2017 Ford C-Max reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 15 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Ford C-Max over 10 years — 1 per year. That is the fewest complaints per year among the 6 C-Max years on this site. NHTSA has 1 recall on file, including Gear position indicator.

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

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Powertrain (3 of 15), then Speed control (3) and Steering (3). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 38,448 miles, and the middle half falls between 12,450 and 51,625 miles. Those filings include 1 that reports a crash and 2 that report a fire.

Next to 2016 and 2018

The 2016 C-Max has 22 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2018 has 10 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

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 2017 Ford C-Max. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (1)

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

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

Complaints by component (15 total)

Powertrain

Speed control

Steering

Lug nuts

Electrical system

Engine

Fuel system, gasoline

Visibility and wipers

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 8 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 38,448 miles. The middle half fall between 12,450 and 51,625 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"On 1/16/2026, while operating my 2017 Ford C-Max Hybrid in the Bay Area, the vehicle displayed a low tire pressure warning. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle experienced a rapid mechanical or electrical failure that…"
Unknown or other · filed 2026-01-22
"The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel detached from the steering column. The contact stated that the steering wheel had loosened.…"
Steering · filed 2025-08-13
"The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift as intended and made an abnormal humming sound while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken…"
Powertrain · filed 2024-07-26
"Car accelerated by itself in Drive. I'd to either apply brake or put the car in Neutral to stop it. When shifted back to D, it auto accelerated. After I got home, shut it off and after 10 min. it started working…"
Engine, Speed control · filed 2024-04-25

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2017 Ford CMAX Energi 5 HB FWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2017 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	41	38	39 MPG / 570 mi range	$1650
C-MAX hybrid front-wheel drive	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (variable gear ratios)	Front-wheel drive	42	38	40 MPG	$1600

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 2016 Ford C-Max Next year 2018 Ford C-Max See every Ford C-Max model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2017 Ford C-Max reliable?

What are common problems with a 2017 Ford C-Max?

Is the 2017 Ford C-Max more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2016 C-Max has 22 complaints, 2 per year, and the 2018 has 10 complaints, 1 per year. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2016. The 2017 has fewer complaints per year than the 2018.

Has the 2017 Ford C-Max been recalled?

The 2017 Ford C-Max has 1 recall on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2017 Ford C-Max?

Owners have filed 15 complaints about the 2017 Ford C-Max with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2017 Ford C-Max get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2017 Ford C-Max is 39.5 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.