djc

Kelly Blue Book (kbb.com) is valuing a 2013 SEL with 130k at: $2400-$4300 trade-in $3900 - $6500 private party selling Does not seem worth spending $5500 for one part in this near 8 year old model.

Still running original 2013 battery. Are any of the 12v sockets live after car has been sitting? i could track down my little volt meter that plugs into a cigarette lighter socket to keep tabs on it. My impression is that the console socket is not live, after a short delay, once the ignition is turned off.

What's the best forum for current gen Ford Escape hybrid discussion?

INL website unavailable for me this evening. Google cached page for VIN 5139 shows that C-max went over 130k miles in 2 years 4 months, average temp 84°. Fairly even mix of city / hwy. So a lot of driving, and if 84° is the average, must have been some pretty high temps. I wonder if the it matters if the mode shift is gentle or sudden? e.g. abruptly go from regen to heavy throttle? It's been a long time, but as I remember NYC taxi drivers race from traffic light to traffic light. Maybe light-footed drivers less likely to have this tranny failure.

Thanks Bill. The government owned ones were piling on the miles. I think they were being used in Arizona for courier service with lots of hot highway miles, but not sure of this.

Tire fix tip: A few years ago I got a tread puncture in a Subaru while on a freeway. No sealant in the car. I limped to the first exit which had a gas station and air. I located the quite visible hole. To get the tire to hold air, I removed a large-head trim screw from the Subaru rear compartment and screwed it into the hole in the tire. That got me the five miles or so to home. I imagine a nylon trim or body panel retainer pin might have worked as well. So: If you have tire a puncture wound larger than the sealant wants to seal, using a screw or trim fastener plus the goop might work.

This summer I replaced the entire kit with a $60 alternative that has less expensive refills: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BJ2TBL2/ I read that the German maker, Airman, made the kits for Ford. I kept the expired original as a backup.

I think I remember hearing (maybe in this video: that the Energi had an electric oil pump to lube the transmission whether the engine was running or not, but Ford took a gamble and on the regular hybrid relied on the engine oil pump, since there would be fewer miles with no engine. I haven't re-watched the video (and maybe I heard it elsewhere) but the part number for the $230 oil pump lists both Energi and Hybrid application. Anyone know which is the case? Also just what did they revise in the transmission after 2015 to make it more reliable? A bearing? If so, which? Is there evidence that failures are more likely in hot climates? With sustained freeway / high speed driving? Anyone know what sort of driving was being done in the 4 govt owned C-max's? I believe the HF35 was used in the police pursuit versions of the Fusion, so must be pretty durable in later years.

The forthcoming RAV4 Prime sounds interesting. Too interesting, apparently- dealers are quoting $4k to $10k markups over MSRP. And all in the initial allotment are going to ZEV states. https://www.torquenews.com/6626/searching-2021-toyota-rav4-prime-you-will-not-believe-these-stories The safety features deployed over the last half-dozen years are a big reason for replacing my 2013 C-max. I would like another small wagon like the C-max or RAV4 or Escape. AWD would be a big plus, which counts against the FWD only Escape plug-in hybrid. I am driving less and MPG is not as important (to me) as it once was, though I appreciate the 40+ mpg the Cmax has given over its lifetime including mpg bashing winters. So I am shopping, but not intensively, with the 2021 RAV4 Prime being the benchmark for me. Given the RAV4 Prime is not an option, to save money I am mainly looking at used RAV4 hybrids, which are plentiful enough. But I'll keep looking for other ideas, including Tesla Y.

I was not familiar with the site carcomplaints.com. It provides car reliability data, and was recommended in an article on Camry vs. Accord reliability at torquenews. Might be useful for used car buyers: https://www.carcomplaints.com/Ford/C-Max_Hybrid/ The 2013 C-max hybrid is reported as having many more problems than subsequent years, with main early problem being the dead 12-volt battery. Of course that doesn't mean the 2013 is any less reliable now - early problems often get fixed and are a problem only for first owner.

Consumer Reports has finished testing of their 2020 FEH, but not published yet. But they give brief overview of the results starting at minute 11:38 of video here: https://www.consumerreports.org/video/view/cars/talking-cars/6132637010001/talking-cars--episode-243/ Generally favorable.. They paid $34,740 for unspecified trim / options.

2017 C-max is in the Consumer Reports list of the top 10 "Most Reliable 3-Year-Old Cars and SUVs" https://www.consumerreports.org/used-cars/most-reliable-3-year-old-cars-and-suvs/ They report owner satisfaction is high. Price range $13400 to $16325, and owner reported 44 mpg. "The C-Max hybrid packs an impressive amount of room and utility into a small footprint. Outward visibility is great, and it's roomy enough to fit three people in the back seat. On the tech front, the available Sync 3 infotainment touch screen is easy to use. Topping it off is excellent reliability. However, a backup camera was part of an expensive options package and may be hard to find on a used version. Plus, cargo space is somewhat compromised by the large battery pack."

Amazon says the Moog "fits your 2013 C-max". They want $20.30, delivery in 2 days. https://www.amazon.com/Moog-K750554-Stabilizer-Bar-Link/dp/B00CE3PJY8/ I had the front links replaced at 35k miles under warranty; fixed a clatter over small bumps at low-moderate speeds. I replaced the rear links myself at about 40k to cure a similar noise from rear.

Consumer Reports "first drive" summary: "The 2020 Ford Escape makes a good first impression, with nimble handling, a solid feel, and a roomy and versatile interior. We particularly like that it comes standard with forward collision warning (FCW), automatic emergency braking (AEB), and blind spot warning (BSW)—features that are optional on some competitors. So far, it appears to match up well to its competitors, including the CR-V, CX-5, Forester, and RAV4. The previous generation Escape had average or better reliability for its final three years. In terms of owner satisfaction, when looking at 3- and 5-year-old models, the Escape was always middle of the road, with just about half of CR members saying they would definitely buy it again. What we bought: 2020 Ford Escape SE AWD Powertrain: 181-hp, 1.5-liter three-cylinder turbocharged engine; eight-speed automatic transmission; all-wheel drive MSRP: $28,595 Options: $2,810, which includes 17-inch aluminum wheels, panoramic roof, floor liners, remote starting, Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist (which includes voice-activated navigation, and adaptive cruise control) Destination fee: $1,195 Total cost: $32,600" They say the 1.5 turbo is fine, the 2.0 is plenty powerful.

Looks like several 2020 Escape preliminary reviews appeared on or around Sept 19. This one at Forbes looks at hybrid and compares tech used in different Escape hybrid generations: https://www.forbes.com/sites/samabuelsamid/2019/09/19/2020-ford-escape-hybrid-the-original-american-hybrid-is-back-with-room-for-a-spare/#78e50d76d25b This Consumer Reports video first look at the 2.0L: version they rented is generally quite positive; Escape discussion is about 8 minutes starting at minute 7: https://www.consumerreports.org/cars-driving/talking-cars-222-california-emissions-ford-escape-suv/ It appears the main hybrid contenders in this segment will be RAV4, Escape, and upcoming Honda CR-V. The claimed 30 mile range of the plug-in hybrid sounds good. I didn't see numbers for turning radius, but this review says "Steering is nicely weighted, offering predictable feedback and an impressive turning radius which always helps in urban environments and parking garages." : https://www.autoblog.com/2019/09/19/2020-ford-escape-hybrid-first-drive/?icid=autoblog|trend|2020-ford-escape-hybrid-first-drive-|-more-frugal,-but-still-fun

Applies to cars bought or leased before Aug 9 2013 in California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Washington. Max payout $400, depending on number of repair visits. Article: https://www.cars.com/articles/ford-announces-myford-touch-settlement-407393/ Settlement site: https://www.myfordtouchclassaction.com/

Or turn it into a surf wagon: https://www.amazon.com/Mr-Gasket-9645-Barefoot-Style/dp/B000CMH1WQ

My take (in order of decreasing confidence): a) rust breeds rust (the rust pits don't get scrubbed by the pads so once formed they continue to corrode) b) you don't need the full rotor surface (some rotors are sold with grooves or holes drilled through) c) coating the rotor only prevents rust on the areas the pads don't contact - it's cosmetic d) break-in is more for pads than rotors and is mainly to get them rapidly up to spec performance than to affect long-term life. e) open / spoked alloy wheels such as the C-max OEM exacerbate the problem of rotor rust, esp. in rust belt.

If the rear caliper piston is like most other Fords with rear discs, the caliper piston requires rotation to go back in, hence all the special tools available to do that. I just received one of the cheaper type from Amazon today: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002SQUFY/ As for cost, I just had C-max front rotors and pads replaced and to my surprise the dealer quote was lowest of the half dozen places I called - but only because Ford is running a coupon for $180 to replace pads and turn rotors. Replacing the rotors is higher but just by the cost of the rotors ($65 each). So total was $310 plus tax. The job took 4 hours (they had quoted 1.5 hr.) They had to call in a more experienced tech because the caliper bracket bolts were frozen. He used a torch. (The rear caliper bracket bolts have a much lower torque spec so should be less difficult to remove. I hope.) https://owner.ford.com/maintenance/service-coupons-and-offers.html

My front sway bar links were replaced at 35k under warranty, and I replaced the rear ones shortly after (out of warranty, but the parts are cheap). They made a little drum-roll rattle noise, especially noticeable going over small bumps at low speed. And two years later it is back...

I don't know how recent the Fuelly data are but many 2018's would only be seeing their first winter, and in cold climates winters will bring down their (very short) life-time mpg's. So maybe it is common for the most recent year of any hybrid model to show better cumulative mpg for awhile, then regress to the mean (?)

I have read that 2020 Ford Escape announcement is in 2 days, April 2. Expected to include a hybrid and/or plug-in hybrid.

Congrats on new c-max. I hope you will post impressions of any differences you notice. I can't remember if the Energi has a different gear ratio to compensate for the extra battery weight - if not, acceleration might be different.

Sorry to hear of your bad luck with C-max reliability. I see Ford recalled some electric steering units (but not C-max). FYI: rebuilt electric steering assembly for Cmax is $565 shipped: https://www.buyautoparts.com/buynow/2013/Ford/C-Max/Electric_Power_Steering_Rack/80-30058_DE Should be less recycled (not rebuilt) from a salvage yard.

On Subarus it requires a small device mounted on the fender with a brake line running through it; I read that Subaru copied it from Studebaker. On the C-max, I think one of the electric motors is holding the car in place, not the actual brakes, and it just requires some lines of code...