ctford

Just wondering, did your checks come via FedEx?

Hi Dave, I'm not sure what the exact name is for the part. It's the main power supply that controls everything electric in the car - including power steering (which went out first), braking, door locks, sync...everything. The reason I was given was that there were bolts loose from the plant that touched wiring that melted and caused a short and the meltdown. It's really frightening to have your car die on you while you're driving it. I am very fortunate I didn't get hurt in that incident. Colleen

Has anyone who updated it noticed any differences in the map layout? I have a rental Focus (stupid CMax in the shop AGAIN) and I swear the map looks different. The street names show up on little signs. Anyone else notice this? New feature or just a different layout from the get go. I keep forgetting to take the SD card out of the Focus to check the version.

I haven't found anything like that either. When they say "Pandora connectivity" it means you can connect audio from the bluetooth on your phone and access Pandora features from the Sync Screen. The Pandora app (and many others) reside on your phone though and are made compatible with Sync by the app developers.

I wanted this too. It's 100 degrees here and black leather is killer! I did a lot of research and this is what I came up with. It's called the Audiovox Car Connection. It plugs into your service port (OBD-II). The module is like $150 or something and then you have to pay a fee to keep the cell service active. It does lots of stuff, like tell you what the actual service codes are and give you information on your driving habits. There is a mobile app and the CMAX is listed as being compatible with the remote start/stop feature. If you decide to get it, please let us know how it works! http://www.mycar-connection.com/ From their site: Connect with your car like never before. Imagine being able to connect and communicate with your family's vehicles each day. Knowing how fast or aggressively your teenage son is driving. Whether your daughter is using her cell phone in the vehicle, and you being able to restrict it. What if grandpa's car could alert you whenever he drives outside of a predetermined safety zone. Imagine knowing precisely what needs repairing when that frustrating "Service Engine" light comes on. Think about the money you'd save being able to verify your mechanic's diagnoses. All of this — and so much more! — is now made possible with the innovation known as Car Connection.

Wendelina, I love how most people just ignored your post and used the opportunity to brag about their mileage and the fact that they have trouble free, or relatively so, cars. I have a lemon too. My C-Max is a POS. Don't get me wrong. I love the car. I wish I didn't have to take it in to the dealer every other month. My service issues make yours look tame. Canister purge valves replaced multiple times, broken plastic bits, stop now check engine light, the lower carriage engine cover coming off on the road, and my all time favorite - the total meltdown of the main power box causing me to lose power while on the road and roll to a stop. The whole central power box literally melted. I had only had my car three months and probably had it in my possession only half that time. It's now a year and a half and 28,000 miles later. The fun hasn't ended yet. In fact, my lemon is back in the shop now getting a recall fixed and having the front end looked at to figure out what the thumping noise is. When I get my official service record back from my Service Rep (who is LITERALLY on my speed dial), I'll post every date and problem I've had with this piece of junk in another post. My dealer has been great about fixing it and has handled my crying and screaming fits very professionally. :) Ford decided to give me a year's worth of oil changes for my trouble. Like that means a lot when I spend so much time worrying about my car shutting off and killing me while I'm on the highway. So here is some advice from a fellow C-Max lemon owner, perhaps what you were looking for in your original post: They pretty much agree it's a lemon, although the official line is "yes, it's been in for service more than most cars". The service manager has recommended trading it in rather than pursuing the Lemon Law. In Texas, that could take a year and the car depreciates over that time. You're only offered what the car is worth at the time they buy it back. If you trade it in, it's still under warranty and you will get the value it's worth now. It sucks. For me, that means I've lost $15k on it and can't afford to get a car nearly as nice as this one. I actually bought the extended warranty when I purchased the car because it's a hybrid and a drive a lot. If you go with the Lemon Law, you're looking at a great deal of time to resolve, and you're going to get a low value for it anyway. You know, if they just swapped my car out for a C-Max that works, I would be happy and move on with my life. It only seems fair. Take my piece of junk and give me one that works! Seriously, an even exchange for the same model! It's a great car, it really is. I just feel like this one is a rolling deathtrap! I'm currently shopping for replacements. Honestly, if I buy a used car for what I can get for the C-Max that is reliable, I'm probably still ahead. Oh, and I currently get around 39mpg. Yet another nuisance. Sure, some people get great mileage. They also have cars that aren't lemons! I drive my car in the most frugal manner possible and I still don't get the "revised" advertised mileage. I'm also curious as to why the official Ford service rep on the boards, Ashley, hasn't responded to you! I mean, she's responded to other people within this post, but not you? My, that's helpful. Best of luck. Keep us posted on your progress. Colleen

Laurel, I actually bought mine in November. It was built in July!

Ok, so I know I got one of the first by buying Nov 3, 2012. But seriously, I just saw a report from my dealer that shows my build date as 23-JULY-2012! I must have miscalculated from my VIN. I thought it was built in October. Ok now, who can beat me? Anyone earlier than 7/23/12? I go in for the software update tomorrow. Wish me luck!

I deliberately didn't get the panoramic roof (although I kinda wish I had it) because I saw no purpose in it when I found out it wouldn't open! Living in Houston and having black leather, I knew it's only purpose would be to help my car bake in the sun. The temperature gauge on my car when I left work yesterday said 101. And it's only the first couple days of June. (I admit, I HATE living here, but not just for the heat!) In any case, I always read in car manuals that using recirculate will run use more fuel, so I tried to avoid it. Then I came to realize that that only counts in the majority of the country where my temp gauge doesn't read 112 in the summer. Recirculate keeps the cold air circulating which takes less fuel than forcing the car to try to cool the ridiculously hot outside temps to a decent inside temp around 73 or 74, where I've been keeping it. Houston can have no humidity days and 100% humidity days, depending on which way the winds blow off the ocean. For my purposes in these conditions, recirculate has helped my mileage creep back up a bit. Just my $.02. Colleen

It's been a couple months now.....and so far so good! I'm afraid I'll jinx it though! Colleen

I don't know about Zagg, but I was wondering if anyone else was using one. The prints are annoying, yes, but I want to make sure it doesn't get scratched. Anyone know if a screen protector of some sort will make the screen less sensitive?

Got my car back yesterday. So far so good. Keeping my fingers crossed!

Ok, just got off the phone with the dealer. The connections to the fuse box had come loose causing some nuts to melt. It is the main box in the engine they replaced. They got the part sooner than expected and it's ready for me to pick up. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Thanks Red, that makes me feel a little better. When I bought my Nissan Rogue in 2007, it was also a new model with limited availability. My check engine light kept coming on. It turned out to be a bad timing valve. After it was replaced, I have had almost no problem with the Rogue since. I'm hoping once this gets straightened out, it will be the same. Losing power steering at high speeds is a frightening thought!

Update: So when they checked it out, they got a battery code. They changed the battery. The service manager took it for a test drive after everything appeared fixed, and lo and behold, the power steering went out on him too. Lovely. They took it back and called engineering. They determined the problem to be a bad fuse box. The part has been ordered and should be in the beginning of next week. This is ridiculous. The dealer has had my car more than I have. And what if the fuse box isn't the problem? I'm not mechanically inclined, in any way shape or form. I just know I'm a little doubtful and am now very nervous my car is going to die on me while I drive. So, would one of you who knows more about cars tell me, do you think a bad fuse box sounds like a plausible explanation? PS - I have looked up the Texas lemon laws. If I have another problem after this, I will pursue that option. Colleen

I'm thinking that's what happened to mine this morning....while I was driving!

So it's been 2 1/2 weeks since I bought my car. One week in the dealer getting engine light issues fixed. I finally picked up my car yesterday and drove home, leaving a spare car behind. My mom came with me on the way to work this morning to pick up the other car. As I turned the corner nearing the Ford dealership, the power steering went out. I pulled into the service bay. I left the car on to show the service manager that I had no steering. As I sat there, the car systematically shut down. First the "Check battery charge" light came on. Then the displays went out. I couldn't roll up the windows or unlock the trunk to get out my bag for work. Then, as I tried to pull up further into the bay, the car shut of entirely, even the gas engine. The service guys finally managed to put the car in neutral and roll it into the garage. No warning. No problem indicators. I'm amazed this just happened to be at a time right as I was rolling into the dealership to get the other car, or I would have been stranded on the road. And I am totally scared that my car may shut down on the road while I'm driving. That's insane. Losing power steering was scary enough, but the whole car? So now, as I near week 3 of C-Max ownership, I am once again without the car. I think I've had it almost an entire week in the 3 weeks I've owned it. I have a Focus rental, free of charge of course. Did I buy a lemon? Looks like I should have gone with the Prius after all!

Great. Sounds like a faulty part was manufactured.

Has anybody noticed that the leather seats are not entirely leather? The side of the seat next to the center console is made of some type of spandex stretchy material. I feel jipped!

No, but I'd be interested in finding out! :)

So far I'm disappointed in the Sync services. It appears to just connect through my phone and dials an IVR to get general information. Very low-tech. It should work WITHOUT the use of my phone. My mom just got a Hyundai Santa Fe with Bluelink (supposedly something very similar). Her car has a BlueLink phone app that includes several remote features - like starting the car remotely. Now THIS is something I'd find useful with Ford Services! It looks like they're going to have this available with the C-Max Energi, but not the Hybrid. Boo. Shame on them.

So I've owned my car less than two weeks. Half of this time, it's been at the dealer awaiting repair! I'm told now I won't get the car back until Monday. The first time the engine light came on they couldn't find anything wrong as there were no codes generated. This time, they got a code. They need to replace something called a "cannister purge valve", whatever that is. They placed an emergency order and are awaiting the part, which isn't expected to arrive until Monday. Great. I'm hoping this fixes the problem and I won't have anymore issues after this! Decided to get the extended warranty though. Looks like I may need it after all. It can be purchased on the owner site. Colleen

So I got my new C-Max SEL a week and a half ago. About 4 days after I got it, the check engine light came on out of nowhere. Nothing appeared to be wrong, but the light wouldn't go off. I took it to the dealer a week ago today. They cleared everything and could not fight a problem. I went out earlier to grab some coffee and the light came on again, out of nowhere. So now I'm back to the dealer AGAIN. I haven't owned this car two weeks. What gives? Anyone have similar problems?