MADCMAX

It took 10 months, but I traded in the Cmax for a Prius. The NHTSA recall was the final straw. I find it interesting that Ford told dealers not to sell it or even demo it (saw the letter) but yet they haven't officially told all of those who carry their families in them everyday. And while I'm not saying it is a cover-up, I find it curious why the IIHS hasn't "tested" the Cmax yet but they did test the Fusion that came out AFTER the Cmax and they gave the Fusion a top safety pick. Surely the Cmax wont' get that or else there wouldn't be a recall out there. So I wish you all well and hope that the recall thing works out. The many many problems, the lack of 47/47/47, and the safety recall were all evidence that Ford isn't interested in my business, just interested in selling cars. In fact I ran into an owner of a Cmax that was my same color and such and they were going through the battery nightmare. Thankfully I never had that to deal with.

Thank you for the confirmation that it isn't just us. It really just kept getting louder and louder, and eventually it peaked. But it really did remind me of a jet engine revving to take off down the runway. I took a video (with sound) of it but it is too big to post and doesn't do it justice unless you hear it in person. MAX AC should be re-labelled "Parking lot mode" because there is no way anyone would complain they couldn't hear your hybrid as they walk in front of your car! :shift:

We just realized our first few hot days over 90 degrees. And using the AC at MAX AC, it sounds like a jet engine (really, it does) for a few minutes and then eventually it slows down the noise and it gets back to a normal non-jet engine mode. When in jet engine mode (MAX AC), you feel the vibration in the steering wheel, transmission shift selector, floor, doors, etc. You really feel it. Even if not on MAX AC, set to AUTO and 68 degrees, it really ramps up to get the car cooled off I guess, but the sound is un-nerving. Has anyone else experienced these things - 90 degrees outside, using MAX AC, does it sound like a jet engine under the hood? I'd be curious if it is a problem with ours, or is this normal. We have had many issues with our CMAX since birth, and so I'm never sure if something is normal or not.....doesn't sound good but might be normal? It isn't like it gets worse.....

With the first of a few 90+ degree days, with the A/C set at AUTO and 68 degrees, I have noticed the air conditioner goes into airplane engine mode, sounds like a jet engine. And after a few minutes of this it settles down. I was watching the power used and when it is making the airplane engine sound, the KWH used for the A/C is 3/4 of the bars full. And when this is happening, naturally the battery is running out like if it were gasoline and I had a hole in my gas tank.....so EV mode is out of the question. This of course makes the gas engine come on to charge the battery. And this kills the MPG. MPG has gone way down with the hotter (over 90 degree) days so I'll be curious what my real MPG is when I fill up next. For those in real hot climates, has your MPG gone down? We got low MPG during winter (33MPG-35MPG) and when it was an average of 60-80 degrees, we were getting closer to 39MPG. It is disappointing to just now realize the real hot weather will hurt MPG as well. Not sure how bad but the computer is showing 17MPG, 25MPG on trips I'd see the computer say 40MPG or higher. We drive the car to school and back (25 mile round trip) and the computer shows sometimes a 47mpg trip. And I can make the trips that show me 60MPG or even 80MPG if I'm driving downhill a lot on the computer. But at the end of the day, when I fill up the tank, I'm still at 37-39MPG overall average per tank without the real hot or real cold days and 99% of the time the computer says I used a gallon less gas than I did. We are very frugal with our hybrid driving, doing slow starts, coasting frequently, having a high brake score, and very rarely driving over 55MPG. We aren't on flat roads, but we aren't climbing big mountains either. We continue to try, and it gives us some constant challenge to do better and more to achieve a better MPG, but in the end, with 60-80 degree days we can get 37MPG-39MPG actual. Don't get me wrong, I actually like driving the Cmax. It is a nice driver and has lots of room, is versatile, etc. But if I could have gotten 10MPG more by buying a Prius for roughly the same $$$$, had a IIHS crash test with a top pick (prior to this new round of tests), and forego some of the comfort/driving experience, I would have done it. I got rid of my Mini Countryman as it was only getting 24MPG, figured I could double my MPG and save some $$$ in the process with putting 15K miles on per year. Turns out the insurance was alot more than the Mini, and the MPG is less than I ever expected, and so while a nice car to drive, have had a fair share of problems and annoyances with lots of trips back for service. Anyone with any tips on how to do better, let me know. I went through a winter season with the wife turning the heat off for most of our trips, and she has done the same with the A/C now that the warm weather is here (turns it off). Slow starts, coast as much as possible, use the computer to show me how fast I can go to stay in EV mode as much as possible, etc. 37MPG-39MPG seems to be our destiny.

I noticed since I got the Cmax back, that the idle when the gas engine is running is about 1100rpm. This is higher than it used to be. Of course you don't have RPM's on electric but in both cases when I let my foot off the brake, the car moves forward on its own with more ooomph than it did before. So this results in the bouncing being diminished unless going up more of an incline. Before this, it would not move as much/as fast but the bounce was very pronounced. It is a fix, not ideal, but a fix for many of the times the bouncing would occur. The dealer says he'll follow this with Ford - he also said Ford doesn't admit to problems until they have a fix for things. He also said this was the case and point with the Ford Focus and Fiesta - the transmissions are a major problem. They are a manual transmission with an automatic shifter and the clutches are wearing out prematurely. Ford says clutches are a wear item so they won't cover it. But the user cannot control the clutch actions so they don't understand why this is happening. And while the dealer says they can help with this, Ford hasn't really come out to say there was a "problem" but there are lots of search results with this topic. I'll keep you all posted as any updates become available.....

Okay, the dealer fixed the creaking noises (a strut and strut plate). But they agree there is a shuddering or bouncing (or both) that goes on when you take your foot off the brake and before you give it the accelerator. Ford says it isn't true or a problem. Buy my dealer replicated it on one new one and not on another new one. Since now they have experienced it and found another one (new) that does it and yet one more new one that does NOT do it, they understand there is something different. I think they programmed the chip with an upgrade but that hasn't resolved the issue. What the advisor told me is that Ford won't acknowledge anything is wrong until they have a fix for it......bad business in my mind but I guess they don't want to appear to be inept in terms of knowing what is wrong and how to fix things. Truth is, I'd feel better if they said they had a problem and would work to resolve it. This is going to be an open issue for some time, I can just sense it. You'll find it is more apparent on small inclines, if you are looking to experience it. We found out some will do it and some won't. But you won't miss it if it is doing it....

Got the Cmax back tonight. The noise is definitely gone......hooray. The strut and strut plate on one side was replaced and the noise stopped. Would show itself more when hotter weather was prevalent. The bouncing is not resolved. Mine does it. A new one does it. Another new one doesn't do it. This is another saga unsolved, but the rattling is fixed and that is a great thing.

After pressing the issue with the dealer on the bouncing issue, they decided to take another look. They said one of the factory new units bounces as mine does, and the other one doesn't. So they are working with Ford factory. We'll see if the noise is really gone when I get it back, hopefully tomorrow. They are checking to see if a computer flash is needed to get it to stop doing this.

Got a call from the dealer, they have replaced a strut and strut plate and the noise we have had for 9 months is finally gone. I haven't gotten it back yet, they are working on the bouncing issue. After pressing the issue with the dealer on the bouncing issue, they decided to take another look. They said one of the factory new units bounces as mine does, and the other one doesn't. So they are working with Ford factory. We'll see if the noise is really gone when I get it back, hopefully tomorrow.

Just got told by the dealer today they have isolated the noise to a front strut and strut plate. Both have been ordered and if all goes well it will be replaced tomorrow. They are confident that this is the cause of the noise. I am very hopeful that this will end the concern over what this is and that it isn't something about to fall apart. Will let you know how this turns out for sure. Noise gets louder as the temperature warms.

Sadly, I have had no luck with this car.....I have had better luck with used cars and that ain't saying much! :banghead:

These being loose won't cause a noise problem. We have the SE, which doesn't have chrome strips. Here is what I had to say about the creaking noises we are hearing: We have been back to the dealer multiple times for this, but we have a horrible creaking sound that worsens as the weather warms. It sounds like a creaking frame but it may end up being in the struts or other some other area. In fact tonight I have to take it back to the dealer so they can install little microphones or something to measure where the sound is the loudest (it is loud in the cabin) to isolate and try to determine where the sound is coming from. Many trips back and now they acknowledge they finally hear the noise and are going to try to fix it. Previously I was told that it wasn't happening, then was told it was normal noise not usually heard because of a gas engine running, and now finally they acknowledge it is real, they do hear it, and they are going to TRY to pinpoint the cause. Is this the result of buying a first year model? I would have hoped that since it has been around in Europe that this wouldn't be the case. But it turns out, this is just one of the many issues we have had so far. Nice car, fun to drive, but the problems sometimes outweigh the limited MPG benefit.

No, the seals were replaced early on and unfortunately didn't resolve the noise we are hearing. We just dropped off the cmax at the dealer to have the microphones installed to see where the noise is specifically coming from. It is a very concerning creaking, like if you were able to twist the frame without any lubricant.....a creaking sound. And as it warms, it gets worse. It is somewhat suppressed with cold weather, which makes me think the lubrication grease on something isn't meant for hot weather. But who knows, will let you know what i find out when it comes back. It was there all last week with no resolution other than they need to install these listening devices to pinpoint the location.

Yeah, I know. The "documentation" they provided was a piece of paper in which the tech says he cannot duplicate the concern, and then the reply from the factory saying it is "normal".....the service department is calling it "creep mode".......thus the bouncing low rider (the cmax does sit low to the ground). I should say it is more noticeable on small inclines vs. straight flat start. I'd buy the whole thing if it wasn't happening on gas mode, which is obvious is on because you hear the gas engine. Seems the Ford dealers here don't want to deal with issues....they'd rather say "Cannot duplicate concern" and close the ticket. Which is odd because Ford pays them for service they perform.......we have a 2012 Escape with a very rough transmission when it is cold.....once warmed, smooth as could be. But same thing, they say this is normal. I had a 2009 Escape, same transmission, the tore it apart and fixed it. This one they won't do. Maybe Ford is cheaping out on getting stuff fixed? To do it again, I'd have kept my Mini Countryman despite the 25 mpg......never anything wrong and it was a nice car to drive.

Here are the pics.....the first one shows how it appears to be pulling back. The 2nd shows how it looks when the little "nibs" aren't there to hold it into the hole as it should.