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2018 Ford C-MAX

Hybrid

Large Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns 1

Complaints2 crash · 1 injured reported 10

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 4★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 40 mpg

2018 2017 2016

The 2018 Ford C-MAX is sold in the U.S. as a hybrid large hatchback. The most efficient version, the C-MAX Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 40 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 10 complaints, most often about the steering. NHTSA crash-tested it at 4 stars overall.

Ford C-Max — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Ford C-Max · Photo: M 93 · CC BY-SA 3.0 de · Wikimedia Commons

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
C-MAX Hybrid FWD	Hybrid	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl + 280V Li-Ion	42	38	40	$1,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 39613.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
C-MAX Hybrid FWD	7 / 10	Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	SmartWay

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Specifications filed with NHTSA

Source: NHTSA vPIC

Dimensions Exterior

Body style	Hatchback/Liftback/Notchback
Doors	5
GVWR class	Class 1: 6,000 lb or less (2,722 kg or less)

Engine Basics

Cylinders	4
Displacement	2 L
Engine configuration	In-Line

Engine Output

Horsepower

188 hp

Fuel Economy

Fuel	Gasoline

Seating

Seat rows	2
Seating capacity	5 seats

Transmission

Drivetrain	FWD/Front-Wheel Drive
Transmission	Electronic Continuously Variable (e-CVT)

Driver assistance

Standard: Anti-lock brakes, Backup camera, Electronic stability control

Optional: Blind-spot monitoring

Filed by the manufacturer with NHTSA under the federal vehicle-identification rule and decoded from the VIN pattern — not a manufacturer press kit, so it describes the configurations we could identify rather than every trim (seen: SE FHEV, TITANIUM FHEV). Figures for the trim you are looking at may differ.

Dimensions & weight

Source: Transport Canada

Length	174.0 in
Width (body, without mirrors)	72.0 in
Height	63.8 in
Wheelbase	104.3 in
Track, front	60.6 in
Track, rear	60.2 in
Curb weight	3,607–3,858 lb
Weight distribution, front/rear	59/41

Measured by Transport Canada for its Canadian Vehicle Specifications database, which covers the North American versions of each model — here 2 configurations: Energi 4-door Hatchback, Hybrid 4-door Hatchback. Where a range is shown, those versions differ. Width is the body without mirrors, which is why it can read narrower than a brochure figure. Before we used it we checked it against the US manufacturer press kits we hold (27 Sep 2026): wheelbase agreed within 1% on every vehicle we could compare, length on 98%, and the curb weight fell inside the manufacturer's range on 96%. Source dataset. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Licence.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Power Train

22S43

2,925,968 vehicles 73% reported repaired

Problem Ford Motor Company (Ford) is recalling certain 2013-2019 Escape, 2013-2018 C-Max, 2013-2016 Fusion, 2013-2021 Transit Connect, and 2015-2018 Edge vehicles. The bushing that attaches the shifter cable to the transmission may degrade or detach. Risk A damaged or missing bushing may prevent the vehicle from shifting into the intended gear, and cause the vehicle to move in an unexpected direction. Additionally, the vehicle may roll after the driver selects the 'Park' position. Either scenario increases the risk of a crash or injury. Fix Dealers will replace the under hood shift bushing and add a protective cap over the shift cable bushing, free of charge. Interim owner notification letters, informing owners of the safety risk, were mailed July 1, 2022. Remedy parts are expected to be available in 4th Quarter 2022. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2022. Owners may contact Ford customer service at 1-866-436-7332. Ford's number for this recall is 22S43.

NHTSA campaign 22V413000 reported Jun 10, 2022 Ford Motor Company the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

NHTSA defect investigations

Electrical System:Propulsion System — Pedestrian alert sounds closed

NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after March 1, 2021. On January 27, 2023, NHTSA opened Defect Petition (DP) 22-005 to evaluate the subject mat

Opened Jan 27, 2023 · closed Aug 7, 2023 · action DP22005 · the investigation’s page →

Whether any of this applies to one specific C-MAX

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2018 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Ford publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Ford’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2018 Ford C-MAX, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

10complaints filed

2 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

16 per 10,000 built · Ford reported 6,078 C-MAX built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2018: 1 · 2019: 1 · 2020: 2 · 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2023: 4

Most-cited components

Steering 2

Electrical System 2

Air Bags 2

Suspension 1

Visibility/Wiper 1

Unspecified 1

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

I recently rear ended a car and the front of the vechical was damaged. The air bag censor was destroyed, however the airbags did not come out. This was on a 2018 Ford c-max. Many people pointed out this malfunction and how my life was put at risk

Air Bags Nov 6, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11553864

The contact owns a 2018 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop at a red light, the vehicle inadvertently stalled and lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle seemed to return to normal functionality; however, the failure had since become a regular failure.

Power Train Aug 18, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11539404

Steering locks to the point that it can't turn. Happened while driving. Unknown cause. Warning light came on for driver to park. Issue unresolved and can no longer drive car

Electrical System Mar 6, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11510405

Recently, there has been a whiff of gasoline around my garage but there is more than one vehicle in there so I didn't figure out what the culprit was for a while. After completely filling up my car 9/3/2022, I parked it in the attached garage and in minutes my whole house smelled like gasoline.

Fuel/Propulsion System Sep 14, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11484528

The contact owns a 2018 Ford C-MAX. The contact stated that the seat belt failed. The contact stated that while the driver’s side rear seat belt was fastened to the car seat, the seat belt tightened up independently on her grandchild’s chest. The contact’s grandchild was unable to breathe properly.

Seat Belts at 14,000 miles Aug 2, 2021 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11427457

The right-hand outside rearview mirror contains a small inset mirror intended to provide a different angle of view so as to give the driver visibility of vehicles alongside or in the "blind spot." it is supposed to be mounted at an angle relative to the plane of the main mirror similar to the driver side mirror, but on my car it is…

Visibility/Wiper Feb 11, 2020 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11308496

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
5 HB FWD	★★★★☆	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	14%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 61

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-03-25

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 60 service bulletins, 1 other

Most often about: Electrical System, Equipment, Power Train, Engine, Seats.

25N17 Other
2026-03-25 · Back Over Prevention — Rearview System Braking
Advance Notice – Customer Satisfaction Program 25N17 Certain 2015-2025 Model Year Multiple Vehicle Lines Rear View Camera Replacement If Required After Dealer Evaluation
SSM 54601 Service bulletin
2026-02-24 · Electrical System
Ford and Lincoln vehicles equipped with wired keyless entry keypad systems and accessory wireless keyless entry keypad systems may or may not come with a wallet card containing the master code. Unlike the integrated wired keypad, the accessory wireless keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool or from the label printed on the body control module (BCM). Th
TSB 25-2570 Service bulletin
2025-11-26 · Electrical System
This article supersedes TSB 24-2165 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some vehicles listed in the Model statement above may exhibit various SYNC performance related concerns including but not limited to: Display operation concerns Navigation inoperative Voice recognition concerns Phone connection issues Dropped phone connections Applink related performance Travel Link not present
SSM 54366 Service bulletin
2025-11-12 · Power Train
Some 2015-2021 Ford and Lincoln vehicles may exhibit an illuminated MIL with diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) P0011, P0012, P0014, P0015, P0016, P0017, P0018, P0019, P0021, P0022, P0024 and/or P0025. Pinpoint test HK in the Powertrain Control and Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) or in Section 303-14 of the Workshop Manual (WSM) has been updated to address this concern.
SSM 53040 Service bulletin
2024-10-10 · Unknown Or Other
While performing a transmission repair on some 2012-2024 Ford and Lincoln vehicles, a transmission seal kit may be on backorder due to supply chain interruptions.
TSB 24-2165 Service bulletin
2024-05-27 · Unknown Or Other
This article supersedes TSB 21-2175 to update the TSB Service Procedure. Some 2016 MKS, 2016-2017 Navigator, 2016-2018 F-150/Focus/C-MAX/Edge/Fiesta/MKX/Transit Connect/Mustang, 2017-2018 Continental/Fusion/MKZ, 2017-2019 Explorer, 2016-2019 Escape/MKC/Flex/MKT/Taurus/Transit/Expedition/F-Super Duty, and 2018-2019 EcoSport vehicles equipped with SYNC 3 may experience various SYNC performance relat
SSM 52476 Service bulletin
2024-04-24 · Equipment
All accessory stick-on keyless entry keypads come with a wallet card containing the master code. If the accessory keypad was factory installed, this card will be placed in the glove box and should be handed to the vehicles owner during initial delivery. Unlike the integrated (wired) factory keypad, the accessory keypad master code cannot be retrieved from the vehicle using a diagnostic scan tool.
SAN-Vol1 I1 Service bulletin
2023-06-08 · Equipment — Other — Owners/Service/Other Manual
The Service Awareness Newsletter is an informal communication that contains information that may not be presently available in a TSB, SSM, GSB, or other electronic communication. This article includes information on warranty, technical service tips and other service information.

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P0011 P0011 on Ford →	Camshaft timing on bank 1 is more advanced than commanded.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0012 P0012 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0014 P0014 on Ford →	The second camshaft on bank 1 is timed further advanced than commanded.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0015 P0015 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0016 P0016 on Ford →	The crankshaft and camshaft are not where they should be relative to each other — timing, chain or phaser.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0017 P0017 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0018 P0018 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0019 P0019 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0021 P0021 on Ford →	Camshaft timing on bank 2 is more advanced than commanded.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0022 P0022 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0024 P0024 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins
P0025 P0025 on Ford →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	5 bulletins

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

C-MAX by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2018 this page A 1 10 40 mpg 2017 A 1 25 40 mpg 2016 B 3 56 39 mpg

Common questions about the 2018 C-MAX

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

Does the 2018 Ford C-MAX have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2018 Ford C-MAX. The most serious on file is 22V413000, covering Power Train. 1 of them was filed with no repair available at the time — NHTSA's file records what the manufacturer had in hand on the filing date, not what exists today. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2018 Ford C-MAX?

NHTSA gave the 2018 Ford C-MAX 4 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (92/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2018 Ford C-MAX?

For the 2018 Ford C-MAX, the best EPA combined figure is 40 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What are the dimensions of the 2018 Ford C-MAX?

Transport Canada measured it at 174.0 in long, 72.0 in wide (body, without mirrors), 63.8 in tall, on a 104.3 in wheelbase. Curb weight: 3,607–3,858 lb depending on configuration. Those are its measurements of the North American versions; every figure is in the table above.

What do owners complain about on the 2018 Ford C-MAX?

Owners have filed 10 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Ford C-MAX, most often about steering, electrical system, air bags. Of those, 2 involved a crash, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2018 Ford C-MAX?

The EPA smog rating for the 2018 Ford C-MAX is 7 out of 10. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2018 Ford C-MAX?

The manufacturer has filed 61 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2018 Ford C-MAX, most often covering electrical system, equipment, power train. The most recent is dated 2026-03-25. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	1 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	1 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	10	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	1 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	61	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	1	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	Open and closed defect investigations, with the agency's own narrative.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	12 fields	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	What the manufacturer filed under the federal VIN rule — a configuration, not the full trim ladder.
Measured dimensions	7 fields	Transport Canada, Canadian Vehicle Specifications	Length, width, height, wheelbase, track and curb weight, measured on the North American versions.
Trims, pricing & equipment	none	Manufacturer press kit	We have not transcribed a press kit for this model year yet. This is our gap, not the manufacturer's — the one row here where an empty cell means we are behind.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly.

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