2017 FORD C-MAX — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

On 1/16/2026, while operating my 2017 Ford C-Max Hybrid in the Bay Area, the vehicle displayed a low tire pressure warning. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle experienced a rapid mechanical or electrical failure that required me to safely pull over and exit the vehicle. Upon exiting, I observed smoke followed by open flames originating from the vehicle. Emergency services were contacted immediately, and the fire department responded and extinguished the fire. The vehicle sustained catastrophic damage and was declared a total loss. The vehicle was towed to a storage facility following the incident. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle had not undergone any recent mechanical repairs or modifications beyond routine maintenance, including an oil change approximately two weeks prior to the incident and a state smog inspection approximately one week prior. The vehicle had been operating normally prior to the warning and failure. All physical documentation stored within the vehicle, including the title, registration, and passport, was destroyed in the fire. Photographic and video documentation of the incident and damage, along with contemporaneous incident records, are available upon request.

The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-Max Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the steering wheel detached from the steering column. The contact stated that the steering wheel had loosened. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a detached steering wheel bolt. The contact was informed that the steering wheel bolt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 43,896.

At night I noticed the indicator light came on for tire pressure drove to the next gas station to check it was flat tire I looked every where for the spare tire no luck.called dealer told me where to look. Then he checked something and said it came with a air pump under the passenger seat. I read the symbol of Instructions very confused and limited no use of car for days with ordering tire waiting for delivery and so on....

The contact owns a 2017 Ford C-MAX Hybrid. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift as intended and made an abnormal humming sound while driving. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the transmission was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated while while driving at various speeds, and while coming to a complete stop, the vehicle made an abnormal humming sound. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced; however, the vehicle was out of warranty. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

Steering wheel became loose. Within a week I took it into a Ford dealer who confirmed this was a serious safety concern. They worked on the problem a day later. Steering wheel bolt was damaged and would not retain torque. The steering wheel bolt was replaced by dealer.