fcforce

I sent a PM.

I tried to send a PM, but I receive a message saying that my "message can't be accepted". I can call you if you would like.

It's going in to another dealership on September 2nd. Fingers crossed.

It does it going down exit ramps off highways, over rough/uneven roads, down the street in my neighborhood, etc. The mechanic heard it all three times he drove it. He did the strut assembly fix but the noise is still there. We're not 100% confident with this car and will not drive it that far from home. I'd rather be stranded closer to home. Thanks for your input!

This is the third time my 2013 C-Max has been at the dealership for a noise in the front left tire area. I have taken it to them and road tested it with a mechanic twice. Both times the mechanic heard the noise, but couldn't pinpoint it and basically said there wasn't much they could do at this point. After the second road test with a mechanic it was agreed that I would bring the car back in within a week or two for further analysis. That appointment was last Friday and luckily the noise has gotten progressively worse since the second road test. They determined it was a bad front left strut assembly and had the car from Friday 8/14 until Tuesday 8/18 for a replacement of the left front strut assembly. After replacing the strut assembly, they called me on Tuesday night and told me that they STILL heard the noise in the front left tire area. They simply could not explain what it was and wanted to keep the car another day. They said they are replaced a coil (or spring) and some hardware. On Wednesday they called and told me the mechanic and manager both drove the car and didn't hear the noise. Well guess what? The noise is still there! I can't understand how they couldn't hear it. They had the car for 6 days! Obviously the car needs to be seen by another dealership as this one obviously can't fix it. I have had this car since March 2014 and it has been in the shop for one thing or another repeatedly. It fell victim to the dreaded dead battery situation and required a tow to the dealership in April. This car has 16,000 miles on it and has been at the dealership entirely too much for a car with such low mileage. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? The noise sounds a lot lot paper crunching and it comes from the left tire well area. I had all the TSB's done regarding the strut noise at low speeds over uneven or rough roads. Nothing has helped. I am super frustrated and would appreciate any help or advice. I would love to trade it in, but I would take too large of a financial hit. Quote MultiQuoteEdit

Did the dealership ever resolve your problem? I am having the same issue.

Kashmir, Here's another one. It's not too far from Quakertown. http://www.fredbeansforddoylestown.com/used-inventory/index.htm?model=C-Max+Hybrid&&&&make=Ford& Good luck!

I bought two of my last three cars at Ciocca Ford Quakertown. They are decent to work with. I think their prices are better than other Ford dealers in my area. You can also look at Sands Ford Red Hill. They aren't too far from Quakertown. I got my C-Max there.

I have not set up an appointment with a regional manager. I thought the next best course of action would be to take it to another Ford dealer for a "second opinion". It's definitely coming from the front tire exterior and not the interior. There is a creaking noise coming from the dash area, but if you push lightly on the dash area it stops. Every Ford we have had owned always had some kind of interior creaking noise coming from the plastic dash components so I just attribute this to normal Ford issues. In the past when other Fords have been in the shop for inspection or oil changes, I have mentioned the creaks to the service department but they have always said there is nothing they can do, and it's just how they are produced on the line. I have learned to accept and live with the Ford interior creaks, but the one that is going on now is a different story. Thanks again everyone for all your advice and input! I really do appreciate it.

I did do that, and he did hear it. I was in the passenger seat and we had the windows up, no air on and no radio on. When the car was back in on Monday that same tech said that now he couldn't hear the noise. I would almost understand if it were a different tech, but it was the same one. Other than take it to another Ford dealer, I really don't know what to do. It's really frustrating.

I'm with you! As I drove my street this morning, all I could think was "how could they NOT hear this?" I guess I will wait until it gets progressively worse, because at this point there's not much I can do. I guess I could take it to another Ford dealer, but they are a considerable distance away. To add further insult to injury, as of today the seat belt adjustment on the drivers side doesn't slide up and down anymore.

Mike884, do they have any idea what it is? I have read anything from the struts to the sway arm. After the mechanic heard the noise on the road test he suggested that maybe they would just switch the struts around. I am not auto mechanically inclined, but this seemed like a bad idea to me. I would think the issue would then be in the right tire area.

Thank you all for your replies. My car is a 2013 SE with approximately 14,558 miles. When I brought the car in on 5/15 I printed out TSB 13-12-9 and this is what the paperwork says: "Cust states noise from the left front tire area heard while driving and over bumps, sounds like something is loose. You can hear it when driving at low speeds over rough roads or when you hit a manhole cover, etc. Customer registered with a Ford Forum and they recommended that TSB 13-12-9 be performed. Check and advise" It goes on to say this: "Cause: TSB performed TSB 733 W94 1 XG*3*A Lubricant-Universal Anti-SEI Performed TSB 131209. Lubricated both front strut shafts. 131209A.8" The issue was not corrected when the car was in on 5/15 so I took it back in 2 weeks ago. They didn't hear the noise and asked me to come back in the next morning to road test it with a mechanic. At first he didn't hear the noise, bu then he did and said it "sounded like paper crinkling in the front left tire area." I made another appointment to bring the vehicle back in to hopefully correct the issue once and for all, but yesterday they called me and told me that they couldn't hear it. I asked them to talk to the mechanic who road tested it with me, and they said they did but now he couldn't hear it. I picked the car up last night and guess what? The noise is still there, and is now slightly louder. You hear it when driving over uneven or rough roadways (which are a lot in the area I live). The dealership I take it to does not give out loaner cars, which of course means I am at the mercy of others to drive me around while the car is in their care. The gas mileage is wonderful, and it's a comfortable car and I like the way the car drives, but it's been in the shop at least twice a month for the past 4 months for one issue or another. I would trade up for a newer model, but that would mean taking a loss which I can't afford to do.

My 2013 C-Max SE is at the dealer again for a noise coming from the left tire area. It sounds like paper is crunching. This is now the 3rd time I have had it in for this noise. The first time they claimed they didn't hear it. The second time they asked me to come in and road test it with the mechanic (which I did) and initially he didn't hear it, but as luck would have it he finally did hear it on the last portion of the road test. I was asked to bring it back in so that they could address it. The car is at the dealership right now and they called and said they can't hear the noise again. I am very frustrated and am not sure what to do. I guess I could take it to another Ford dealer and hope for the best, but every time I take it in I am without a car and have to rely on other people for rides. I have had this car since March 2014 when I purchased it with 900 miles on it. It was fine at first, but the last few months things are popping up like crazy. First it died in my driveway in April 2015 and had to be towed to Ford. I was told they tested the battery but they couldn't find anything wrong. They couldn't guarantee that it wouldn't die again. The letter from Ford came in May regarding the battery drain so I took the vehicle back it again for them to perform the work. In the meantime the noise in the front is still there and Ford has yet to address it. To add further insult, two days ago the car shut off abruptly in my driveway again after I put it in park. Luckily I had just returned home and wasn't stranded anywhere. I immediately turned the car on and it did start up, but I have to admit I am nervous that this is yet another thing. Has anyone had issues with noise coming from the front end? I read TSB 13-12-9 and my car is doing everything that is described. I don't understand why they hear the noise, then they don't hear the noise. My confidence in this vehicle and Ford is waning. Thanks for any help you may have. UPDATE: The dealer called and said they can't hear the noise. I asked him to speak with the tech who road tested it with me. He said that he did and that the tech couldn't hear it this time. They told me to wait until it is more consistent and then bring it back in.

According to Ford, everything is up to date. I will send you a PM tomorrow when I get to work. All the paperwork is on my desk. I have never seen the TSB that you posted. That was interesting! Thank you so much!

I have a 2013 SE that was manufactured in May 2013.

Plus 3 Golfer, yes it was purchased from a Ford dealer. And yes, it is now up to date on everything except the latest recall because the parts aren't in yet (safety restraint component I believe). Blaquetung,I would easily lose $4000 if I traded it in...maybe even a little more. Mlsstl, exactly! I drove approximately 20 miles from home today and when it was time to start it up to drive home, I held my breathe. I hate that feeling. The VW I traded in for this car became unreliable which after awhile became mentally draining. I never knew where I would get stuck. I'm hoping that maybe this was an isolated incident, but from the service guy told me, I'm not so sure. Thanks everyone for your advice! ☺

When I picked it up at the dealer I did make sure it was PM. The date worked fine for a few days and then was suddenly two days behind yesterday (should have said 4/18, but said 4/16). I'll keep an eye on it and start documenting any further anomalies.

Thanks, I will do that. On another note, when I got in the car this morning, the date was set to two days ago (4/16). This is odd, because the time was correct. When I picked the car up at the dealer on Tuesday, the date was incorrect, so I reset it and it has held accurately until this morning. Of course now I am wondering if this is a sign of an impending issue. Also, I did a little research on the VIN number and from what I see, the vehicle was purchased at auction on 2/18/14. I purchased the car on 3/3/14. The salesman specifically told me that "the vehicle was traded in by an older couple who couldn't get used to the Hybrid technology." I am annoyed, yet not surprised that he lied. But I am also alarmed that a car with only 900 was purchased at auction.

I'll have to look at the Carfax and see if it reveals anything. I just found it odd that it was traded in with only 900 miles on it. The salesmen told me they couldn't get used to the hybrid technology, and could never tell when the car was on or not. And then the salesman said they traded it for a Fusion hybrid. If you didn't like one hybrid, I would think you wouldn't turn around and buy another one. I'm hopeful that the issue has been resolved. We'll see.

Marshtex2 I will read your post. Thanks! I feel a little better about this having read everyone's input. I was just pretty nervous thinking "oh no, here we go again...another car with reliability issues". Thanks again!

Thank you all for your great input! I will look into a battery charger. I do have one other question that maybe someone can address: I read online that some C-Max owners have experienced the vehicle shutting down while driving or getting a message advising them to "safely pull over" and then the vehicle shuts down. Has anyone experienced this personally? Is this more of a rare occurrence than the battery simply being dead? I found that alarming when I read it, and wondered how people handled that scenario. Again, thanks everyone!

Thank you for your reply stevedebi. I bought the vehicle used (I am the second owner). When I bought the car, it only had 900 miles on it. I thought that was kind of odd and asked why it was traded in with such low mileage. The salesman gave me some story along the lines of "well, they just didn't like it and could never tell if the car was on or not". I didn't think much more about it. But now looking back, there have been some other glitches, such as the "Media" portion of the radio not working sometimes, and the tailgate lift failing to lift. It will pop open but fail to lift. Again, I just chalked it up to minor glitches that I would bring to the attention of Ford when it was in for oil changes or inspections. I understand what you are saying about waiting for it to happen again, but I have no idea if it happened before I bought it. I doubt that the salesman would have disclosed that perhaps that was a reason it was traded back in. I will wait to see if it does happen again, but I just hate the idea that I could be stranded somewhere. One of my dogs has medical issues that absolutely requires daily medication at timed intervals, so the idea of not being able to get home when I need to stresses me out a bit. Thanks again for your input. I really appreciate it! :)

I have a 2013 C-Max Hybrid SE that was manufactured in May 2013. The battery failed for the first time this past Saturday (4/11). The car was completely dead. I didn't leave anything on that would cause the battery drain. It was towed to our local Ford dealership (not where I purchased it) and they gave it the once over and according to the paperwork, it looks like they updated TSB 14-0173. I have to admit that I am very nervous that this issue will occur again. I have only had the car for a year, and it has low miles on it (12,000). I traded in my previous car because it had reliability issues and was in the shop every few weeks for various issues (it was a VW Golf). After being stranded without a car for the umpteenth time, I gave up and traded it in for the C-Max. I have owned many Fords in the past and haven't had too many problems, so I was comfortable purchasing another Ford. We also own a 2005 Prius and that car has been great, with no issues at all. I decided on the C-Max over another Prius and am now wondering if I made the right decision. When I picked the vehicle up a few days ago, I asked the service rep "is there a possibility that this will become a recurring issue, or has the issue been resolved?". He couldn't give me a straight answer. I told him that my last car was unreliable, had left me stranded a number of times and was in the shop often. I told him that I was fearful that I was once again in the same situation, and that I no longer felt comfortable driving the car more than a 10 mile radius from my home in the event it went dead again. He said he understood my concerns, but that while he "thinks" the issue was resolved, he really couldn't say for sure that it would not happen again. I like the car, and I LOVE the gas mileage, but I am considering trading it in. I don't want to be in the same predicament I was with the VW, in that I always held my breathe wondering if it would start, run, etc. I am interested to know if anyone else has been in a similar situation and if anyone has continued to have issues with battery drainage that has left them stranded. if so, how did you proceed? I don't like the "wait and see" attitude that I feel like I was given by the service rep, but I am not sure what else to do. Trading it in would also amount to me taking a financial loss on the vehicle at this point. Thanks for any advice you can provide.