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Good to know. I'll likely still go through with the adjustable arms but try from another brand and do some additional research there just to try and see what goes. I don't plan on making many other major modifications to this car, mainly just normal maintenance and upkeep. I've done the Sync 3 upgrade and I'm happy where she's at and plan to keep her til it becomes uneconomical to maintain. I'm also not set on what my next set of tires are gonna be. I definitely don't want to go with the OEM Michelin's as that bit me in the butt here my first winter with the car. They don't seem to like ice, AT ALL, even with good tread left. Even the cheapo Kenda all seasons I replaced them with have been miles ahead of the Michelin's in the stuff. But I do believe the Kenda's I got being on the cheaper end may not have helped the cupping situation either so I do plan to step to something likely mid-tier once the tread dictates replacement. We don't get too much or too bad of winter precip being inside an urban heat bubble, just a few days here or there when temperatures rollercoaster and we get snow melt or rain that freezes into solid sheets of ice but that's maybe ~5 days out of the entire year so I've never felt the need to keep a set of winters around and have learned well driving on all seasons (My last car was an '07 Focus with no ABS and rear drums and my commute at the time was in worse conditions with a longer commute than where I'm at. And before that I drove a family member's Cavalier when I lived in the Ohio snowbelt. I got quite adept at winter driving between of those two. lol). So ultimately I'll be sticking with some decent mid-tier all seasons and will do that research when the time comes for replacements. ?

This is a big one for sure. I just got mine rotated at my last service a few months ago with only 10k miles/2 years on a brand new set of tires and the cupping was horrible. Didn't realize it was going to get that bad so quickly. The alignment is horrible on the rear of our vehicles and can't be adjusted with the factory hardware apparently. Supposedly there's some aftermarket components made for the Focus that's compatible with the C-Max to make the rear end adjustable and help with this. Personally I plan to drop my rotation intervals down to 5k/1yr, hold out til I need new tires and then get a good middle of the road all season set and look into the aftermarket suspension components at the same time.

In theory the Master Reset option in Sync should take care of all that for you with no need to contact the prior owner. I've had to actually do a few master resets of mine recently when I've played around with Sync 3 and it very simply removes the vehicle from my MFM account and sends me an e-mail, text, and app notification telling me it has been removed. From there it is free to be added again. I don't see it mentioned above, but first things I would do to make sure the modem is actually communicating with Ford: 1) Check the system info in Sync and see if the TCU ESN is displayed properly. If it just shows blank instead of an alphanumeric string, the TCU/Modem is not functioning correctly. 2) Whether or not (1) is showing, try pulling the 'Cellular Passport' fuse (forget the fuse number, but this is how it's listed in the manual) for 5-10 minutes 2b) Check (1) again after doing the fuse and also try the master reset option again. 3) Verify you are in good AT&T 3G coverage as that is what these modems use. 4) Verify the modem recall has been done. Early models came from the factory with 2G modems (Can't recall what model years this applies to) and AT&T has shut that down. Ford had a free recall for a period to swap these for 3G capable ones. Basically there is no way for you to contact the prior owner through official Ford channels and the only time they're going to get some clear notification is how I mentioned above if the Master Reset was successful and the vehicle is removed from their account anyways. If all else fails, relying on the dealer to do any necessary updates and resets and potentially reset the MFM link for you is the only option you have.

No, but really glad to see another vehicle in Ford's stable that is coming with a hybrid drivetrain standard, especially in the pickup segment. I think this is the first since the C-Max? Also seeing this package offered under $20k is insane. I see they mention a CVT on this, I wonder if it is specifically going with the eCVT model? Does Ford have any other vehicles currently with a traditional belt/chain operated CVT that they could borrow from?

No way that I'm aware of to stop it. But you are correct, it does it if it deems the air in the cabin is too humid. The verbiage on this is in Ford's workshop manuals: In-Vehicle Temperature And Humidity Sensor The in-vehicle temperature and humidity sensor contains a thermistor and a sensing element which separately measures the in-vehicle air temperature and the humidity, then sends those readings to the HVAC control module to adjust the actuator doors. The in-vehicle temperature and humidity sensor has an electric fan within the sensor that draws in-vehicle air across the two sensing elements. If the vehicle cabin becomes too humid the HVAC control module adjusts the air inlet door to allow more fresh air. When the humidity level drops, it adjusts back to recirculated air. That said it doesn't specifically mention the recirc icon turning off but I'm assuming it is related to all of this. In my personal experience I've noticed it happening after running with recirc for a bit and the windows just begin to start fogging up.

I have found, and I believe this is mentioned to some degree in the owners manual, that the HVAC system does have programming to monitor interior humidity and will adjust/turn off recirc if it feels it needs to to maintain a certain humidity level. I had noticed the same behavior on mine (not necessarily the smell, but the recirc mode turning itself off) and had to dig around on that.

To preface this: I recently upgraded my 2013 Energi to Sync 3. So I'm running off the original 2013MY ACM and a 2016 nav equipped APIM with the latest 3.4.21098 software update. Yesterday was the start of SiriusXM's free preview and is going on until June 8th. Was playing around to ensure my system had been activated accordingly. Apparently at some stage it 'froze' but not in the usual ways. I could still actively change audio sources, change volume, and interact with everything normally. However either shutting down the car or pressing the power button with the car off (how I often mess with Sync while in my garage. I don't start the car or turn on accessory mode, just press the power button on the dash for the audio system) would react. So this was a new failure mode for me. This time around fuse 79 didn't resolve it on its own. Fuse 67 was what was needed to power down the APIM which was what was acting up here. Just thought I'd throw that out there as a new failure mode I've run into. I'm still of the thought that there's something with the Sirius refresh process that tends to hang up the works on occasion. Since up to this free preview mine has been inactive so it was working hard to pull down all the channel logos, channel guide, etc. from scratch.

Simply put there's a parasitic drain somewhere. Common ones are the ACM/APIM (the modules involving the radio/infotainment/Sync), potentially the rear hatch needing adjusted as there were known issues with the latch/ajar sensor not being triggered properly when closed, etc.. And of course the obvious: Make sure you don't leave anything plugged in when the car's off that may drain the battery. There's no guarantee that a dealer is going to be on top of software updates unless the previous owner experienced these issues and actually bothered to get the source of the issue fixed vs throwing bandaids like just jump starting/replacing the battery. So may be worth checking in to see if any of that was actually done previously.

I want to say I've seen some mentions elsewhere that in later models when they started adding the titanium trim, the powered liftgate was relegated to a different option package compared to previous model years with the SEL trim. So just an FYI there when researching if that is a desired feature.

Not built in to the vehicle, no. However depending on the EVSE you can some times use a padlock on the charging handle itself. Some will have a small hole in the handle that can be used for that. In that case it will prevent the 'release' button from being pressed and will prevent it from being removed from the charge port.

The car does have a built in GPS receiver even if it doesn't have factory navigation. It is used for other functions such as EV+ but also 911 assist and the compass display. On early Sync 1 and Sync 2 vehicles, Ford used to have a paid service where you could still get turn by turn directions even without factory nav that would rely on this GPS unit. It was a very basic but ingenious system where it'd use your phone to dial out to their service and when you asked for directions it'd download some data over the call similar to an old school dialup modem and the vehicle would use that combined with the internal GPS receiver to give you basic turn by turn voice prompts. Sadly that has since been shut down. I'm a bit hazy on the details but I believe some apps on CarPlay or Android Auto will also use the internal GPS receiver in the vehicle rather than the one in the phone. The reverse, however, is not possible. The vehicle's own functions will only use its own receiver.

As fbov said, the included inverter in the C-Max won't do much with just 100w capacity. In theory you can just get an aftermarket inverter to use in these cases but as always this is at your own risk. If doing so, keep in mind the DC-DC converter in our vehicles (takes place of a traditional alternator) is only capable of 120-130amp output capacity at 12v and this load is shared with all the other components in the vehicle (all computer modules, lighting, radio, etc..). If it were me (and I have considered this just for the VERY rare occasion I may need it in this neck of the woods if just to occasionally run the fridge if needed) I probably wouldn't go much higher than an 80 amp load which means an 800w (at 110/120v) continuous rated inverter tops. And also NEVER use an accessory outlet for this purpose and always attach directly to the battery if at all possible. As an additional note if this route is pursued, keep in mind the DC-DC converter is an EXPENSIVE replacement compared to a traditional alternator in case it fails. In theory an inverter should be a bit more stable of a load than, say, trying to jump start another vehicle (which is highly advised against for this reason, even if Ford doesn't explicitly call it out in their manuals), there's always that added risk with aftermarket components.

Make sure your Sync system is up to date. Little things like this are commonly sorted out in newer updates especially with Sync 3. That said from what I've seen elsewhere, this may not be an unusual occurrence and just an inconvenient bug. Probably just Sync forgetting what the last audio/media state was. This behavior in particular shouldn't be related to the radio freeze/12v battery drain issue many see in earlier model years.

At least in mine when it did it, it didn't feel like a 'bounce back' but it stopped at its set limit and dropped a little on its own once the motor stopped. I may try resetting the travel limit on it though.

I noticed this as well on my 2013 but it's only really happened once and on a decent incline and only a few inches of drop. Not exactly sure the cause myself but curious. At least in my case the struts seem to behave normally otherwise. I should also note that I exclusively use the power options on the liftgate. I've never manually opened/closed it.

Technically you should be able to. All that's involved with the newer vehicles from the factory is a simple splitter system. Roof antenna covers both AM/FM radio and GPS and brings it back on one line and splits off the signals behind the APIM/ACM. But it's likely going to be extra work. I've looked into doing this before on the C-Max specifically and it looks like the actual splitter harness runs all the way to the driver side corner of the dash so would probably be a bit of a headache. If you're worried about the GPS receiver reliability, there have been some recommended that are OEM modules from other vehicles and can be placed under the center dash cover just as easily as the cheap 3rd party recommendations. Unfortunately I don't have the info on those at the moment. EDIT: Re-read your post a little more: No, the stock 2013 GPSM cannot be used with Sync 3. The APIM is not programmed to read from that data source and it cannot be wired into the APIM as the connections only provide CAN data and not the raw GPS signal that APIM is requiring on the antenna feed. Also the 2013 GPSM is in the dash right above the IPC. The comment I made originally was under the assumption you wanted to upgrade to the all-in-one sharkfin style antennas on some newer Ford's that have the combined GPS/AM/FM/Sirius antennas.

Can't tell front or rear. Doesn't seem to vary with speed best I can tell but will vary slightly in volume based on load. I'm very aware of the rusting as it is quite obvious in noise after it rains and I'll often kick it into neutral for that exact reason on the first few stops to knock off the rust but there's still a slight grinding noise despite that. Sadly I don't have a jack or the space to really do checks like that myself. Though I think at some point I'm gonna see if I can go to an empty lot and have someone drive the car while I walk along side with my phone to get a clearer recording of my own. I did get my car back and here's the update: Ultimately I had to ride along with a tech to try and replicate it and had to find a good spot in a plaza nearby that I could drive up next to a building and it is noticeable under low speeds too. Was eventually able to point it out to the tech and he basically indicated it was brakes and a normal slight surface scraping even under no use. Not sure HOW much to believe it but the more I hear it the more I am leaning towards it is -some- form of brake related noise. And I do know the front brakes have never been touched in the 4 years/40k miles I've had the car. Just the rears were done, rotors and all. Nothing's been mentioned -yet- on the checkups that the fronts are bad or worn down and braking has been fine. I'm coming to the conclusion that under the assumption that even if the transmission starts to misbehave with the bearing issue it does take quite a while for it to start actually being an issue, I am probably going to be safe. Got 2 years left on my loan, after which I plan to build up a repair/trade-in fund. With my job being work from home for the foreseeable future my average mileage is putting me at only 10k miles over 2 years time (which should put me at 90-95k on the odometer). And at the current market value of these cars I can probably upgrade at that 2 year mark to a newer model for pretty cheap if I chose to do so. But most likely I'll drive this one til the proverbial wheels fall off.

Latest update: Door handle looks like it's gonna have to be replaced and I'm skipping on that since the cost from the dealer quoted is about $500. That's been a VERY minor issue. Worst case I'll try the documented TSB when I get the car back that's essentially removing the handle and cleaning/drying the inside and there's some kind of sealant used too. Seemed like an easy enough DIY job last I looked at it. Noise: So far they haven't been able to replicate/hear it. Service advisor's going to bat for me though and is getting another tech on it to try and figure it out. So I'm happy about that. Sadly that means no real substantial news yet.

Managed to pull this from the workshop manual CD I have for my 2013. It does have the procedure for drain/fill/bleeding the hybrid coolant system. Also included the listed procedures for trans fluid drain and fill. So the procedures are there. It may be terminology throwing people for a loop. As noted, the inverter cooling system has nothing to do with the HVB cooling. So wouldn't be surprised if someone not familiar with the vehicle is unaware of the second cooling system or how to work on it. EDIT: Added the ICE coolant procedures as well just for completeness. 2013_cmax_hybridcoolantdrainfill.pdf 2013_cmax_transdrainfill.pdf 2013_cmax_ICEcoolantdrainfill.pdf

Was actually a piece of cake. I did get mine pre-programmed for my C-Max however. I think that is honestly the more challenging part if you plan to do it yourself. DanMC85 over on the 2gfusion forums has a service he offers to provide the correct programming necessary if you want to go the full DIY route: Sync 3 Programming (via Email) by DanMc85 Basically it's just adjusting configuration bits to tell the APIM what vehicle and options it has to talk to now. Installation took me less than half an hour, maybe closer to 20 minutes? Granted I have viewed the installation videos a number of times. This is a good video going over the process. It's for the Escape but since the interior is near identical, it's a good analogue: (90) Ford Escape - SYNC 3 Upgrade Installation - YouTube Only thing that is not working out of the gate even with the programming is the automatic parallel parking feature. That's a known issue on older vehicle upgrades. The PAM (Parking Aid Module) needs updated. The actual parking sensors and beeps still work however. In my 4 years of ownership I've never had the option to use the parallel parking feature so it's not a huge loss for me. There's also a very minor issue due to a) mine being an older Sync 3 APIM and b) having updated to a newer 3.4 version, when the headlamps are in auto mode and the ambient light quickly changes and dims the interior lights, the APIM screen flickers when it dims. Some incompatibility with the lighting data sent over the CANbus if I understand things correctly. For me its not really that distracting. This one I don't think there's a fix for short of sticking with one of the earlier Sync 3 updates that still has an auto brightness toggle for Sync itself that can be turned off to avoid it (I think 3.4.19101 is the latest with this?). Newer versions remove it and have auto brightness turned on by default. Other than those it's 100% functional. Even the energy flow display and charge settings are kept. MyFordMobile still works. On screen climate controls disappeared on the latest update but that's a known thing and I just need to flip literally one bit in the AsBuilt data when I get the car back to re-enable it.

Yeah, mine happened well after that. No other work or changes were made around that time. Just stopped working and on the drivers door only. Sensors work in all the other doors perfectly. I do recall seeing a TSB about just needing to disassemble and clean/use some sealant on the inside of the handle. Didn't bring that up, just mentioned the drivers door being the lone one out that stopped working. So we'll see on that one. Not a HUGE issue so if it's more than that like needing parts replaced I'll likely just leave it as is. No new info otherwise. Car is with the dealer. Seemed they were backed up and would need to keep it which is fine as I work from home and have alternate transportation if needed. Thankfully the service advisor seemed pretty perceptive of everything I noted. Two comments she made that I made a mental note of is she was gonna have a tech drive around the building to try and get the sound to bounce off as I have been dealing with and she also did specifically mention the transmission and the warranty if it came to that. So cautiously optimistic and keeping my fingers crossed. So fare other than this noise cropping up, this car has been rock solid which I've been very happy with especially given it's a 2013. Other than regular maintenance, I had the APIM replaced under warranty and the washer fluid bottle replaced as it developed a crack and a leak at some point. Other than that, no 12V battery issues, minimal HVB (Energi model) degradation. Just recently upgraded to Sync 3. Quite happy and fully intend to drive it until the wheels fall off if possible.

That's what I'm hoping it is as well. If it's brakes or a wheel bearing/hub or something I'd be a lot happier about paying that repair bill vs worrying over the transmission issue. So far thankfully I haven't heard a peep of abnormal noise inside the vehicle with windows up. Just normal road noise.

This sound is actually very close to the one I'm hearing. I am taking her in today to get some other scheduled maintenance done. Also my drivers door handle completely stopped sensing my hand about a year back so gonna see if that's gonna be an involved fix or not. Will definitely be pushing to have them check on this noise and see if I can encourage them to also check on the transmission too to be sure. Just gonna flat out tell them I'm aware of the potential trans issues and want to make sure that's not starting to act up before my warranty runs out.

I've basically only ever heard it in EV mode. It's JUST quiet enough that it would be hard to hear over the ICE so not sure if it occurs during that or not. A/C is similar. I do plan to take it in to the dealer here in the next couple days for its yearly checkup, oil change, etc. so going to see if I can push them to do a more thorough check this time.

So I am very well aware of the known transmission issues on these vehicles in the earlier model years. Got a 2013 here. So far knock on wood with 81k on the odometer it has been behaving. However a noise that has been very slowly progressing over time has me bugged especially with only a few months left on the hybrid warranty. Unfortunately last time I had my dealer check it out they were unable to hear anything (to be fair, it was VERY hard to hear even for me at the time) and even now it can only be heard under very specific circumstances. Basically the only time it is heard is with the windows down, radio off, and if I am driving past another car or a wall or object that the sound can bounce off from the driver side. Anything outside of that such as driving in the open or windows rolled up it can't be heard easily unless it is SUPER quiet, no other cars/street noise. The noise though is a very distinct metal on metal grinding type noise, continuous with no rhythm I can tell. And it occurs under any load, accel or decel and seems to increase in loudness if more load is applied. Normally I would just say this is a wheel bearing somewhere but with the known transmission issues and the end of warranty coming up it has me a little spooked. Any thoughts especially from those who have dealt with the transmission failure before?