DKG85

My situation exactly mirrors that of Salman -- picked up my 2014 CMAX SE last week (a Lemon Law replacement for the 2013) and this morning the 12V battery was dead. I have about 250 miles on it. The replacement process was slow, but Ford went above and beyond the letter of the law (Massachusetts) and I felt I was treated very well and fairly throughout. That said, I am now filled with dread at the prospect of going through another series of repair attempts etc. and just want a car that starts reliably every morning. I don't have a voltage meter and haven't tracked details about the conditions under which the battery has drained, except that I do leave the automatic headlights in the "on" position, and I generally have a phone charging cord plugged in to either the USB plug or the 12V outlet. The dealer assured me multiple times that neither practice should drain the battery, so those have been constants. The 2013 made it through the entire winter, with subzero weather, with no problems at all since Halloween. And now this. Any advice? Donna

We bought our CMax in October 2012 and I have had FOUR electrical malfunctions that I think are related. The first one occurred while driving -- the display started flashing yellow and basically said to stop as soon as I could do so safely. After a frustrating hour trying to decode the error symbols using the owner's manual, I finally found "electrical malfunction". Towed to dealer, they said they tightened some connections and tested the battery, and sent it home. The next three times were almost identical: I'd go out to the car in the morning and try to unlock it with the key clicker, and nothing happened. Opened the car manually with the key, but there were no display lights, no dome light, absolutely nothing. On dealer's advice, had it towed (did not attempt to jump it; the third tow service said that jumping the car would clear the codes so the dealer would not be able to diagnose). One time they replaced the 12V battery, another time they advised me not to leave my USB cable plugged in (though no device was attached), and the most recent time they installed a software update (Technical Service Bulletin 13-4-13). Other than this problem, I like the car a lot, but this is obviously a deal-breaker.

I'm in the Northeast and have definitely seen MPG improving with warmer weather. Even before it got warm, after about 5K miles the MPG began to improve. I frequently get between 45 and 50 on jaunts around town, and around 45 on the highway. What kills the fuel economy is short trips on a cold engine. Basic stuff.