Nervous but Excited

I am considering buying a 2017 Energi. The AutoCheck indicated that this recall does apply to the car that I am looking at. Is there a way to check whether the recall has been processed on this car? Anything else to consider before buying the car? Thanks!

There are no Energis for sale in Boulder, Colorado, and I am strongly considering travelling out of state to buy one... But this feels like a crazy thing to do before I have a look at one. I have driven a Hybrid, but want to experience the Energi too. In particular I want to assess the battery bump and get a sense of how the HVB display works. I would REALLY appreciate it if somebody in Boulder let me have a look at their Energi. I don't even need to drive it if that's a problem for you.

Also: As I understand it you can test the battery health by: -Start with a fully charged battery -Switching to EV only mode (however that is done) -Drive slow enough to prevent the ICE from starting until the HV battery is totally dead ( I assume you'd know when this happens because the ICE would kick in) -Note the distance travelled and the kWh used -Compare distance and kWh to a new car (I think a new battery has around 5.5 kWh and distance is advertised around 20miles... but the BMS might limit the charge to 80% and the discharge to 20%... so that might be a problem). Can anybody comment/add/adjust to this approach? Again - any insights would be much apprecaited!

I have been told that holding the OK button on the left of the steering wheel during startup will initiate an "Engineering Test Mode" which will display some diagnostics including HV battery health. Can anybody confirm whether this works? I am strongly considering buying an Energi and want to be sure that the HV battery is in good condition - any additional insights would be great ?

The site doesn't seem to be working anymore - a few posts on this site reference to energiforum links that are no longer working.

Thanks @fbov I need the pep talk. I hope that you are right given the current market. I am probably going to let this one slide. I want to open a whole new can of worms... Why should I go with a C-MAX over a Prius-V? I could start a new thread if y'all prefer, but I'd really appreciate your insights.

Everything you've all said makes sense to me... BUT LOOK AT THIS DEAL: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/953614538609021/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp%3A24367456-64fd-434e-91b5-f9be2099ef05 WHY IS IT SO DIFFICULT TO SAY NO TO?!

Sorry for harping on about this. This is my first rodeo, and I don't want to mess it up. Are you saying that both the 2013 and the 2014 year models WILL need transmission replacements - and that 2015 and after is a safe bet? Again - I really appreciate your effort in guiding me through this.

@NRGTi I am trying to understand whether it's worth paying the premium for later models, or whether I should take my chances with the 2013. Also - If a transmission costs $6k to replace, and a 2013 is more than $6k cheaper than any other year.... Then maybe it makes sense to buy the 2013 and just replace the transmission at some point if necessary. I do, technically, have enough funds available for a later model C-MAX, but I am frugal as can be and need to be convinced of the benefits. @fbov as per the above - I technically could afford a later model C-MAX, but I am frugal and want to make sure that the premium is worth it. Also, at some point a comparison gets made to the Prius. you make it sounds as though I should expect that ALL 2013-2015 models WILL need a transmission replacement at some point. Is that accurate, or is this more of a gamble? If it's a gamble, what would you call the odds? 80% probable? more? less? I really appreciate all of your time and effort educating me ?

Thanks @fbov another great reply. So you seem to be making a clear point that the Hybrid transmission is a problem with a very high probability. This is not good news and certainly pushes me away from the 2013. Thanks for the insights. My big question to you is about your Escape Hybrid. This is probably my next-in-line favorite car. Do you have any advice for buying one in this market? Specific years to favor or reject? I have found only two to consider: 1 (very far away from Boulder, but maybe worth it) - https://www.theautohaven.com/inventory/view/14831597/2012-Ford-Escape-4WD-4dr-Hybrid 2 (hoping to view tomorrow) - https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1000677940483306/?referralSurface=messenger_lightspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner Any insights would be much apprecaited!

@cr08 Thanks for this reply - a few questions come out of this: 1 - Are you saying that transmission work is inevitable (or at least highly probable) and if it hasn't happened by 100k miles then it's about to happen? OR are you saying that if it hasn't happened by 100k miles then it probably wont happen at all? It seems like the former, but I want to be sure. 2- Clearly you are saying that $9k for the 2013 with 100k miles is a high price to pay. BUT WHERE DO I FIND ANYTHING BETTER?! These things are so rare! 3- Same thing goes for your statement about the 2016 with 80k miles for $13k. Theoretically that's great, but I'm really struggling to find one to actually consider. Should I just be more patient and keep my eye out?

?! 120k miles on one set of tires ?! From what I have heard the 2013 is known to be a bit of a problem child. Do you think that is accurate?

I have spent a lot of time trying to understand whether purchasing a 2013 C-MAX is a bad idea. It seems as tough people either love their car or hate it. So my question in basically: how can I improve the probability that I buy a car which I end up loving rather than hating? My greatest fears are around the transmission and the hybrid battery. Are there ways to test the battery and transmission to try glimpse the future? Are there other major issues to be considering? I am currently looking at buying a car from a private owner (not a dealership). The owner seems to love his car and has taken great care of it. For what it's worth, this is the car that I looked at: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/904277673827044/?referralSurface=messenger_lightspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner And I am also considering this one: https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1130174711054497/?referralSurface=messenger_lightspeed_banner&referralCode=messenger_banner Any insights would be much appreciated. I am hoping to make a decision within the next week. Happy Days!