Mercedes-Benz CL500 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 39 consumer complaints across the 5 model years of the Mercedes-Benz CL500 (2000–2006) that have at least 5 complaints. 2002 has the most, with 12. Across all years, the part named most often is electrical system (18 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All CL500 model years
Years with fewer than 5 complaints are not listed. The score compares years of the same model, allowing for the era and for how long each year has collected complaints: 50 is a typical year, lower means fewer complaints. It is not adjusted for sales volume.
| Year | Complaints | Median mi | Recalls | TSBs | Score (50 = typical) | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 7 | 24,426 | 0 | 53 | — | Not enough data |
| 2004 | 9 | 122,000 | 0 | 33 | — | Not enough data |
| 2002 | 12 | 109,000 | 0 | 33 | — | Not enough data |
| 2001 | 5 | 100,000 | 0 | 23 | — | Not enough data |
| 2000 | 6 | 74,000 | 1 | 27 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Electrical system18 38%
- Suspension13 27%
- Exterior lighting4 8.3%
- Engine4 8.3%
- Transmission and drivetrain3 6.3%
- Brakes3 6.3%
- Air bags2 4.2%
- Vehicle speed control1 2.1%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2002: “I was driving down the highway at night and it was raining had the wipers and the high beams on. Then all of sudden the high beans went out and the dash went black black causing limited visibility. This is the reason I'm filing a complaint because it almost caused a accident with the light dimming and the cluster going blank.”
NHTSA complaint #10745510, filed 2015-08, 119,981 miles2004: “I was driving to the store going about 45mph and all the sudden my instrument cluster completely went out and this is my daily driver so now im driving with no fuel level speed or how hot my engine is getting I called mercedes and they said my VIN was not in the recall but it should not matter!! It has the same problem as the other ones. But they refuse to fix a safe maulfunction”
NHTSA complaint #10783549, filed 2015-10, 120,000 miles2006: “Extremely strong fuel odor upon leaving fuel stop for the past several fill ups. Took vehicle in for diagnosis and discovered that fuel tank is cracked and needs to be replaced. I am reporting this because the repair garage told me it is a major problem in the same area of the fuel tank that affects my vehicle and that they have repaired this same issue on my vehicle model all the time.”
NHTSA complaint #10670475, filed 2015-01, 35,853 milesOther Mercedes-Benz models
3,963 complaintsMercedes-Benz E350
2,215 complaintsMercedes-Benz E320
1,164 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML350
952 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLK350
901 complaintsMercedes-Benz ML320
740 complaintsMercedes-Benz C250
725 complaintsMercedes-Benz GLC 300
657 complaints
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Methodology