Research · complaint index
Ford C-Max years to avoidWhat NHTSA complaint data does and doesn’t say
We compared 5 model years of the Ford C-Max by owner complaints to NHTSA, adjusted for how long each year has been on the road. 2015, 2016 stand out with at least twice the typical complaint rate.
Complaints per year on the road
1.0 = typical year for this model
| Year | Complaints | Per year on road | Index | Recalls | Crashes | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | Typical |
| 2016 | 10 | 1 | 9.1 | 3 | 0 | Most complaints |
| 2015 | 11 | 1 | 9.2 | 6 | 2 | Most complaints |
| 2014 | 1 | 0 | 0.8 | 8 | 0 | Typical |
| 2013 | 1 | 0 | 0.7 | 8 | 0 | Typical |
- 20171 complaints · 1 recallTypical
- 201610 complaints · 3 recallsMost complaints
- 201511 complaints · 6 recallsMost complaints
- 20141 complaints · 8 recallsTypical
- 20131 complaints · 8 recallsTypical
Data from NHTSA Complaints & Recalls APIs · synced Nov 12, 2026
About this comparison
What Ford C-Max years have the most complaints?
Adjusted for years on the road, 2015, 2016 drew at least twice the typical rate of NHTSA owner complaints among the 5 model years compared.
Is this a reliability rating?
No. These are counts of unverified owner complaints to NHTSA. They are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so a popular year can collect more complaints. Use them to find patterns, then read the reports.
Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.