2006 Ford Focus C-MAX Zetec from UK and Ireland - Comments

It's broken down on no less than 10 occasions - the central locking has packed up - the fog lamps stopped working - it blows fuses - stereo problems - suspension noise getting worse...

It loses power at speed - the fuel consumption goes from the OK to poor and it often fails to pull away from junctions or stalls in the middle of a junction. The dealers are a joke - they maintain that it's a fantastic car and there's nothing wrong with them - they plug it into the 'computer' and the computer says it's fine. What a crock! The rear view mirror even fell off and the dealer told me 'don't worry - you need to see where you are going and not where you've been'. Appalling if it was not so laughable.

It's dangerous frankly and should be condemned/recalled - I may as well have taken £13000 and burnt it myself for all the use this hunk of junk is.

It goes soon - good riddance to the hateful piece of over engineered junk.

This is a hateful car and I despise it.

I totally agree, we have a C-Max and it is in the garage yet again. I am refusing to take it back - death trap is a great way of describing the car.

It scares me to drive it - you never know what it will do next. For example - break hard and it has a tendency to turn hard left. The suspension of the nearside front has failed on two occasions and the front valance fell off at speed on the motorway.

The power often falls away without warning and it re-set's itself into some sort of default setting - this has the result of slowing the car without warning to other road users - how dangerous is that?

The central locking has a mind of it's own - it locks and unlocks at will - why? Ford don't know the answer to that either.

They do - however - have £13000 of my money and I despise them for that and their inability to take any responsibility for their problems.

I prefer my wife's KA - at least it goes and stop when I want it to - I've learned a valuable lesson and my next car will not be Ford.

Ford dealers seem to be very poor on customer service!

Hi

Sailing against the flow here, but I like my C-max 2.0TDCI a lot - quick, nice to drive.

Suppose after my previous encounter with a Scenic and those hostile hopeless Renault dealers only way is up.

My local Ford dealer is just as incompetent as the rest, but is at least friendly with it.

Wouldn't trust any main dealer with a pram if I didn't have too.

KDJ.

Had a C-MAX from new for two months when it broke down, as it wouldn't go into gear. RAC bloke said the gear linkages hadn't been put in right from the factory and it was only a matter of time before this happened.

Fuel flap literally snapped off in my hand! And Ford wanted to charge £100 to replace it! Did it myself for £30.

Also exhibits similar problems regarding starting and fuel economy. Had no problems with the Focus, but this has put me right off Fords.

My parents' C-Max 1.6 diesel automatic is in the garage for the 14th time in a year. It's consistently lost power at crucial moments (pulling out at t-junctions, driving along the motorway etc), has regularly puffed out black exhaust and sometimes has even broken down completely. Each time, the Ford dealers try something new and declare that the car is fixed. Each time this is proved not to be the case.

The dealer is nice, but apparently ineffectual, Ford customer services have been hopeless. My parents have no faith in the car and want their money back. This apparently is 'impossible'.

We all think the car is unsafe (it's not like it's just the windscreen wiper breaking down). You just can't trust it to give you power when you need it.

Can anyone help? My parents are OAPs and don't have a lot of money. They can't afford just to write this car off and buy a new one. Who'd buy it anyway?

14 times in one year! Sounds like the car wasn't of "merchantable quality" (see sale of goods act). I suggest you visit the Citizens Advice Beau. to see if they think you have a case for a full refund.

We have had our c-max ghia 2.0tdci since August and touch wood, it has been a fabulous car so far. We took it down south over 3 days and it was nippy and very comfortable on the long journey. We did have a problem with the airbag light coming on and after 3 trips to the nearest Ford dealer we got it sorted and all the trade recalls that should have been done. The dealer was very helpful and it was all done under warranty. I hope I don't jinx it now I have written this, but yes I love my c-max!

I'm in the process of starting legal action against the dealer we bought the C-MAX 2.0 Ghia from. I was horrified by the comments on this site as they are the same issues we've had. My wife is now scared to drive the car due to the cutting out at unexpected times whilst crossing or pulling into traffic. Of course we've been told over and over again that this is not a wider issue by the dealer and by Ford.

We have had the car in well over 10 times to the dealer for a dead battery, windscreen fault, electric hand-brake stuck on (nearly caused another accident), radio faults, poor too bad fuel consumption from the start, cutting out, bad running, grinds to a halt and needs a key off and on reset. We've had enough now as it's just not "fit for purpose".

Strange, it also pulls to the left as per one of the comments above and the dealer keeps telling me they can't find it. Strange, I take my hands off the wheel at 60 and there she pulls (to the left).

I can say that this is the worst (by a long long way) car I've ever owned in my last 23 years of motoring. I'm even more angry now I've read this is not just isolated to my vehicle. I'll be taking this up with Ford Motor Company tomorrow.

We have now refused the vehicle back from the dealer engaging our solicitor to say enough is enough.

Bought C-Max 2.0TDCI back in July 2005, Vehilce kept on cutting out went in and out of garage main dealer about 8 times since, faults from when starting black smoke and no power, gear box selection problems, vehicle pulling to the left which is having to replace tyre's on the drivers side every 9 months when only have done 5,000miles. recently had to have the plastic pipe replaced from the turbo to the air box, since they have had to drop the gear box there seems to be a lound banging noise coming from under the front of the car seems the gear box feels like it going to drop at any time when driving over man hole covers and humps at very low speed of about 10mph, rear shocks and from o/side front shocks had to be replace due to the car looking unbalance. fuel figures are not what ford states make it 10 miles per gallon below what they state, the main dealer was alright up until the warranty run out. I would not get another one again.

For one year of driving we did not any problem (over 20.000 miles) with our C Max.

Our model 1.8 TD Ci is excellent for the highway, very fun and comfortable. Plenty of space, extra driving control, very good hi-fi system, nice interior design and reliable consumption (6,2/100km on the road, 9,0/100km at the city).

I cannot imagine that you have problem with C Max, maybe some of yours just are not lucky person?

Victor, Serbia.

Reading all that bad comments about C-Max, I'm really surprised. I have had my own 2.0TDCi purchased on April 2006 and till now there are no problems at all. Real consumptions from 5,0lit. (130kmh\h) to 8,5lit (190kmh\h) makes me feel happy to have this car!I don't think this is a matter of luck. However I have to mention the engine's hesitation at 1900rpm that scared me the first months as I thought it was a pump's problem. I totally agree with the fact that unsatisfied customers report any malfunction as this make the motor companies try harder to present better cars.

Dimitrios, Hellas

My Ford C MAX does not like the rain; after heavy rain when it is parked, the courtesy hazard & windscreen wipers all come on; this has happened on four occasions. The RAC were called out and made repairs.

I was advised on the second occasion to take the car to the dealer for inspection. They had it there for over a week. When I picked it up I asked what had been done. They told me they had replaced the turbo as the car had been losing power. I asked about the faults it had been brought in with and was told they had been rectified. "the car had not been losing power."

One year down the road and the car has the same faults. "Water ingress to the fuse box according to the RAC." but according to the dealer, the whole dash will need to come out to investigate the problem, which is not covered by the warranty, and I would need to pay for 8 hours labour to investigate the problem. I think this is just a case of we don't know, so lets try scaring the ---- out of him and he may go away. Looking forward to the fight.

FORD CMAX 2.0 GHIA SEPT 2006.

Nice car, but twice the power assist has failed; not a nice experience! On the first time, my local Ford dealer had it in the garage for a week. Unfortunately the same problem has occurred again. Now I am going back again.

Has anyone else experienced the same fault with the CMAX? Is it common?

My parents brought a Ford C-Max Zetec and it has dreadful and a money pit. It has been in the garage 15 times in the last 14 months. and is currently unfixable.

It started with poor fuel consumption and a lack of power pulling away. The dealer plugged in the computer and said it was fine.

Shortly afterwards it started smoking heavily and failed the MOT on emissions.

The most distressing thing was that it went into "limp mode" on the motorway while traveling at 70 mph. This meant that my disabled father was reduced to crawling along the motorway and the police followed him home. This has now happened more times than I care to count.

We now have the car in the garage. The dealership will accept no liability for the car. Another garage will not buy it because of the service history, and Ford have washed their hands of it, saying it is the dealerships problem.

DON'T BUY THIS CAR.