I recently rear ended a car and the front of the vechical was damaged. The air bag censor was destroyed, however the airbags did not come out. This was on a 2018 Ford c-max. Many people pointed out this malfunction and how my life was put at risk.
The worst 2018 Ford C-Max problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Airbags2
- Electrical2
- Steering2
- Fuel system1
- Seat belts1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Airbags2
- Electrical2
- Steering2
- Fuel system1
- Seat belts1
- Suspension1
- Transmission1
- Visibility1
Recalls 1
Power train: shift linkage/cable/rod
- What is wrong
- 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.
- Risk
- 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.
Recall number 22V413000 · Recall details
See all 1 recalls for the 2018 Ford C-Max
Defect investigations
Pedestrian alert sounds
the federal safety agency received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021.On January 27, 2023, the federal safety agency opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject matter described in the petition. On June 24, 2023 and as supplemented on June 25, 2023, the petitioner notified the federal safety agency he was withdrawing his petition. The petitioner indicated that, based on his review of data, there is no justification for asserting potential benefits that could be derived from actions sought by my petition. Based on the petitioner's withdrawal, DP22-005 is closed. Closure of this DP does not represent a determination by the federal safety agency regarding the subject matter of the petition.
DP22005
Technical service bulletins for the 2018 Ford C-Max 61
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines...
- Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless...
- This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure
- Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes...
- While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal...
- This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure
- All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code
- The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be...
- Some 2013-2020 Fusion, MKZ and 2013-2018 C-Max vehicles equipped with an HF35 transmission may exhibit a...
- Some 2017-2022 Ford/Lincoln customers may experience a notification in the...
2018 Ford C-Max fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl Hybrid | FWD | 42 | 38 | 40 |
What 2018 Ford C-Max owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I totalled my car. The steering wheel airbag failed to inflate
The contact owns a 2018 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop at a red light, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality; however, the failure had since become a regular failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was unknown.
Steering locks to the point that it can't turn. Happened while driving. Unknown cause. Warning light came on for driver to park. Issue unresolved and can no longer drive car.
Recently, there has been a whiff of gasoline around my garage but there is more than one vehicle in there so I didn't figure out what the culprit was for a while. After completely filling up my car 9/3/2022, I parked it in the attached garage and in minutes my whole house smelled like gasoline. So I immediately parked it outside and ventilated the house. I took the car to a local shop and they said yes there's a gas odor but they didn't want to touch the repair because it's a hybrid. So all this time later on 9/14/2022, the Ford dealership saw the car and stated that it requires immediate repair and park it outside while we wait for parts. My C-Max has always gotten regular normal maintenance like oil changes and brakes, it got new tires recently. There was one major repair Ford did when the car was assembled incorrectly at the back hatch hinge seal so water was pouring into the circuit board and the battery compartment which screwed up the electronics, and the touchscreen needed replaced, but that was over a year ago and the car has been ok since. It has never ever been wrecked beyond little dings like shopping carts. It makes absolutely zero sense that the car would require this major repair at 82830 miles, and it's going to cost me $2400 which blows my mind. And it's dangerous! Now it has the doom vibe of a Pinto. I am extremely concerned for other C-max owners.
The contact owns a 2018 Ford C-MAX. The contact stated that the seat belt failed. The contact stated that while the driver’s side rear seat belt was fastened to the car seat, the seat belt tightened up independently on her grandchild’s chest. The contact’s grandchild was unable to breathe properly. The contact was unable to unfasten the seat from the clip. The contact had to cut the seat belt to be able to release the seat belt from her grandchild’s chest. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be inspected. The contact was informed that the seat belt operated as designed. The seat belt was not repaired or replaced. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 14,000.
Electrical gremlins since the first day. Touchscreen went on and off, phone didn't charge, door handles don't work, garage door opener forgot settings, presets on dash would blink out of memory. Ultimately the car didn't even start. But for all of these problems, sometimes they would work, sometimes they wouldn't. Ultimately got the yellow wrench of death. Brought it in repeatedly and they could never reproduce the problem, until the day it wouldn't start at all and the wrench was on the dash. Finally diagnosed open seams on the back hinges to the hatch. Seamseal was missing on both hinges. Water was coming into the junction box which was soaked. The battery was sitting in a pool of water. These problems happened whether it was parked or running.
The right-hand outside rearview mirror contains a small inset mirror intended to provide a different angle of view so as to give the driver visibility of vehicles alongside or in the "blind spot." it is supposed to be mounted at an angle relative to the plane of the main mirror similar to the driver side mirror, but on my car it is mounted in the same plane as the main mirror so the views are identical. Ford dealer's service manager says it's correct, but every other ford vehicle I have seen has an blind side mirror that is angled. Ford's customer service consultants refuse to dispute the local dealer's opinion. I believe this mirror was manufactured and installed in error. Ford's owner manuals for various models all describe the blind spot mirrors identically, but my mirror does not conform to those descrptions. More critically, it doesn't perform its intended function.
2018 titanium ford c-max with rattling/clunking noise emanating from vehicle undercarriage. Vehicle purchased new now has failing strut braces (which also failed on our new 2017 c-max). Braces are failing approximately every 10,000 miles amongst our two vehicles.
Steering at highway speeds is unsafe as vehicle wanders within lane purportedly due to electric-assist power steering. Speeds above 40mph, vehicle requires excessive steering input to stay within lane.
Compare the 2018 Ford C-Max
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Questions about the 2018 Ford C-Max
Is the 2018 Ford C-Max reliable?
Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2018 Ford C-Max, fewer than a typical C-Max model year.
What is the 2018 Ford C-Max year score?
The 2018 Ford C-Max scores 89 out of 100 (good). The score compares it with the other model years of the Ford C-Max: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2018 Ford C-Max?
Airbags, with 2 complaints. Next is electrical (2).
How many recalls does the 2018 Ford C-Max have?
1 recall, covering power train.
What gas mileage does the 2018 Ford C-Max get?
Official estimates for the 2018 Ford C-Max range from 40 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl hybrid, FWD) gets 42 city and 38 highway.
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