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What 46 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 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.
2 of 46 complaints match · Speed control · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
May 14, 2018Speed controlCrash1 injury
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 FORD C-MAX. WHILE DRIVING 60 MPH, THE CRUISE CONTROL FAILED TO DISENGAGE, WHICH RESULTED IN A CRASH. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY'S TOW YARD AND DECLARED A TOTAL LOSS. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FRONT PASSENGER WAS INJURED AND RECEIVED MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 25,000. *TT *TR
NHTSA ODI 11093645
Mar 27, 2017Speed controlCrash
I WAS PULLING INTO A PARKING SPOT WHEN MY CAR ACCELERATED ON IT'S OWN I WAS TRANSITIONING FROM PAVEMENT TO GRAVEL WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY ACCELERATED AT THAT TRANSITION PERIOD. THE CAR SURGED FORWARD. I APPLIED THE BRAKES AND THE CAR CONTINUED TO MOVE FORWARD. I ALMOST HIT THE CAR PARKED IN THE ADJACENT SPOT. I CRANKED THE STEERING WHEEL TO THE RIGHT TO AVOID MISSING THAT CAR. THE CAR JUMPED THE CURB, AND PROCEEDED INTO A TREE. HAD IT NOT HIT A TREE I WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN THE WINDSHIELD OF THE OPPOSITE CAR AS IT WAS A GRADE BELOW FROM MY PARKING SPOT. ONCE THE CAR STOPPED MOVING, A FATAL ERROR MESSAGE CAME ON THE SCREEN AND THE "BRAIN" OF THE CAR SHUT DOWN. I BELIEVE THE BRAIN FAILED. THE BODY SHOP HAD TO HAVE THE CAR TOWED TO THE FORD DEALER TO HAVE THE COMPUTER FIXED. THE CAR IS NOW BACK AT THE BODY SHOP FINISHING UP. IT HAD BEEN ALMOST A MONTH, AND I HAVE YET TO GET ANY INFORMATION FROM FORD. I FEEL THIS COULD HAPPEN AGAIN, AS I THINK THERE IS A PROBLEM WITH THE CAR'S COMPUTER.
NHTSA ODI 10968744
Working with the data? Download all 46 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
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full 2016 Ford Cmax Energi verdict →