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. Within minutes of leaving the dealership, the vehicle stalled again in active traffic and had to be returned. The issue was escalated to the Ford Engineering hotline and a Field Service Engineer. February 17, 2026 – The dealership attempted to return the vehicle after performing a BECM reprogramming. Upon pickup, new issues were immediately observed including near-stall conditions and hybrid system malfunction, so the vehicle was left with the dealership again. February 18, 2026 - The owner brought forth concerns about Ford’s Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) 17-0015 which identifies potential damage to the traction battery interlock harness as a root cause for intermittent stalling and "Stop Safely Now" warnings. Although the dealership recorded Diagnostic Trouble Code B11D8—a fault directly related to the stall condition—the dealership later stated that no diagnostic codes relevant to the TSB were present and this component was not inspected. February 20, 2026 - Dealership claims that the vehicle has been test-driven for over 100 miles and is “functioning perfectly” and that a ‘battery rebalance’ was causing the issues experie
Ford C-Max stalling problems
16 of the 375 owner complaints about the Ford C-Max describe engine stalls while driving, most of them for the 2013 model year.
- owner complaints
- 16
- worst model year
- 2013
- typical mileage
- 58,000
By model year
- 20181
- 20172
- 20161
- 20152
- 201310
Often reported together
Check engine light 3Loss of power 2Transmission failure 1Steering lock-up 1Shudder 1Power steering loss 1Hesitation 1Headlights 1
Trouble codes mentioned
B11D8 1
What owners say
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". I came across this post [XXX] which matches exactly with the issue I am experiencing. That particular car owner was able to get the transmission replaced by Ford, under a California law and the issue was resolved. This seems to suggest, that Ford bears the responsibility for this manufacturing fault and they should own up to it. It is not fair that after paying over $35000, for the car, the only options I am given is to either take the risk of a catastrophic accident with the car stalling in the midst of a highway (with no safe place to stop) or just junk the car. I am pleading that your department should make it a required safety recall and Ford should be required to either fix this issue, at no cost to the owners or compensate them fairly for the present value of the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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.
The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-Max Energi. The contact stated while driving 3 MPH, the vehicle started to stall and failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer and was informed that gasoline was leaking onto the wires and spark plugs. The contact was informed that the canister purge valve needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
Car will stall and brakes and steering lock up. This has occurred in when pulling into traffic. It always occurs when on a hill. Very dangerous but ford denies any problems. It has occurred since 2014. Last time was as below
I was driving on the highway and the car stalled. Warning light came on that says, stop safely now. The car completely lost power on the highway. I was lucky because that put me in a dangerous situation. Finally got it towed to the dealership and module-engine control. Pcm get too hot and the ignition switch. The car has been in at the dealership since 10.14.20 and has not been fixed and there still is not eta. Part is on backorder. This car has been tag a lemon and it should not be able to be sold. I didn't know this prior to purchasing the vehicle.
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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2013 ford c-max. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and stalled without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle shuddered intermittently after shifting from first gear without warning. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 75,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2016 ford c-max. While driving approximately 15 MPH downhill, the "stop safely now" and check engine warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle stalled and the contact cruised down a hill into a nearby parking lot. The vehicle was towed to formula ford inc (located at 265 river st, montpellier, vt 05601, 802‑223‑5201) who stated that the sobd module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was still awaiting approval on the part for the repair. The approximate failure mileage was 47,000.
The power steering failed while backing out of the parking stall at the grocery store as we pulled out a message came up power steering failure service now
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
Questions about the Ford C-Max stalling
Which Ford C-Max years have engine stalls while driving problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2013 (10 complaints), 2015 (2 complaints) and 2017 (2 complaints).
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