Battery Failures Poll

[OGRE81]

I'm making an appointment at the dealer this week and then pursuing the lemon law. I love the car when it works, but with the repetitive battery issues and other recalls I just don't have any faith in it anymore. I make my living with my car and cannot afford the inconvenience. I have not lost my faith in Ford as I have several others that are problem free but this model I cannot trust. 

Edited October 27, 2014 by OGRE81

[ptjones]

I'm making an appointment at the dealer this week and then pursuing the lemon law. I love the car when it works, but with the repetitive battery issues and other recalls I just don't have any faith in it anymore. I make my living with my car and cannot afford the inconvenience. I have not lost my faith in Ford as I have several others that are problem free but this model I cannot trust. 

It sure would be interesting if someone would try out my extra battery solution on Post #23 :)

 

Paul

[OGRE81]

It sure would be interesting if someone would try out my extra battery solution on Post #23 :)

 

Paul

Thanks for the suggestion but this is not something we should have to do to these cars. I'm not wasting any more of my time nor another penny on this thing.

[ptjones]

Thanks for the suggestion but this is not something we should have to do to these cars. I'm not wasting any more of my time nor another penny on this thing.

That is a shame, because I would do to if it was my CMAX, I just don't consider this much of a problem if I have a simple solution for it. I don't understand why people have to make a big deal out of this when It only takes a couple of minutes to jump start the car and I'm on my way. Most people go months between dead batteries. :shift: IMHO :) BTW non Hybrid cars have dead batteries too and they have to replace the battery.

 

Paul  

Edited October 28, 2014 by ptjones

[OGRE81]

That is a shame, because I would do to if it was my CMAX, I just don't consider this much of a problem if I have a simple solution for it. I don't understand why people have to make a big deal out of this when It only takes a couple of minutes to jump start the car and I'm on my way. Most people go months between dead batteries. :shift: IMHO :) BTW non Hybrid cars have dead batteries too and they have to replace the battery.

 

Paul  

 

Like you said if it were your CMAX you would do it but this one is not. It may not be a big deal to you because it has not happened but for some of us a jump start has not worked and we have had to be towed to the dealer or wait for roadside assistance. My last two times were within 1 weeks time. I'm not blaming this on hybrids I have another make that is a hybrid and it has no issues but I have never had a non hybrid vehicle with this issue over and over again without a charging system or parasitic load issue. This car is under warranty and Ford cannot fix it and I'm within my rights to remedy this issue and I am a loyal Ford owner. Would you be okay with paying a contractor to do a job while having a clearly written contract as to what is to be done and then have to add something yourself to make it right?

Edited October 28, 2014 by OGRE81

[ptjones]

You haven't said what the FORD Dealer thinks is your problem with the car just dying when your driving it. Did they check the ground connection? BTW a jumper battery will always start the car with a dead battery, It may require the disconnecting CMAX battery's Positive cable which takes a minute or two to do with a socket wrench. Then reconnecting it when car starts up. Has FORD said they can't fix your CMAX? I pretty sure they want to fix your CMAX once  they can figure out what the problem is.  Have you PM Rachel our FORD REP about your problems?http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/3310-official-ford-service-rep/?p=50720 It would be good start. :)

 

Paul

Edited October 28, 2014 by ptjones

[Smiling Jack]

Interesting result, so far:  51 failures out of 50 cars reporting.

 

Average of a shade over one failure per car.

 

NOT VERY GOOD !

[ScubaDadMiami]

I am seeing 62 percent saying no failure.

[ptjones]

This survey is very bias towards people with dead battery problems and I'm sure the real percentage is 5-10% at most. With only 68 people responding to survey and there are a few thousand people signed up for this Forum, this survey is useless. The only people that have voted are ones interested in the issue. IMHO :)

 

Paul

[kostby]

Interesting result, so far:  51 failures out of 50 cars reporting.

 

Average of a shade over one failure per car.

 

NOT VERY GOOD !

 

The average temperature in Minneapolis MN is 45.4 degrees.

Be sure to dress for that precise temperature when you visit there in January or July.

 

Average is only one measure, and not a good one to analyze the data in this specific case.

[stevedebi]

I have to agree with other folks who have posted this.

 

The people with battery problems are the ones who are more likely to vote in this poll. Others are less likely.

 

It is the same with most car forums; folks check in to report problems (or research problems they are having), but seldom to say their vehicle is working well. These forums are not a good place to judge the overall quality of the vehicle.

[ANDY]

No battery failures on 2013 MAX SEL in 12,000 miles. I place the lights on AUTO and leave them alone. At my age, I make no pretense about remembering to shut systems off.

[littlebitfarm]

Today was the 10th dead battery event on my car. 2 years old this week and just rolled over 20,000 miles. 9 of them after sitting overnight in my garage, 1 after sitting all day at work. The car sat almost 2 months this summer waiting for parts for the recall to fix this. Guess they didn't work.

[ptjones]

Today was the 10th dead battery event on my car. 2 years old this week and just rolled over 20,000 miles. 9 of them after sitting overnight in my garage, 1 after sitting all day at work. The car sat almost 2 months this summer waiting for parts for the recall to fix this. Guess they didn't work.

Why don't you try my solution of an additional 12v battery Posted earlier? Were you able to jump start the car every time? If so I think my solution will work for you. :)

 

Paul

[theseeleys]

Hi.  I just joined this forum Nov. 9. 

 

Our 2013 has had 4 failures, so far, none of which have been "operator error"!!!  It's back in our local dealer's shop now, for their 4th try to fix it!  So far, the first three were within the first 12,000 miles.  The 3rd try to fix it was in March, so this time, at least, their "fix" lasted till November.  Each time, Ford has blamed it on some sort of programming error (that they didn't find each time they looked and didn't fix the same way or the correct way each of the first 3 attempts).  In two of the first 3 tries, they said they swapped out the starter battery.  As of yesterday morning, no help! I had to call roadside assistance AGAIN and have it towed back to the local dealer AGAIN! 

 

We are seriously pissed at Ford.  SC has an automobile lemon law that might give us some relief, but since the 4th failure was >12,000 miles, even though the 3 tries to fix it were all <12,000, which is what the law requires, I don't have much hope we will be able to do much better than to rely on Ford's "good nature"!

 

:rant:

 

My real reason for this rant is to ask if anyone else who has had this much trouble with this particular problem has in fact gotten some substantial relief from the company, not just a local dealer/repair shop.  Like, for instance, "We'll buy back your crappy cmax and give you a good deal on a new one, assuming you dare trust Ford to make the new one any better than we did the one we're buying back from you because it's a piece of ****"

[plus 3 golfer]

theseeleys welcome.  It's too bad you got a "lemon."   Do you have an SE or an SEL?  If SE does it have MFT?  I've not had a battery issue.  But my take on Ford buyback is that early on Ford appeared to be more receptive to a buyback.  It seems (although one never knows the whole story), that more recently Ford has taken a harder stance.   You may have to go to arbitration (don't know SC law).  It might not hurt to talk to a couple of "reputable" attorneys and get their take on the SC law and your chances of success since you are apparently beyond 12 k miles.

 

Also, very recently one member apparently had the battery fuse assembly (150 A fuse) which is part of the cable assembly attached to the + terminal of the battery develop high resistance and apparently wouldn't allow for proper charging of the 12 V battery (too much voltage drop across the fuse) which could perhaps explain why some people are having dead batteries over and over again.  Ford replaced his DC/DC converter on the basis it had failed.  But I'm wondering whether the converter really failed as with a new converter the dealer could only get around 13.5 V instead of around 14.4 V.  13.5 V is not sufficient to properly charge the battery.  So, you might want to have the dealer look into this as a possible cause of your battery problems.  Unless Ford has issued a TB on the fuse assembly, I seriously doubt most dealers would check this.  

 

Keep us informed as that may help others with the dead battery issue. 

[BullDurham]

Hi.  I just joined this forum Nov. 9. 

 

Our 2013 has had 4 failures, so far, none of which have been "operator error"!!!  It's back in our local dealer's shop now, for their 4th try to fix it!  So far, the first three were within the first 12,000 miles.  The 3rd try to fix it was in March, so this time, at least, their "fix" lasted till November.  Each time, Ford has blamed it on some sort of programming error (that they didn't find each time they looked and didn't fix the same way or the correct way each of the first 3 attempts).  In two of the first 3 tries, they said they swapped out the starter battery.  As of yesterday morning, no help! I had to call roadside assistance AGAIN and have it towed back to the local dealer AGAIN! 

 

We are seriously pissed at Ford.  SC has an automobile lemon law that might give us some relief, but since the 4th failure was >12,000 miles, even though the 3 tries to fix it were all <12,000, which is what the law requires, I don't have much hope we will be able to do much better than to rely on Ford's "good nature"!

 

:rant:

 

My real reason for this rant is to ask if anyone else who has had this much trouble with this particular problem has in fact gotten some substantial relief from the company, not just a local dealer/repair shop.  Like, for instance, "We'll buy back your crappy cmax and give you a good deal on a new one, assuming you dare trust Ford to make the new one any better than we did the one we're buying back from you because it's a piece of ****"

 

I recently completed the buyback of my C-Max.  I intend to post the details later, but I went through the BBB arbitration process which is outlined in your owner's manual.  I live in North Carolina and my circumstances (four repair attempts in a year and a half of ownership) qualified under the NC lemon law.  I think you also have a case under SC law, which I believe you have misinterpreted.  Check out these FAQ's at the SC Dept. of Consumer Affairs:

 

http://www.consumer.sc.gov/faqs/Pages/lemonlaw.aspx

 

You don't have to have all four problems within the first 12,000 miles; the problem just has to show up for the first time within the first 12,000 miles.  Also it says that:  "The law presumes a reasonable amount of time to be either three repair attempts for the same defect or thirty days out of service for repairs."  So you are already beyond that.  

 

Ford will buy your car back.  They don't have a leg to stand on with this embarrassing problem.  Good luck!

[Maxy]

Hi.  I just joined this forum Nov. 9. 

 

Our 2013 has had 4 failures, so far, none of which have been "operator error"!!!  It's back in our local dealer's shop now, for their 4th try to fix it!  So far, the first three were within the first 12,000 miles.  The 3rd try to fix it was in March, so this time, at least, their "fix" lasted till November.  Each time, Ford has blamed it on some sort of programming error (that they didn't find each time they looked and didn't fix the same way or the correct way each of the first 3 attempts).  In two of the first 3 tries, they said they swapped out the starter battery.  As of yesterday morning, no help! I had to call roadside assistance AGAIN and have it towed back to the local dealer AGAIN! 

 

We are seriously pissed at Ford.  SC has an automobile lemon law that might give us some relief, but since the 4th failure was >12,000 miles, even though the 3 tries to fix it were all <12,000, which is what the law requires, I don't have much hope we will be able to do much better than to rely on Ford's "good nature"

 

:rant:

 

My real reason for this rant is to ask if anyone else who has had this much trouble with this particular problem has in fact gotten some substantial relief from the company, not just a local dealer/repair shop.  Like, for instance, "We'll buy back your crappy cmax and give you a good deal on a new one, assuming you dare trust Ford to make the new one any better than we did the one we're buying back from you because it's a piece of ****"

Theseeleys,

 

Feel your pain! Don't wait any longer. Request a buy back. It is obvious there is something wrong with your car as well as mine. I am in progress of a buy back / replacement as we speak. Read your state's lemon law. Usually it does apply to new cars while under warranty.

I hope you have been reporting to Ford all your battery failures . You need to document every problem with them as well, so your record is clear. It is a pain in the behind, but documentation speaks volume. I am very surprised to read about other posts as well who had more than 5-6 12V failures and still have not requested a buy back. Those cars are obviously having some mystery problems.

So far I have had mostly good experience speaking with ford reps. Other than some service personals, who had acted like my battery failure was the first they've ever heared. Ofcourse I am still in the process of replacement, but hopefully it will go smoothly.

Good luck in this learning lemon curve.....

[moedavis]

My experience has been exactly the same. 

 I've been a C-Max owners since april 2013. I'm originally from the Motor City so I like to spend my money supporting American Car Makers.  I've been a Ford Customer for many years, owned several Mustangs, F150.  However I've had the C-Max strand me with the dead battery 3 times now. Once in a rainstorm while trying to get kids to school.  Each time the dealer says "we've fixed it."

1st time:  it's the sync system, we re-programmed it. 

2nd time:  There was a wire loose under the seat that was causing the battery to drain. We fixed it.

3rd time:  The battery was bad. We think we fixed it.  

 

I'm at my ropes end with Ford and ready to buy a Toyota.  I filed a claim with Ford and they offered me an extended warranty. (go figure)  It seems silly that I should have to go out a buy a charger to jump my car when it doesn't start.  

 

Oh, did I mention the Ford Road service?  The guy shows up to my house with no jumper cables!!

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Edited February 12, 2015 by moedavis

[Kelleytoons]

Um, just complaining or are you looking for help?  (I mention this because this is the identical post in another thread -- folks that do that in general aren't looking for assistance but just to vent.  I well understand the feeling, but since we're all users here venting isn't particular useful and most likely won't even make you feel better).

 

Clearly early model C-Max's had more issues than later ones, and it looks as though you've fallen into that early category.  I truly feel sorry for you, honestly, but if you are looking for advice mine is to perhaps start Lemon Law procedures (which vary by state) in order to see if you can get a buyback or some other compensation.  The other option is to do some research (which you haven't done yet -- I'm not dinging you, just pointing out a fact) and see what all the causes for the battery issue are (they are listed here and they are many -- and most dealers will not have heard of all of them) and see if you can get your dealer to track down what is really causing the problem.

The Ford rep here can help, but you will have to appeal to her for that help (it won't be automatic) and only if you want to try and solve the problem (IOW, if you want to go Lemon Law route that's up to you and you won't get assistance from Ford.  There are also some threads here that talk about that and may provide you with information you'll need).

 

I wish you luck -- it's terrible when your transportation isn't reliable (which is why we ended up with a C-Max in the first place - and it's been stellar for us.  Then again, we bought after most of the battery issues had been resolved).

[Adrian_L]

I'm all for venting.  Why not?!  But you've had the car for almost two years and it let you down three times.   I'm not trying to trivialize things, but I don't think we're ready for the car crusher, yet.

 

When I took my '13 SEL for it's first service (big dealership in big city), none of the service guys had heard of battery problems with the C-max, so Kellytoons's suggestion to take advantage of the Ford rep is a sound one.   It appears that your dealership may need to be brought up to speed about the bulletins referring to troubleshooting, wire-wrapping, etc.   

 

Best of luck,
Adrian

[drdiesel1]

 

My experience has been exactly the same. 

 I've been a C-Max owners since april 2013. I'm originally from the Motor City so I like to spend my money supporting American Car Makers.  I've been a Ford Customer for many years, owned several Mustangs, F150.  However I've had the C-Max strand me with the dead battery 3 times now. Once in a rainstorm while trying to get kids to school.  Each time the dealer says "we've fixed it."

1st time:  it's the sync system, we re-programmed it. 

2nd time:  There was a wire loose under the seat that was causing the battery to drain. We fixed it.

3rd time:  The battery was bad. We think we fixed it.  

 

I'm at my ropes end with Ford and ready to buy a Toyota.  I filed a claim with Ford and they offered me an extended warranty. (go figure)  It seems silly that I should have to go out a buy a charger to jump my car when it doesn't start.  

 

Oh, did I mention the Ford Road service?  The guy shows up to my house with no jumper cables!!

 

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Yeah! Trade that scrap wagon on a Toyota and your world will be right again.

Edited February 16, 2015 by drdiesel1

[rogersenergi]

Both failures occurred after two to three weeks of not being able to conveniently plug the Energi into a 110V outlet.

I towed the C-MAX behind my motorhome to this state park.

There was a 30amp plug for the motorhome but no 100V outlet.

I didn't figure that it mattered; if I didn't plug it in wouldn't it just behave like a hybrid instead?

Apparently not.

I did bring my Schumacher Speed Charge 6amp charger and a 100 foot extension cord.

Twelve hours on the charger and the battery was charged up.

Now the regular charge line is charging the big battery.

After this second occurrence and reading these forums, apparently I must always keep the charge line plugged into the vehicle.

I plugged the extension into an outlet just inside the passenger window of the motorhome.

The window is rolled up as much as possible with a small towel draped over the top to block the bugs.

I had the charger on hand because my previous car, a Prius, had the 12 volt discharge once.

The dealers need to make this clear to new owners because this isn't normal behaviour.

[wab]

Both failures occurred after two to three weeks of not being able to conveniently plug the Energi into a 110V outlet.

I towed the C-MAX behind my motorhome to this state park.

There was a 30amp plug for the motorhome but no 100V outlet.

I didn't figure that it mattered; if I didn't plug it in wouldn't it just behave like a hybrid instead?

Apparently not.

I did bring my Schumacher Speed Charge 6amp charger and a 100 foot extension cord.

Twelve hours on the charger and the battery was charged up.

Now the regular charge line is charging the big battery.

After this second occurrence and reading these forums, apparently I must always keep the charge line plugged into the vehicle.

I plugged the extension into an outlet just inside the passenger window of the motorhome.

The window is rolled up as much as possible with a small towel draped over the top to block the bugs.

I had the charger on hand because my previous car, a Prius, had the 12 volt discharge once.

The dealers need to make this clear to new owners because this isn't normal behaviour.

Greeting and Welcome

 

Are you talking about your 12v or HV battery?

Have you joined the C-MAX Energy Owners forum? There's a link on this page, you have to scroll to the

very

top of the pg.

 

Now a comment and question about your mh.

We carry 2 adapters (available at RV parts stores) 1 converts a standard 15 amp outlet to a 30 amp rv plug, the other converts the 30 amp to a 50 amp rv plug.

Second are you sure your 12V charge wire from your mh is working?

 

Have you seen this thread?

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/374-recreational-towing-behind-a-motor-home/

[rogersenergi]

The 12 volt battery went completely dead both times but came back to life using the 6 amp charger clamped to the posts under the hood.

 

The cord that plugs into the HV charger outlet (4 segment blue circle); yes that works perfectly as I do get the extra battery pack charged up and am able to use EV only mode for about 20 miles.

 

I'll check the other links,  thanks.