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I haven't been on the forum for awhile and peeked in to day and saw this thread. Yes, I did invoke the Lemon Law in NC and exchanged my C-Max for another exactly the same. Here's my basic experience and suggestion for anyone unfortunate enough to go through this process. 1. Having recurring issues are frustrating, but always treat everyone one with courtesy and respect. I just can't emphasize enough how much of a role that plays when you finally get to the point where you say "its time to for a buyback". Its the difference between the dealer, the service folks and everyone being your advocate, or you just being another rude dude that they don't care about. 2. Keep your'e documents and document everything. For example, if your dealer won't give you a rental while your car was in the shop, that is compensation the manufacture owes you. You could also get compensated for time off you had to take from work to resolve the issues. But you need everything to be meticulously documented. 3. When you have a warranty issue, you need to call Ford, open a case and get a representative assigned sooner rather than later. In my case, the second time it was dragged in for a dead battery in 1 week I knew it wasn't right. 4. Know the Law and your rights. Lemon laws vary in each state. For example In NC having your vehicle in the shop to repair the same issue 3 times within the first 18 months of owning it, or more that 30 days for a single issue with-in a 12 month period during the initial factory warranty are the criteria in NC. Other states are different. 5. In almost all states, you need to give the manufacture the opportunity to fix the issue. This is different from just taking it to the dealer. The dealer is not the manufacture, thus you are responsible to write and notify Ford of the issue, that fact that it hasn't been repaired, and that you are asking them personally to fix the issue. Its a good idea to do this sooner rather than later because if you bring you're car in 5 times in a row to fix the issue and and then you write the request, they still get the chance to fix it, and your level of frustration has likely been reached. 6. I was told that because I just wanted another vehicle that worked, the buyback went quicker. In other words, since they didn't actually have to give me a refund the process may be shorter, but its hard to say if thats true or they were just trying to reassure me that an exchange was a better choice. 7. Consider getting a Lemon Law lawyer to handle your case. I actually contacted one, but didn't use them. Federal law requires that the manufacture pay any and all fees for the Lawyer. This is to protect the consumer who, is out a large chunk of cash for buying a high priced item and as such may not have funds to put cash up front to correct the problem. If I were to re-do one thing, I think I would have retained the lawyer. this is because... 8. Once Ford initiates the buyback you're case goes to an external outsourced company that Ford uses to handle the final processing. This is the most frustrating part of the process. Ford and the dealer actually do a decent job of communicating and making you feel like a valued customer. The processing company don't care at all. It becomes obvious that their job is to minimize financial exposure to Ford. In my case, they actually violated NC law by using old actuaries to compute my liability. When I complained and pointed out to them that they were in violation of NC law, they gave a "take it or leave" response. This ended up being about an extra $400 I had to pay out pocket to get a functioning and working vehicle. In the end Ford rectified the issue by giving me service coupons and extending my warranty that exceeded that amount, which really didn't cost them anything, but It did make me feel like I at least got something for the extra money I had to spend. 9. If you decide to use the Lawyer, and your taking a cash settlement, the manufacture can offer a lump sum of which the lawyer will take their cut. Ultimately you can accept or deny any offer, but the risk you incur with the lawyer is that the manufacture will low ball you because they are incurring the cost of your lawyer. On an exchange, I think they would be more effective because they would bill the manufacture directly, they know the state laws, and can advise and help get you through the entire ordeal quickly. 10. Stay on Ford to do the right thing (but always be polite), and in the end they will. As I said, Ford promised a warranty upgrade, as part of the resolution to extra costs and time Incurred, and I had to to follow up three times to get them to actually do it... and in the end it took having the services Representative at the dealer help get it done. This was a perfect example of how being polite and respectful the the people involved turned them into my advocate. The service rep went out of his way to call the Ford regional rep and made sure that what was promised was linked into my electronic account so that everything was correct. Ultimately I replaced my SE with another SE that was exactly like it. I did get an emergency starter because of the bad experience, and during the 10 months since I had one incident where my battery was dead, but it was diagnosed as an actual defective battery, replaced and it has been running excellent for 8 months, which is more than the 1st one did (if died after three weeks). I really like the vehicle and its been getting (actual) 43 MPG on average, which actually exceeds my expectation, I bought it expecting to get 40MPG (I just didn't believe the sticker of 47). My replacement has performed well, and with all the rebates and extras, in the end I probably paid < $1000 MSRP.

I just burned my first full tank after getting the fuel Upgrade. I actually went to the same gas station and used the same pump to try and remove as much variability as possible. My raw results. 43 MPG with 12.38 Gal of gas pumped. The C-Max though was reporting 46.8 MPG and only using 11.33 Gal of gas! Prior to the upgrade, my gas fuel ups were about 1/2 gal off, and now its more than a gallon! I was getting between 40-42 MPG before the upgrade (mixed use), and now it looks like it might be 41-43, which is hardly an improvement. I guess I'll wait to put another tank or two through it to see if the 1 gal offset remains... I was looking closely at the computer info, and the Miles displayed for the Trip info track the odometer reading to the fraction, and MPG computation is a function of the Miles and gallons, so the way my C-Max is measuring fuel burn seems to be messed up. It was under reporting / measuring it prior, and now it seems to be worse! I was ok with a couple MPG offset, though irritated, but 4 MPG is a problem. Has anyone found that there is some issue that could result in such gross miss-calculation? Culprits I would assume could include; 1. Sensor(s) 2. Bad seal on the capless gas tank leading to vapor loss? 3. Incorrect computer algorithms Any one else have any other ideas?

Yep. Certified letter with a check for $550. Thanks Ford!

I got a certified letter from Pontiac Mi waiting at the post office... I'm wondering if its a check for $550?

That wasn't the case with mine. Though my 2nd C-Max did suffer a bad 12 V battery. Otherwise its been working great... and I have to agree I simply couldn't find another car that offered the versatility and fuel mileage of the C-Max. I really missed it when mine was in the shop for the recall updates. The loaner they gave me was a crappy Dodge, bad fuel mileage, no guts, and just uncomfortable to sit in.

I'm only 1/2 through my 2nd tank of gas since getting the update. I had an average of 41.5 MPG, and reset it it to see what it it would settle out at. So far its holding steady at 46 MPG and the total fuel history has inched up to 41.9. I think it'll probably settle out to around 45 or 45.5 mpg once a few tanks are through it. typically, I'd be lucky to much over 500 miles to a tank of gas, and now it seems like it will easily get closer to 550 at tank, but I need to run a few more tanks through it to see what its averaging.

I just had the software update done on mine and picked it up from the dealer. The 18 mile trip reported 52 mpg. Normally it would be around 44, so that was better than 10%. most noticeably is the around town EV miles. The changes keep the vehicle in EV mode way more. I'll have to see if this continues for my daily commute, but its looking like the updates made some real changes for the better!

will do. Its kinda of a "don't call us we'll call you thing"

Salman, I got the jist that Ford has been focusing mostly on software/firmware issues as the cause. The last time they called they seemed to be focusing on the entertainment module and specifically the way the bluetooth was syncing or dropping the signal. Essentially it sounds like (and I'm not expert) that if anyone of the modules fails to sleep properly, it can cause drain on the battery, and so thats what I understood to have been Fords focus. The dealer did a draw test on my battery, and even though the vehicle seemed to be working they said it came back as failed, and they replaced it. They are keeping it an extra day because the headliner part was backordered and was supposed to be in tomorrow, so they are going to do that fix tomorrow. I'll find out what else they investigated, but due to my past issue, they seem to be taking it seriously, and trying to make sure they can apply any TSB or run every test they know of.

Laurel, It was really deep, technically the road was flooded... maybe i'm too optimistic, but I'm hoping whatever happened it was a one shot. I used my duralast charger I bought and the good news is that worked like a charm. I only had to jump it the once... Also, when the FOB didn't work, I know I tried the spare, just to confirm it wasn't a dead battery and it wasn't working. Monday morning, even though the FOB didn't work, it started right up, no fuss, and I drove it all day w/o any issues, when I got home, I contemplated putting the charger back on it to see if more juice would fix the FOB... but before I did that, I tried the both of them again, and the spare worked! So then I tried changing the battery (again) on the one that didn't work, and that one worked! Then I stuck the battery form the one that didn't work into the spare... and that one worked! So... now I'm a bit confused... or maybe my C-Max managed to get its charge fully back over Monday? No Matter, it seemed to be working again just fine. When I take it in Wed to have the recall's done I'll have them Check the battery and apply the TSB that charges up the battery better. Even though the battery, died, it *seems* to recovered better than the other one I had, and I'll have to see if it continues. They can't really dig into wiring harnesses if its working fine.

Yes, when in "Auto" position, the lights should shut off automatically. Well, we had a TON of rain, and the roads were flooded, and I was out driving through it, it really got up under the carriage, and by the time I got home, my C-MAX was acting odd. My friend was along and was screwing with the iPod connected to sync and managed to get it so I had to disconnect and reset it, but when I parked it home, and went to lock it, it acted funny. I checked it an hour later, and the key FOB didnt seem to want to unlock it, I had to manually unlock it, but the car started, and drove it to the grocery store and back, and again when I went to lock it upon returning home, it didn't beep the way it normally does. Sunday morning and it wouldn't unlock. I thought (hoped) it was just a dead battery in the FOB and tried the other one with no luck. Got into the car and it was dead. Got the charger out I bought and it started right up using that. I'm concerned now that a wiring harness got wet that caused the issue. I need to take it in to get the recalls done, I'll report this issue too and ask that they check the wiring harnesses to see if one got moisture in it.

This sounds like something I had happen once, and the Ford engineer did say there was something with the phone sync that was causing an issue. The interesting thing is this would imply that the habits of some people, e.g. parking and turning off the C-Max while talking on the phone, are a factor to why some people are having the issue and some are not. Though I can't recall changing my habits and my 2nd C-Max has worked w/o issues. At least the dead batter hasn't resurfaced!

I actually just got back from taking my C-Max on an ~1700 mile trip. Lots of of interstate, and I was always driving at or close to the speed limit, typically between 60 and 70 MPH. Overall I think I got about 43.8, due largely because of some really bad rain on mountain roads for a good spell, but the bulk of my trip was doing better than 44... as seen here on one fill up.

I can't begin to tell you how important this is! The situation may be frustrating at times, but its important to remain calm, level head and polite at all times. It can be the difference between getting someone at the dealership or Ford to become your advocate rather than indifferent to your situation.

Absolutely agree MikeB.

TED, It looks like your in California, and if so, A quick google returns the following: It looks like Ford has 4 chances or 30 days out of service to fix your issue. Also You do have to write them and notify them of the non-conformance, give the specifics as the warranty in the users manual does invoke that clause. I'm unsure if you owe them an opportunity to try and fix it one last after they tried to repair it 4 times, but that is the type of language you need to include in writing the letter since your at 3 attempts, then there is no argument about your intent.

I don't think its true that you can't get out of the car if the battery is dead. Typically, the door handle has a mechanical override exactly for that purpose. I could be wrong about that though in the case of the C-Max. My C-Max is the base SE, w/o a FOB, so when it was dead, I could certainly get into it using the key, but I never tried locking myself in. TED, Lemon Laws a a bit different in each state, but you need to make sure you've followed them to the letter as Ford, and presumably any auto manufacture, will want to hold consumers to rules. In my case, you had to have 3 or more attempts to repair the same issue, and your car has to be out of service for more than 30 days combined. Even after all that, you need to write a letter and send it to Ford, and the dealer, and give them one more chance to try and fix the issue. All that combined from the day I had the 1st issue to the day I had a new car was about 3 months. I'd say that from the time I asked about the buyback, it took about 3-4 weeks to get everything done. If your state has the same rule about allowing the manufacture one last chance to fix the issue, then Ford is in the right to request the opportunity to make you whole. But you need to make sure you understand exactly what has to be done according to your states laws, and follow them to the letter, otherwise, you'll just give them an opportunity to say that you didn't do something procedurally correct. Only after all that fails could a buy back be initiated. Ford also told me that the buyback was made much simpler and quicker because I didn't ask for my money back, I just asked to have another one that worked. In my experience, the Dealer and Ford did everything they could and and were very reasonable and helpful. The only bit of irritation came from the outsourced company that Ford uses to handle the money/title accounting etc... aspect of the buyback. The end result for me was between Ford and my Dealer, they found me another C-Max, exactly the same model color etc... just like it never happened, and my new one has worked perfectly, and I love it.

Thats a great extra data point TnTraveler, and I can confirm that one time I had this happen, I was in an EV+ zone! Root cause implies there is a singular issue, this sounds like a multi-issue problem, and I can tell you from experience, that these are always the most difficult to solve.

Wow. Good to know Salman! Mental note to self. No pressure washing of the C-Max! Laurel, thanks, Ford also said they still have the buy back and they are going through it and trying to recreate some of these other issues. I saw on the Poll Thread, that the 201A model seems to have taken a jump in hits! The two low base models still seem to have the most hits, but I think someone pointed out that those models are likely to sell more units due to the lower cost.

I'm sorry to see people are still fighting this issue! I hadn't checked back in awhile, but I got a call from Ford Engineering out of the blue today, and it was related to these continuing issues. In a nutshell, it sounds like they are working multiple software issues that have been causing batteries to drain. They were looking for some more info, and while my replacement C-Max has been working fine, the line of questions did spark recollection of an odd incident I had a few weeks ago. I was just parking when my phone rang (which is synced to the blue tooth). It rang through the C-max sync, but I didn't answer it, instead I shut the car off and exited. I ran an errand, and came back, and when I restarted the C-Max and the phone went to sync, it started to ring through the sync, and it said it was the person that called me when I exited the C-Max. When I tried to answer, it would say something like connect failed, but then it would keep dialing and ringing through the C-Max. I believe I had to turn the blue tooth on my phone off, and force a disconnect and then turn it back on and reconnect it to make it stop! Anyhow, Ford said that this is still one issue that others have reported and they speculate that the phone module isn't dropping the blue tooth connection for some people, which in turn is causing the module to run and drain batteries. They also said Ford is very very aware that there are still issues and are really working hard to sove them, which is why I think they are reaching out a bit. I still haven't had any real trouble with my replace now, going on 6 months, and I hope I don't, but this issue certainly seems to be taking a toll on an otherwise fine vehicle. I see people are speculating about rain issues, and maybe there are some that have some sort of issue, but it rains like a mad-man here, I park mine outside because I don't a garage, and I still haven't had any issues (knocks on wood!)

I hadn't checked in for awhile, I just rolled over 4700 miles and no issues. With warmer weather, my milage has gone up to about 42 MPG actual (it reports +44). I had the TSB done just for preventative measures, especially after the issues with my 1st C-Max but because I wasn't seeing any issues, its difficult to say it headed off a problem, but Im glad not to see any dead battery in more than 4 months. I drove it up to RDU and left it for a week in the parking lot, and when I got back at 1am, it chirped alive at the lick of the key and rolled out just fine! It sounds like more issues with upper end packages are being reported?

You should find a different dealer. I had rentals for months when I had my issue, all paid for, and the Ford rep I worked with made sure it was handled. Its their problem, and a know defect. In the end if you end up lemon-lawing it they have to reimburse you for all your expenses, like rentals, so that's why they should always give you a rental for warranty work.

I drove my C-max through that Spring snow storm you had up in VA. I had to drive up to Lynchberg. The car handled the snow and ice w/o any issues. I saw other people (many others) in the ditch, and the traffic had slowed down, but I grew up in Northern MN, so I know how to drive on snow and ice and was actually passing people becuase they were driving so slow. I was impressed w/how it handled the snow/ice. Its not an all wheel drive, but it handled just fine.

I'm betting they will Andrew. I know what you mean, I had to go out to San Jose for a biz trip and I missed my C-Max! Hertz stuck me in Jeep Liberty and it just wasn't the same. I wasn't used to turning a key and hearing an engine run anymore!

I believe, (and this is just conjecture at this time) that Ford is considering all other 12V issues as isolated. In other words, they found the common cause for the bulk of the 12V issues to be source back at the FCDIM which only applies to the SE-200A's and SE-201A's. The data that members here collected (in a poll) seems to agree with that. There has been reported case of something in the instrumentation panel and wiring issues associated to the rear hatch that have also been found to cause a 12V drain, but thus far these seem to be more isolated. The FCDIM issue was causing repeated 12V drains. I guess the question for people with other models, is are you experiencing repeated drains? or have most been a 1 time issue and you haven't seen it again?