Buying Used 2013 C-Max Hybrid, worried about transmission issues

[ddennis002]

Hello all!

I am new to this forum tomorrow me and my wife will be picking up our used 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid SE with 70,300 miles on it.

I have done a few extensive test drives on the car so far and had a few tech friends look at it as well it is pretty well sound.

We are getting it from a bigger Honda dealer as it was a trade in we are getting it before tax and title $7,995 which i think is a really good price myself given the dealership offers lifetime warranty on anything lubricated, motor, transmission internal parts ect. As long as the recommend manufactured maintenance is performed by somewhere that keep digital copy.

Also to the fact that it is still under ford hybrid 8y/100,000 mile warranty.

 

I have seen some reports of the eCVT going out around 100,000 warranty can anyone point me in the right direction as to signs or symptoms or sounds they experienced and what clued you into knowing it was the transmission, did you have issues getting ford or whom ever to replace what was the experience?

 

This being our first hybrid and I have done a ton of research in the past 2-3 weeks which is how long the car has been on hold for us. Any other comments concerts, what to look for while buying this car would be superb and appreciated.

 

Thanks!!!

[obob]

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/forum/68-ecvt-transmission/

 

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/5288-mileage-and-build-date-for-ecvt-that-have-failed/

 

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/6115-transmission-failure-very-unhappy-with-customer-service/

 

 

Here my quick two cents that has not been vetted for accuracy but should be close. Ford made changes to the transmission for the 2014s and then made further change in the 2015s so getting a late build 2015 or later would be best.  And an 2014 or 2015 also lower risk.  Getting a 2016 or later gets you better music and other electronics.  A transmission problem if it is not covered is expensive (like 6000 but I heard there is now a kit rather than a transmission replacement and with the kit it may or may not be covered under the hybrid warranty.)  and it can fail after 100,000.  Have you checked cars.com and other sites like them ?  

 

That lifetime warranty sounds nice if you can trust that.  

Edited February 19, 2018 by obob

[ddennis002]

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/forum/68-ecvt-transmission/

 

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/5288-mileage-and-build-date-for-ecvt-that-have-failed/

 

http://fordcmaxhybridforum.com/topic/6115-transmission-failure-very-unhappy-with-customer-service/

 

 

Here my quick two cents that has not been vetted for accuracy but should be close. Ford made changes to the transmission for the 2014s and then made further change in the 2015s so getting a late build 2015 or later would be best.  And an 2014 or 2015 also lower risk.  Getting a 2016 or later gets you better music and other electronics.  A transmission problem if it is not covered is expensive (like 6000 but I heard there is now a kit rather than a transmission replacement and with the kit it may or may not be covered under the hybrid warranty.)  and it can fail after 100,000.  Have you checked cars.com and other sites like them ?  

 

That lifetime warranty sounds nice if you can trust that.  

 

Thanks for the response and the links.

 

Unfortunately going higher for us isn't an option we are buying the car out right with taxes so anything we buy we wouldn't much of a warranty and 9k is our top price out the door. I know a few people that have bought from this dealership and was told they stand behind there lifetime warranty. Google 95% 5 star rating 500+ ratings, BBB has the dealership A+ grade, and everyone I have worked with so far there has been upfront and very helpful. Also have already obtained a copy of Terms and Conditions on the warranty and it goes over every part and piece that is cover and the expectations to maintain the lifetime warranty. That is why we are going with this car over a list of 25+ we had put together.

 

I have check carcomplaints.com and cars.com and only seen a few issues but on here seems to be more probably cause it is tailored to the C-max. I was aware of the upgraded kit ford has to fix the transmission when the failure does happen.

 

I just want to have all my p's and q's and i dotted going into this to know what to expect and if something does happen to have the piece of mind that we won't be stuck with a paper weight.

[obob]

The other problem to expect is cupping of rear tires which some people think can be mitigated with frequent rotations.  This is pretty minor compared to the trans.

 

https://www.google.com/search?q=fordcmaxhybridforum.com+cupping&oq=fordcmaxhybridforum.com+cupping&aqs=chrome..69i57.9095j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

[Istheman]

I own a 2013 cmax sel ... I would recommend this vehicle to someone I didn't like at all, like my

worst enemy so I could watch them suffer as I have. Laugh out loud in other words you got screwed. Itermittent dead batteries , camera failures,,, control module failures... Ford customer service only will divert you until warranty expires and at that time you will need a lawyer.. it would be interesting to know if this was financed or purchased with cash.

[Istheman]

Oh yeah forgot tires car goes through rear tires every 15k and the brake pads every 10k or so. This could just be the 2013 but I hear others complain of same issues through 2015 model year. I can't believe there isn't a class action law suit on the 2013.. This car is a total heap of misery from which there is no escape... you need to buy a booster pack as well laugh out loud somebody bought a 2013 cmax in 2018 you must be crazy

[Istheman]

Anybody coming here reading this do not buy a Ford c max without talking to me . These cars drive great wonderful first impression vehichle... but trust me it is a paper weight . Dealers don't want them and finance company's will force a bogus warranty to the lubricated parts... control modules batteries brake systems are not covered you will be spending thousands in labor and parts as I have.

[Istheman]

Just give Heather Nabb at Ford a call 18666313788 ext 77737 ask her if she recommends the purchase of a 2013 Ford cmax.

[Istheman]

Just give Heather Nabb at Ford a call 18666313788 ext 77737 ask her if she recommends the purchase of a 2013 Ford cmax.I escalated my issue to a buy back at which time the rep started sending false letters and being sarcastic over the phone. Stating I never took my car to the dealer even going so far as to it never happened that is how far Ford is willing to go to attempt to cover up the issues with the 2013 Ford c max. Just now seeing this post was started in February at least in the future people will be able to see this.

[obob]

Hi Istheman.  Welcome to the forum.

 

1.  Rear tire cupping - kind of agree.  Ford may have just used the focus suspension and didn't account for the heavier battery so they don't need all that negative camber.  Ford mostly did not take responsibility.  However Toyota didn't take responsibility for my 99 Sienna's bad trans and my sister Sienna's bad automatic doors.

 

2. Brakes at 10K - strongly disagree.  Most people on this forum haven't had to do anything with the brakes.  Getting good mileage and minimal brakes wear go hand in hand.

 

3. The dead battery problems are largely in the past.  They did have a problem and they took responsibility for it.  I have had 4 dead battery events and none since the last software update which was a while ago.  Mostly SE models.

 

4. Transmission - they are taking responsibility for 100K miles or some amount of years (maybe 7 or 8).  So if you had mention that one I would have agreed.  But that is worst for 2013 better for 2014 and 2015, and pretty much fixed 2016+

 

5. The sound system is fixed in 2016 - They pretty much had an unfixable problem that they tried to minimize.  Having a software background I pretty much do not attempt to have the sound system be a good trusted friend. Keep a good distance.

 

Part of the problem is it is a first model year car.

 

One thing I will let you know a lot of people on this site are in the same 2013 boat.  The approach has been to try to stay positive for it isn't like you can return the car.  And there are some really nice things about the car.  Comfort for tall people, peppiness with good mileage, Big car feel with small car ease of driving, room to fit big things, good handling, great forum that has helped me a lot and taught me a lot.  The extended warranty has been recommended a lot.

 

So I kind of understanding your frustration.  

 

And maybe your are right, maybe somebody should be more strongly steering people away from 2013s.  People generally state the situation and let the person decide, including suggesting later models, but with an aggressive salesperson, maybe that is not enough.  Maybe they are impressed with getting such a loaded model.

 

A 2013 can be a good deal at the right price (especially if the trans has been replaced.)

Edited March 16, 2018 by obob

[ptjones]

I'm sorry you are having problems with your 5 yr, old CMAX, but a vast majority CMAX owners LOVE their CMAX's and don't have the problems you do.  It would appear you aren't being completely honest with us. 

 

1. Heather Nabb tried to contact you several times and I don't see her saying anything negative about the car according to the letter. 

2. I think it would be safe to say that 99% CMAX owners have never replaced their brake pads, I have 186k mi. on mine and they look pretty new.

3. Checked Forum Tire and Wheel threads and didn't see any Threads complaining about short tire life. It is recommended that you have your car's alignment checked if you are having wear problems and when you put new ones on your car. I'm at 65k mi. now so I'll get 80k mi. on my third set.

4. Most CMAX Owners 12v batteries haven't been replaced their batteries yet.

5. I had a ESP warranty for 132k mi. which covered any repairs I needed to have done including having the Trans replaced.

Bottom line is that there isn't another Hybrid out there that is FUN to drive, has the room and gets good to great MPG's, I'm averaging 52mpg for the last two years and even the Fuelly average is around 39 mpg. :) Showing if you work at it you can do so much more than EPA MPG's. :yahoo:

 

Paul

[ptjones]

I like the 2013 best because of the Smart Gauge has the best info including LifeTime score. :)

 

Paul

[fbov]

... I think it would be safe to say that 99% CMAX owners have never replaced their brake pads...

I'd take that bet in a heartbeat! My front and rear were both serviced in 50K miles, and the rears appear to be going out again... rotors disintegrated. Road salt is not kind to brakes when you're not using them enough. 

 

But I still agree with your bottom line... even though I'm looking for other car-buying options, I keep coming back to a car that ceases production in May. 

 

Frank

[SnowStorm]

Another word of warning about the brakes; some shops will fail inspections because they look "rusty" (or some such excuse), likely from the little use they get.  This happened to me so I went to my tire dealer (who does lots of brake work!) and the inspector there was nearly livid that someone would fail the brakes.  They have continued to pass inspections for several years since then and the original pads/rotors are now past 151,000 miles!  Lifetime brake score is 95%.

Edited March 19, 2018 by SnowStorm

[obob]

Another word of warning about the brakes; some shops will fail inspections because they look "rusty" (or some such excuse), likely from the little use they get.  This happened to me so I went to my tire dealer (who does lots of brake work!) and the inspector there was nearly livid that someone would fail the brakes.  They have continued to pass inspections for several years since then and the original pads/rotors are now past 151,000 miles!  Lifetime brake score is 95%.

 

This rings true for me.  

 

There are other messages with pictures on how the rear rotors can appear with ridges but that is not a problem.  My car had them after a few thousand miles.  I suspect it has to with the high percentage of 5 to 0 mph brakings.  

 

And as I recall someone mentioned that if the rear rotors get rusty using the emergency brake to stop can clear that up. ( or using the brakes while in neutral will wear on all four rotors, bypassing regenerative braking. )

Edited March 20, 2018 by obob

[HotPotato]

I hope you are enjoying the car!

 

For anyone else reading this thread for similar reasons, I have a 2013. If the car has had all the many recalls and applicable TSBs performed, it should be a pleasant and reliable car. If it hasn't, you can schedule a nice visit with the service department for them to ID and plow through them all (except the trans).

 

No idea what the deal is with folks having tire and brake problems; my tires have had long life and normal wear and the brakes have minimal wear, no replacements yet.

 

The only annoyances in mine:

 

1. I did have my transmission replaced. At this point it's a known issue with at least some 2013s. Do you live in California? If so, I wouldn't worry about that as much, because I'm told it's considered part of the hybrid system which under California law is under warranty for 10 years or 150,000 miles.

 

2. Creaking from the door seals when cornering, which is probably not a deal-killer to someone who drives with the radio on; it just happens to annoy me more than most.

 

3. Possible sensor failure in the AC leading to iced-up coils on long road trips in very hot climates...I should probably replace it, but a) it becomes an issue maybe once a year, and b) it happens around the time I'd stop for a burger anyway, and the hot sun has melted off the ice by the time I'm done eating.

 

4. The 12 volt battery in the past only seemed to last a year or two---but this may be in part because I have aftermarket amplifiers for my stereo and had a very short commute for a while, and anyway it seems to be less of an issue after the last round of software updates. Worst case, buy a battery with a long warranty; then the battery maker or retailer will be buying a new one if it fails, instead of you.

 

5. Nearly all new cars have very soft engine mounts to quell noise and vibration---but the flip side is that they wear quickly, and after 5 years or so one or more of them will inevitably have compressed enough that more vibration on engine shut-off and more noise on full-throttle operation can enter the cabin. If you didn't own the car since new and you aren't extremely sensitive to your car's behavior, you wouldn't even notice. But I have and I am so I do.

 

6. Leaves really like to settle inside the fenders and they're really hard to get out of there; and since that's not far from the cabin air intake, I suppose if it's rainy where you live this could lead to a mildewy smell. That's a minor issue only once a year for me and maybe wouldn't be if I'd change my cabin air filter more often.

[markd]

My 2014 has been the most trouble free vehicle I've ever owned, two recalls and three oil changes and it still looks and drives like new.

[Marc Smith]

2013  60K on the clock.

 

it has been to the dealer fro recall items like door handles, and I think the seat back.  nothing major or earth shattering.  it was an inconvenient, but ford gave me loaners each time.

 

been through one set of tires. brake pads still nice and thick.  I will occasional use the E brake or brake in Neutral to scrub the rotors

 

never had any of the 12v battery problems (still on the original battery so I know I'm on borrowed time)

 

I hear the occasional body creak/groan  but its not a sports car,  its not like it has a frame like a truck,  Its a unibody, it flexes.