Mike

Has your car been fixed? Do you know which module was replaced? My car is doing the exact same thing (advancetrak inop and airbags inop). They both happened simultaneously, although I'm also seeing the 'wrench' symbol come and go. My dealer doesn't offer loaners and I can't afford to be without my car. Not sure if this is related, but my battery was replaced last week as it wouldn't hold a charge.

Mine don't operate as the manual states either. I took it to the dealer, who claims to have fixed it by reprogramming something-or-other, but it still doesn't work.

I just grabbed it. No virus detected with Microsoft Security Essentials. Just a normal PDF file.

Mine was built mid-September. I've had my share of issues with the car, but nothing major (knock on wood). I had the lift-gate issue which now appears to be fixed after the TSB action, and the 3.5.1 update helped My Ford Touch a bit (but is still far from perfect). I had the recurring check-engine light as a result of the evap problem with the fuel filler neck, but they replaced it with an updated part and that problem hasn't yet resurfaced. Now if I could just have working windshield washers and properly operating auto-lights.....

About a month ago I found that my windshield washer was not spraying. I added washer fluid to discover it pouring onto the ground. Turns out the connection between the hose and the washer pump had become disconnected. The dealer "fixed" it but it was still leaking when I went to pick it up. They looked again and said they needed to order a new pump. They got and installed the new pump but lost the o-ring for the connection. They ordered the o-ring but it has been on backorder for several weeks now. According to the dealer, there appears to be an issue and a necessary redesign which is the holdup for them getting the new o-ring. I miss having a windshield washer!! Anybody else have this problem? On an unrelated note, my headlights do not automatically come on when raining. They never have. I've turned the feature off and on several times through the settings, but no luck. The dealer claims to have fixed it but it still doesn't work. I read about somebody else having the same problem. Can anybody verify that this feature actually works for them?

I ordered the cargo management package as well, and the dealer tried to give me a cheaper organizer and no net. It was also like pulling teeth to get the interior protection package (floor mats) that I paid for, and I ended up getting screwed on the remote starter (they ordered the wrong one and wouldn't correct it). My tale can be viewed at www.garysmithfordsucks.com for anyone interested.

According to the C-Max brochure (you can see it here), on the "C-Max Standard Features" page, under "Mechanical", it claims to be an "Intelligent Oil-Life Monitor ®". What I would like to see is how much oil life is left, according to the computer. My 2005 GMC Truck does this, and I like knowing that I'm at 5% oil life before heading out on a trip or something.

I received a set of moldings from bodysidemouldings.com and am really happy. The packaging was great and the moldings arrived scuff-free. I was impressed with the paint, as it really is a perfect match to my gray C-Max. These moldings are also for the Focus and came with installation instructions only for the Focus. The new instructions that include the C-Max can be found at http://dawn-ent.com/install/fe-focus084dr.pdf. My wife and kids pulled into the drive as I was installing them, and I had one side done. They asked what I was doing and I pointed to the moldings on the finished side. My kids were confused because they thought they were already there. I told them to look at the other side which was half done. In short, they look like they belong on the car and the kids thought they were there all along.

I'm in the same boat as many C-Max drivers, in that my highway MPG are nowhere near the rated 47MPG. One thing that I don't understand is that, according to the EPA web site, the highway tests are now supposed to incorporate higher speeds (up to 80MPH). The site at http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fe_test_schedules.shtml says: "(Beginning with 2008 models, three additional tests will be used to adjust the city and highway estimates to account for higher speeds, air conditioning use, and colder temperatures." Getting in excess of 47 MPG on trips where I never exceed 60 MPH is a breeze. I make a 60 mile drive three days a week in a mix of 2-lane highway speed of 60MPH and small towns with speeds of around 35MPH. I routinely see between 47 and 52 MPG's on these drives. My overall MPG is 45 MPG due to some highway driving.

I'm actually a bit disappointed at the lack of driver-accessible nooks. I would like to have a little cubby hole in the dash somewhere, but there is none. I would just like someplace to put my wallet (when I have it out) or toll money or something, aside from the door or the un-organizable bottomless pit that is the center console. There's just no modern-day equivalent to an ash-tray to keep change and stuff unless you want to get something that takes away one of the cup holders. They designed the dash for appearance over function which, in my opinion, also messes with the AC vents (which mainly point towards the ceiling). I still love the car overall, though.

Mine is push-button start.

Okay, I went through quite a lot with the remote start. I hope I can save you all some hassles. I ordered the bi-directional remote start with my C-Max from Gary Smith Ford in Fort Walton Beach, FL. The bidirectional remote did show up as an option when you did an online build, but now does not. What they received and installed is the non-bidirectional remote start (though I didn't know it at the time). The installation took them 2 days. At the end of the first day they basically had the entire dash taken apart behind the steering wheel and behind the glove box. If I'd have known what it would entail I probably wouldn't have ordered it. When I picked up the car there was a butt-ugly black-box-looking antenna installed in the passenger-side windshield. It looked totally ridiculous and out of place (I would have put in on the back glass, not the windshield!). To top it off, it didn't even work due to a programming issue (there was a TSB on it from Ford). And then, to top that off some more, it wasn't the bi-directional remote starter I ordered. If that could possibly be topped, they scratched my interior in the process. I asked for a refund on the unit and Gary Smith Ford agreed. I went back yet again for them to take the unit out. I later asked about the status of my refund and they said I would have to take it up with Ford. Now I see that the bi-directional remote is no longer an option when building a C-Max online, probably due to the programming issue. Needless to say, I am pretty upset with Gary Smith Ford and Ford's sale of a not-yet-ready-for-primetime remote starter. I'm currently out over $400 and it looks like I'll have to go to small claims court to get it back. You can view all the details at http://www.garysmithfordsucks.com if you would like.

My mileage has gone up substantially since my first report (last page), when my car had well under 1000 miles. My mileage is great under 55MPH. I can choose to take the freeway to school, or the two-lane road that parallels the freeway. When on the freeway, at 65 MPH with ECO cruise and A/C off, my hour trip gets me, at most, 39 MPG so far. When taking the same trip on the adjacent two-lane road, through some small towns with a lot of stop lights, and no faster than 55 MPH in the other sections, I regularly achieve 48 to 49 MPG. My car has about 1600 miles on it, so maybe I'll see a difference at 2000 - 3000 miles. So far I'm thrilled at the around-town MPG but disappointed with the highway MPG. Also, I passed a couple radar-detector signs that show you how fast you are going. If they are correct, then the speedometer is off by several MPH. My speedometer said I was going 35 but the signs said 31 and 32. I'm going to take my hand-held GPS with me on my drive to school and see what the truth is. An artificially high speedometer/odometer would indicate higher MPG than we are really getting (and added mileage to the odometer). I really hope this isn't the case.

I have an SEL with My Ford Touch, and I am ridiculously impressed with the navigation. My wife's 2009 Camry Hybrid has factory navigation, and I've had recent aftermarket navigation head units in my truck from Kenwood and Alpine. I've only had the C-Max for a week now, but it seems that the navigation that came in my C-Max is the best of the bunch. The screen resolution and map quality are better than I expected. The screen refresh while mapping is incredibly smooth - no lagging and jumping.

The rain sensing wipers can indeed be disabled. It's just another 'notch' on the wiper lever, just as the automatic headlights is another turn on the lighting knob.

Just to report, my cruise control works as it should.

I've gone about 500 miles in mine so far. At first I was very disappointed with the MPGs (low to mid 30's) but it has been rising consistently since I first started driving it. I'm now achieving low 40's with good consistency. I'm sure my driving habits are changing as I become use to the car and I'm starting to feel that 47 MPG is attainable for around-town driving. I'm a bit skeptical and disappointed with highway MPG, however. I set the cruise to 65 MPH in ECO mode, with the A/C off, and I hardly ever see the real-time MPG gauge go over 40. I travel at near sea-level between Crestview and Pensacola Florida several times a week. It is a very straight stretch on I-10 with very mild hills. I would like to see the MPG's go up on this drive but I don't know how to make it happen. The speed limit is 70 on I-10 and 65 MPH is as slow as I dare go. I haven't checked my tire pressure yet because I just took delivery of the car last week, but I know that can play a huge role if it is low. I'll check it today before my Pensacola drive.