 35MPH, DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WITH NO CAR NEARBY AT 45-55MPH. I HAVE HAD MY CAR FOR A MONTH NOW, WITH 350 MILES ON IT NOW. IT IS CURRENTLY IN THE SHOP, BUT THEY COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO REPRODUCE THE SENSOR WARNING SOUND OR FIGURE OUT WHICH SENSOR OR SENSORS ARE BAD. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10640680