Reliable Auto DB

2015 Ford C-Max reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Ford C-Max holds 52 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 2 per year. C-Max years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 2 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Camera, Gear position indicator, and Latch.

2015 Ford C-Max Hybrid SEL
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

52

Per year

2

Recalls

6

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (8 of 52), then Powertrain (7) and Steering (6). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 42,500 miles, and the middle half falls between 31,593 and 74,750 miles. Those filings include 9 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 C-Max has 80 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2016 has 22 complaints, 2 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Ford C-Max. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

Recall back-over prevention, sensing system, camera 2025-10-13 · NHTSA campaign 25V695000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2015-2019 Flex, 2015 Explorer, Lincoln MKT, Lincoln MKZ, 2015-2016 C-Max, Escape, Taurus, 2016 Fusion, 2018-2019 Taurus, 2019 Lincoln MKT, Fiesta, and 2020 Mustang vehicles. The rearview camera may display a distorted, intermittent, or blank image when the vehicle is in reverse.
Remedy Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera as necessary, free of charge. This will be a phased campaign, with the remedy becoming available in different phases based on model and model years. Interim letters notifying owners of the safety risk were mailed on October 25, 2025. Additional letters will be mailed once the final remedy is available on each phase. Mustang owner notification letters were mailed January 2, 2026. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 25SA9. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall became searchable on NHTSA.gov on October 14, 2025.
Vehicles affected 1,448,655
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, gear position indicator 2022-06-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V413000
Summary 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.
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.
Vehicles affected 2,925,968
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2020-06-08 · NHTSA campaign 20V331000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Fiesta, 2013-2014 Fusion, 2015 Mustang, 2013-2015 Escape and C-Max, 2012-2015 Focus, 2014-2016 Transit Connect, 2013-2014 Lincoln MKZ, and 2015 MKC vehicles. These vehicles were previously recalled and repaired under recalls 15V-246, 16V-643 or 17V-210, however the repair may not have been completed properly. A component within the door latches may break making the doors difficult to latch and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the latch date codes to confirm if the repair was done correctly, and replace the side door latches if necessary, free of charge. Owners will also have the option to inspect their own vehicle's door latches and enter the date codes into a website to determine if the latches are correct. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 27, 2020. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 20S30.
Vehicles affected 2,147,323
Recall equipment, electrical 2018-09-10 · NHTSA campaign 18V592000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 120V Convenience charge cords that were supplied with and sold for use with 2013-2015 Ford C-Max Energi and Fusion Energi vehicles and 2012-2015 Ford Focus Electric vehicles. Cords with part numbers FM58-10B706-AA, FM58-10B706-AB, FM58-10B706-AC, FM58-10B706-AD, FM58-10B706-AE and FM58-10B706-AF were manufactured without thermistors, and during vehicle charging, increased resistance in the house's outlet or wiring can cause the cord to overheat and melt.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the current cord with a new 120V convenience cord with a thermistor, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2019. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 18S24.
Vehicles affected 49,197
Recall latches, locks, and linkages, doors, latch 2016-09-06 · NHTSA campaign 16V643000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2012-2015 Ford Focus, 2013-2015 Ford Escape and Ford C-MAX, 2015 Lincoln MKC and Ford Mustang, and 2014-2016 Ford Transit Connect vehicles. A component within the door latches may break, preventing the doors from latching and/or leading the driver or a passenger to believe a door is securely closed when, in fact, it is not.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will replace the door latches with an improved part, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 16S30.
Vehicles affected 2,046,297
Recall electrical system, ignition 2015-07-08 · NHTSA campaign 15V436000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain model year 2015 Ford Escape vehicles manufactured April 1, 2014, to June 12, 2015, Ford Focus vehicles manufactured June 17, 2014, to June 12, 2015, and Ford C-Max vehicles manufactured April 22, 2014, to June 12, 2015. In the affected vehicles, the engine may continue to run after the key or the START/STOP engine button is turned to off. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection and Rollaway Prevention."
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will update the body control module software, free of charge. The recall began on July 27, 2015. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 15C06.
Vehicles affected 374,781

NHTSA's count is every vehicle in that campaign. A campaign can cover other model years and other models.

Complaints by component (52 total)

Electrical system
8
Powertrain
7
Steering
6
Air bags
5
Back-over prevention
5
Fuel and propulsion system
4
Service brakes
3
Engine
2
Equipment
2
Speed control
2
Structure, body
2
Automatic transmission
1
Camera
1
Engine and engine cooling
1
Exterior lighting
1
Front seat head restraint
1
Gear position indicator
1
Horn
1
Rear automatic braking
1
Seat belts
1
Warnings
1
Wheels
1
Show 14 more Show less
Crash-flagged

9

Fire-flagged

0

Injury reports

5

Death reports

0

Of the 26 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 42,500 miles. The middle half fall between 31,593 and 74,750 miles.

Complaints filed per year

1201512016420177201962020620217202232023620246202552026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "See attached document for complaint"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-21
  • "See attached document for complaint"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-21
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-MAX. The contact stated that while seated inside the vehicle and attempting to start the vehicle, the rear-view camera displayed a blinking screen with the message “Camera not Available.…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-12
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V695000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-08-06
  • "The contact owns a 2015 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that the rearview camera became inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact received the recall notification letter related to the NHTSA Campaign…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-05-15

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2015 Ford CMAX Hybrid 5 HB FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
C-MAX Energi Plug-in hybrid 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 40 36 38 MPG / 550 mi range $1700
C-MAX hybrid front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (variable gear ratios) Front-wheel drive 41 36 39 MPG $1650

Specs and fitment

US-market generation, 2013–2018
Body styles Hatchback, Wagon
Oil 5W-20 synthetic blend (2.0L Atkinson-cycle hybrid) , 4.5 qt capacity
Tire size 225/50R17

Known issues for this generation

Ford originally rated the 2013 C-Max Hybrid at 47 mpg city/highway/ combined, sharing the label of the related Fusion Hybrid rather than testing the C-Max separately; independent testing by Consumer Reports and others found real-world results well below that figure, at 37 mpg overall in Consumer Reports' own testing. EPA rules at the time permitted the shared label because the two cars use the same engine, transmission and electric drive and their weights fall within 35 pounds of each other, even though they share neither size, shape nor platform. Ford lowered the C-Max's own rating to 40 mpg combined for 2013 and made goodwill payments to about 200,000 owners and lessees. The dispute produced a consolidated federal class-action (In re Ford Fusion and C-MAX Fuel Economy Litigation, MDL No. 2450) and, in 2022, a $19.2 million settlement with a 40-state and D.C. consortium over the 2013-2014 C-Max's advertised fuel economy.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Ford C-Max Next year 2016 Ford C-Max See every Ford C-Max model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Ford C-Max reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2015 Ford C-Max holds 52 complaints after 12 years, a rate of 2 per year. C-Max years here cluster close together — the other years’ median is 2 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Camera, Gear position indicator, and Latch.

What are common problems with a 2015 Ford C-Max?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (8 of 52), then Powertrain (7) and Steering (6). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 42,500 miles, and the middle half falls between 31,593 and 74,750 miles. Those filings include 9 that report a crash and 5 that report an injury.

Is the 2015 Ford C-Max more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 C-Max has 80 complaints, 4 per year, and the 2016 has 22 complaints, 2 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2016.

Has the 2015 Ford C-Max been recalled?

The 2015 Ford C-Max has 6 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Ford C-Max?

Owners have filed 52 complaints about the 2015 Ford C-Max with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Ford C-Max get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Ford C-Max is 38.5 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What years was the Ford C-Max sold in the US?

The C-Max Hybrid and Energi were sold in the US for model years 2013 through 2018.

Did the Ford C-Max have a fuel economy lawsuit?

Yes; Ford's 47-mpg claim for the 2013 C-Max was lowered to 40 mpg after real-world testing, leading to goodwill payments and a 2022 multistate settlement.