Rodewaryer

Several people have addressed the spare issue in their own way. Mine takes up the majority of the hatch area but I refuse to have a car with no spare so I live with the loss of room. I also don't use space savers so I have 5 full size wheels and tires for my Cmax. I added a scissor type jack as many here have suggested and I refuse to use the included flat tire kit as the tire shops hate the tire goo mess more than anything else they deal with. First time I used that kit with my 2013, the shop refused to work on the tire. I had to prove to them the goo kit was the factory recovery method before they would even touch the car. I will never use it again. I found the handling of the car to be quite competent once on the wheels/tires from the Focus ST. I can flog the car in the twisties and it doesn't do anything scary or embarrassing. I ditched the Goodyears for Cooper Zeons and have been good to go ever since. I think I've gone through at least 5 sets of these tires between the 2 Cmax's we've had. Maroon car was our first 2013, the silver is our 2018 SE (which literally cost half of what the 2013 cost) and the two Cmax pic is the neighbor with my 2013 he bought from me. The spare wheel in a box I had done at the body shop, not quite matching color but beats the hell out of a space saver which limits the way you can drive.

I have no answers but need to speak to the 2013 SEL topic. I put 135K mi on our first Cmax and only ever took it in for the updates and equipment upgrades per notices. That car never once gave me any grief. Oh wait, the only thing about these cars that pisses me off is the alignment. Shops won't align it without doing a 4 wheel alignment and the rear can't be adjusted, only remedy is to replace the A arms. I put the SPC adjustable A-arms on both my 2013 and 2018 and now, no longer have this issue of parts replacement for an alignment.

I just encountered this issue today. I'm on my second Cmax, my first was a 2013 Cmax SEL, that I had ZERO problems with but sold it at 135K miles and got a 2018 SE which is having this damned fuel door not opening issue. I have not contacted a dealer yet (should still be under warranty) but I did look for a manual release in the back and couldn't find one. I have a boot with a full sized spare, fuel can, jump box etc in it so it's not exactly wide open to see where a manual release might be, but I sure didn't see one where I expected it to be. What I am not geting is what fuel tank press has to do with the fuel door opening? Sounds like there is no common fix here and THAT worries me.

Probably old news but I have the 18's off the Focus ST on mine, not sure if they're taller but they sure are more attractive.