Ford C-Max DXA
Weaknesses, engine ratings and buying advice
182 PS
1.6L EcoBoost Benzin
Surprising Van
Fun to Drive!150 PS
1.6L EcoBoost Benzin
7 weaknesses
Stay Away!Generations
Engine Overview
The Ford C-Max DXA is available with 9 engine variants — from 86 to 182 hp. 5 variants had engine changes — the model year is crucial.
The Ford 1.5L EcoBlue (Diesel, 120 PS) has the XWDA (1.5L EcoBlue) — rated: "Be Careful", 6 known weaknesses.
The Ford 1.5L EcoBlue TDCi (Diesel, 95 PS) has the XXDA (1.5L EcoBlue TDCi) — rated: "Be Careful", 7 known weaknesses.
The Ford 1.6L Duratorq TDCi (Diesel, 95–115 PS) comes with 2 different engines: T3DB (2010–2015, Stay Away!) und T1DB (2010–2015, Stay Away!). Pay attention to the model year for the 1.6L Duratorq TDCi!
The Ford 2.0L Duratorq TDCi (Diesel, 140–170 PS) comes with 2 different engines: UFDB (2010–2015, Be Careful) und TXDB (2010–2015, Be Careful). Pay attention to the model year for the 2.0L Duratorq TDCi!
The Ford 2.0L EcoBlue TDCi (Diesel, 150 PS) has the T7DB (2.0L EcoBlue TDCi) — rated: "Stay Away!", 8 known weaknesses.
The Ford 1.0L EcoBoost (Benziner, 101–125 PS) comes with 2 different engines: M2DA (2012–2015, Stay Away!) und M1DA (2012–2015, Stay Away!). Pay attention to the model year for the 1.0L EcoBoost!
The Ford 1.5L EcoBoost (Benziner, 150–182 PS) comes with 2 different engines: M8DB (2015–2019, Stay Away!) und M9DB (2015–2019, Stay Away!). Pay attention to the model year for the 1.5L EcoBoost!
The Ford 1.6L EcoBoost (Benziner, 150–182 PS) comes with 2 different engines: JQDB (2010–2015, Stay Away!) und JTDB (2010–2015, Stay Away!). Pay attention to the model year for the 1.6L EcoBoost!
The Ford 1.6L Ti-VCT (Benziner, 120 PS) has the PNDA (1.6L Ti-VCT) — rated: "Be Careful", 6 known weaknesses.
Vehicle Weaknesses
| Weakness | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| Air conditioning fails sporadically On the C-Max DXA (Grand C-Max), the air conditioning fails intermittently and stops cooling. Often only a restart of the engine helps. Software updates frequently only fix the problem temporarily. Symptoms: Air conditioning blows warm air even when switched on; works again briefly after stopping the engine and restarting. from 80,000 km | Medium |
Alternatives
Honda Civic FK7
Kompaktklasse (2017–2022)
MINI MINI Countryman F60
Kompaktklasse (2017–2024)
Nissan Leaf ZE1
Kompaktklasse (2017–2024)
Subaru Impreza GK
Kompaktklasse (2017–2023)
VW Golf VII-FL
Kompaktklasse (2017–2020)
Hyundai i30 PD
Kompaktklasse (2016–2026)
Known Problems and Issues
A total of 106 weaknesses have been documented for the Ford C-Max DXA (2010–2019) — 99 engine-related and 7 vehicle-related. 9 problem engines: M2DA (1.0L EcoBoost), M1DA (1.0L EcoBoost), JQDB (1.6L EcoBoost), JTDB (1.6L EcoBoost), T3DB (1.6L Duratorq TDCi), T1DB (1.6L Duratorq TDCi), M8DB (1.5L EcoBoost), M9DB (1.5L EcoBoost), T7DB (2.0L EcoBlue TDCi). Typical issues affect HVAC, Body, Electronics, Gearbox.
C-Max (T3DB, 2010–2015) — Stay Away!: Injector Seal 'Black Death' Failure, Turbocharger Failure from Oil Starvation, Leaking Injector Seals. Power: 95 PS.
C-Max (T1DB, 2010–2015) — Stay Away!: Injector Seal 'Black Death' Failure, Turbocharger Failure from Oil Starvation, Leaking Injector Seals. Power: 115 PS.
C-Max (UFDB, 2010–2015) — Be Careful: Injector Wear and Leaks, High-Pressure Pump Metal Debris and Failure, Premature Timing Belt Failure — Interval Too Long. Power: 140 PS.
C-Max (TXDB, 2010–2015) — Be Careful: Injector Wear and Leaks, Oil Bath Belt Clogs Oil Pump Strainer, Premature Turbocharger Failure from Oil Starvation. Power: 170 PS.
C-Max (XWDA, 2015–2019) — Be Careful: Injector Problems: Juddering and Knocking, Timing Chain Premature Wear, Recall Camshaft Sprocket Material Fatigue (16B42). Power: 120 PS.
C-Max (T7DB, 2015–2019) — Stay Away!: Continental Injector Coating Defect (2019), DPF Clogging from Injector Soot Ingestion, Oil Bath Belt Clogs Oil Pump Strainer. Power: 150 PS.
C-Max (XXDA, 2015–2019) — Be Careful: Injector Problems: Juddering and Knocking, Recall Camshaft Sprocket Material Fatigue (16B42), EGR Cooler Crack with Coolant Ingestion. Power: 95 PS.
C-Max (PNDA, 2010–2015) — Be Careful: VVT Phaser Faulty — Cold Start Rattle, Ignition Coil Fault — Misfires, Cam Phaser (Ti-VCT) Faulty. Power: 120 PS.
C-Max (JQDB, 2010–2015) — Stay Away!: Cylinder Head Cracks from Overheating, Turbocharger Overheating Under Full Load, Recall: Missing Coolant Level Sensor (17S09). Power: 150 PS.
C-Max (JTDB, 2010–2015) — Stay Away!: Cylinder Head Cracks from Overheating, Turbocharger Wear from Poor Oil Condition, Head Gasket Failure from Overheating. Power: 182 PS.
C-Max (M2DA, 2012–2015) — Stay Away!: Wet Timing Belt Dissolves in Wrong or Old Oil, Degas Hose at Coolant Expansion Tank Fractures, Oil-Bath Timing Belt Disintegrates. Power: 101 PS.
C-Max (M1DA, 2012–2015) — Stay Away!: Wet Timing Belt Dissolves in Wrong or Old Oil, Degas Hose at Coolant Expansion Tank Fractures, Head Gasket Failure from Thermal Stress. Power: 125 PS.
C-Max (M8DB, 2015–2019) — Stay Away!: Hairline Cracks in Cylinder Block — Coolant Loss, Turbocharger Wear from Poor Oil Quality, Hairline Crack in Cylinder Block — Coolant Ingestion (up to 2019). Power: 150 PS.
C-Max (M9DB, 2015–2019) — Stay Away!: Hairline Cracks in Cylinder Block — Coolant Loss, Head Gasket Failure (Service Action 19S42), Hairline Crack in Cylinder Block — Coolant Ingestion (up to 2019). Power: 182 PS.
C-Max (IVMA-CMax-Hybrid, 2014–2020) — Be Careful: CVT Gearbox Wear, High-Voltage Battery Capacity Loss, Hybrid Battery Degradation and Failure. Power: 137 PS.
What to watch out for with the Ford C-Max? See the detailed listing of all engine and vehicle weaknesses in the sections above.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Last updated: February 2026 · All information without guarantee