Reliable Auto DB

2016 Ford C-Max reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Ford C-Max has 22 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 2 per year. That is about even with the other C-Max years here. Their median is 2 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera, Gear position indicator, and Structure, body.

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

22

Per year

2

Recalls

3

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (3 of 22), then Electrical system (2) and Powertrain (2). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 32,480 miles, and the middle half falls between 16,331 and 44,530 miles. Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 C-Max has 52 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2017 has 15 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

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 2016 Ford C-Max. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (3)

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 structure, body 2017-01-24 · NHTSA campaign 17V052000
Summary Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2016 Focus and C-Max vehicles. The floor pan may have improperly welded left-hand apron joints.
Remedy Ford will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the apron joints, repairing the vehicle, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 8, 2017. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 17S03.
Vehicles affected 17

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

Complaints by component (22 total)

Back-over prevention
3
Electrical system
2
Powertrain
2
Service brakes
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Air bags
1
Brake master cylinder
1
Camera
1
Engine
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Rear automatic braking
1
Seats
1
Speed control
1
Suspension
1
Wheels
1
Show 7 more Show less
Crash-flagged

2

Fire-flagged

1

Injury reports

3

Death reports

0

Of the 13 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 32,480 miles. The middle half fall between 16,331 and 44,530 miles.

Complaints filed per year

12016220173201832019120204202132022120231202532026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-MAX. The contact stated that while reversing, the rear-view camera displayed a blank screen. The contact stated that the failure was a persistent failure, and the rear-view camera…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-09-08
  • "The contact owns a 2016 Ford C-Max Hybrid. 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…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-03-04
  • "See attached document for complaint. RE: NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 25V695 To whom it may concern, In August 2025 we took our 2016 CMAX into the Ford Dealer we purchased it from to have the check out the back-up camera that…"
    Back-over prevention · filed 2026-02-18
  • "The contact owned a 2016 Ford C-Max. The contact stated that while coming to a stop in a parking lot attempting to obtain mail from a mailbox; the vehicle independently accelerated and it was unknown what gear the…"
    Engine · filed 2025-02-18
  • "The backup camera doesn't regularly function, ranging from 15% to 75% of the time. A tire man with prior experience in a Ford dealership recommended checking for an electronics update to the system. There may be a…"
    Visibility and wipers, back-over prevention, rear automatic braking · filed 2023-11-21

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 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 2015 Ford C-Max Next year 2017 Ford C-Max See every Ford C-Max model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Ford C-Max reliable?

The 2016 Ford C-Max has 22 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 2 per year. That is about even with the other C-Max years here. Their median is 2 complaints per year. NHTSA has 3 recalls on file, including Camera, Gear position indicator, and Structure, body.

What are common problems with a 2016 Ford C-Max?

The complaints owners file most often name Back-over prevention (3 of 22), then Electrical system (2) and Powertrain (2). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 32,480 miles, and the middle half falls between 16,331 and 44,530 miles. Those filings include 2 that report a crash, 1 that reports a fire, and 3 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Ford C-Max more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 C-Max has 52 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2017 has 15 complaints, 1 per year. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2015. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2016 Ford C-Max been recalled?

The 2016 Ford C-Max has 3 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 2016 Ford C-Max?

Owners have filed 22 complaints about the 2016 Ford C-Max with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Ford C-Max get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 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.