2018 Ford C-Max reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2018 Ford C-Max holds 10 complaints after 9 years, a rate of 1 per year. That is fewer complaints per year than most C-Max years here — under the median of the other years, which is 2. 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 Air bags (2 of 10), then Electrical system (2) and Steering (2). The most filings arrived in 2023 (4 of 10). Complaints that include an odometer have a median of 11,750 miles. Those filings include 2 that report a crash and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2017

The 2017 C-Max has 15 complaints, 1 per year. The 2018 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 2018 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 (10 total)

Air bags

Electrical system

Steering

Buckle

Fuel and propulsion system

Powertrain

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Of the 4 complaints that include an odometer reading, the median is 11,750 miles.

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"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…"
Air bags · filed 2023-11-06
"I totalled my car. The steering wheel airbag failed to inflate"
Air bags · filed 2023-09-19
"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…"
Powertrain · filed 2023-08-18
"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."
Electrical system, Steering · filed 2023-03-06
"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…"
Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2022-09-14

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2018 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 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 2017 Ford C-Max See every Ford C-Max model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2018 Ford C-Max reliable?

What are common problems with a 2018 Ford C-Max?

Is the 2018 Ford C-Max more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2017 C-Max has 15 complaints, 1 per year. The 2018 has more complaints per year than the 2017.

Has the 2018 Ford C-Max been recalled?

The 2018 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 2018 Ford C-Max?

Owners have filed 10 complaints about the 2018 Ford C-Max with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2018 Ford C-Max get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2018 Ford C-Max is 40 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.