grege

Thanks for the info. Not looking forward to having this recall fixed, but far worse things have happened. Thanks !!! Greg

Just changed the cabin and engine air filters on both our cmaxes. As routine, I change both filters annually (although every two years seems more than adequate). Glad I did change all 4 filters, though, since one our engines sucked up something akin to a baseball-sized cottonball mouse nest (which the engine air filter trapped). Recommend to others to at least check theirs annually. To me, if you're gonna bother checking, probably worth it to simply change it at that time. Good luck... Greg

Happy to report the 19.5mm lug socket worked perfectly. There were still 3 lug nuts that were almost too swollen, but a little patience and voila, all lug nuts replaced. POS ford nuts no more. Greg

Happy to report I've removed the cap !!! Got fed up enough and said F-it, it's either coming off or I'm breaking it off. Finally popped it off with some aggression and then added silicone grease around cap o-ring and oh-what-a-difference-that-made. I was fully prepared to install a new coolant tank, but no need for that yet... Greg

As with most builds, it's completely hit and miss. Own 2 cmaxes (2017 and 2018) and both have had early problems (before reaching 36,000 miles), including all sway bar links replaced on both, transmission replaced on one, 4 wheel bearings replaced, half shaft, rotors, many misaligned seams and creaking noises, and all have swollen lug nuts. Love the way both drive, but repairs are premature and reflect poor build quality. Our 2017 rear bearings sound like those are going bad...again with still only 38,000 miles on that one. Greg

Just replaced all the swollen lug nuts on our 2018 cmax and need to do the same on our 2017 cmax. Ridiculous. Standard 19mm/3/4" lug wrenches don't fit anymore, so I purchased a 19.5mm socket to remove the swollen lugs. Two piece lug nuts suck !!! Greg

My immediate reaction is similar to fbov's - sway bar links quite likely. Both our cmaxes suffered from those and were replaced. Greg

Thanks for the replies. It's the factory alarm (not aftermarket) and all info I found was consistent with what you folks reported. Thanks again, Greg

2018 cmax titanium. Is there a simple way to deactivate the cmax alarm? First time auto train this year and we've read that it's recommended you deactivate your car alarm due to train shaking possibly triggering alarm and draining the battery. Thanks for any help! Greg

I've not gotten it off yet since I was afraid I was going to snap something. I'll try again when/if the coolant level drops significantly. Just annoying because it came off fine before the coolant was changed when the transmission was replaced. Now the cap alignment is off and it now lacks the "loose" feel when unscrewed. I expect I'll be replacing the coolant tank and cap before long. Greg

Just received a text yesterday (12/17/2021) about our 2017 energi cmax related to the 21B09 recall. If affected, I"m hoping this equates to being 100% covered by Ford for all, but we'll see... Greg

2018 titanium cmax and I can loosen the coolant reservoir cap, but the *(&^%$#@! thing will not come off. Seems to spin loose and then stops and will not budge anymore or lift up/off. Prior to this, my wife's 2017 energi cap and my 2018 caps were always difficult, but never had a problem ultimately removing either. Our 2018 cmax had the tranny replaced and the coolant along with it, so ford possibly dorked some cap alignment since it no longer perfectly"faces front" like it used to do (it's close, but not quite right). Any recommendations for removing this POS? Thanks! Greg

I believe the "standard" recommendation has been 1/4 turn past "hand-tight". That never seemed adequate to me, so I've been known to tighten until it bottoms out metal-on-metal; not recommending that, but more than 1/4 seems necessary. Greg

Bill, That's weird. Have not seen that on either of our '17/'18 cmaxes using motrocraft FL910s filters (which use flat/broad o-rings). Greg

After some brief research...ford switched to a yellow (greenish) coolant in 2020 that is "backwards compatible" with ford orange. So, I'll simply add my leftover orange coolant as necessary and not sweat it. First day driving car with new transmission (metal shavings found within original cvt from wearing bearings) and it's quieter, but mileage has not improved, so suspect the newer goodyear maxlife tires are to blame for that (was hoping the grenading tranny was partly responsible). If you want better mileage, do not use goodyear maxlife tires. Greg

New transmission installed along with two new rear hubs (agaIn). While I know coolant color doesn't matter, it's still disturbing to see green coolant now mixed in with my original ford orange coolant with the new transmission. That, plus the swollen lug nuts requiring two more to be replaced today adds to the chaos. Brakes are rusting and noisy, but functional. Anyone have any rotors/pads they'd recommend? Been eyeing up PowerStop Geomet-coated CRK6397 rotors to see if those actually do rust less. Thanks, Greg

Update: first dealer threw parts at the car and noises got slightly worse, so took car to another Ford dealer and...transmission is toast at 35,000 miles. Great. May be fixed by late September. Still not a fan of CVTs... Greg

2018 titanium since new and I'd swear my cvt is one of the original HF35s!!! Meaning at 36,000 miles, there are low rumbling/growling noises emanating from it especially when coasting. Ford said it was the half shaft and replaced that. Nope, guess again. That noise is sometimes overrun by brake rotor scraping noises that only get worse, so will likely replace rotors and pads before to much more time passes. Greg

Thanks for the response. Not surprised about the greater tread depth for the "max life" given they claim an 85,000 mile warranty. Tracking mileage daily, so... day 1: 50 mpg day 2: 51 mpg day 3: 53 mpg I do expect some tire "bedding"/wear will improve mileage, but doubt I'll reach Michelin energy numbers of 59-60 for my usual commute, but we'll see... Greg

Car went back to dealer and they confirmed there was a problem with their balancing machine, so rebalanced all and huge improvement. Problem now is, driving the same routes, mileage is much reduced (9-10mpg lower with same tire pressure) after switching from Michelin Energy to Goodyear Assurance Maxlife. Will track mileage for two weeks and if mileage remains this bad, will seek another tire change. Anyone swap new tires due to performance problems??? Thanks, Greg

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe these cars will self-shut-off after so many minutes of inactivity, correct? Greg

2018 cmax and had a sidewall puncture in original michelins (~36,000 miles). Opted for 4 new tires and went with Goodyear Assurance max life. Horrible experience thus far. Vibrations readily obvious and horrible at highway speeds. Mileage after one day driving identical route to work yielded 10mpg drop already. WTH? Might need to have all replaced under the 30 day "guarantee". Don't know if it's a combination of bad tires and bad balancing or...??? Car was so smooth that I could do 80mph on original tires and not realize it; now, at 65mph and higher, it's unbearable. Something is not right. Greg

This is becoming the noisiest hybrid I've driven between the brakes and tire cupping noises. Did check the outer pads and those are almost "new" thickness, so if the inners are actually under 5/32", then there's obvious caliper failure and either way you slice that, that is simply dealer fraud given braking score is good and MPG are both quite good. Unfortunate, but a recurring reality for far too many and what keeps me from dealer service for anything except warranty work. I'll DIY the rotors and pads in the next year or two once it bothers me too much, but it's certainly not critical. Greg

Yeah, my OEM Michelin tires are already making noise (likely due to cupping), which is why I rotate tires yearly to prevent, but hasn't helped with this vehicle. I will now steer clear of Michelin tires and Goodyears due to bad experiences with both brands. Just checked the reported 4/32" front brad pads left and...NOPE, the brake pads still have much of their chamfers visible, so not even close to being worn much at all, yet Ford recommending new pads for $555 for the fronts. New rotors and pads recommended all around due to rust = What a bunch of fraudulent BS. I'm all for companies making a profit, but to do so fraudulently is sickening. Greg

Car finally back after one week (and sketchy service and "lost" parts). Car bought new and now has ~32,000 miles. Surprised to see one inspection item report rear brakes AOK while front brake pads are 4/32" and recommend replacing. With regen braking and only 32,000 miles, front brakes have worn quicker than any other new vehicle I've owned? Will need to visually check that in a few days, but disconcerting to read that while at the same time dealer reports all pads and rotors should be replaced due to rust. Um, if rotor surfaces are rusted, then there's obviously not much pad contact and pads should not be worn much, right? Transmission noises reportedly relate to half shaft/axle and hub (based on chasis stethoscope "ears"), but "replacements" have not yet diminished noises, so I'm sadly skeptical about that too. Second time in a row dealer has not rotated tires when requested as part of oil/filter/routine service. Might end up having another shop look it over to verify service. Servicing should not be this big a challenge for any customer. Greg