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Mercedes-Benz CL500Model year report

2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 Problems

Complaints
12filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
109,000miles, 9 complaints with mileage
Recalls
0campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—overall rating starts with 2011 models
EPA fuel economy
17 mpgcombined, 5.0L 8-cyl RWD · 14 city / 21 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500. The part named most often is electrical system, with 7 complaints (58% of the total), followed by suspension (3) and brakes (1). 9 of the complaints include a mileage, and 11% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 109,000 miles. Of all complaints, 3 a fire, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 0 recall campaigns and 33 technical service bulletins for this model year. Electrical system complaints overlap with 2 technical service bulletins filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Electrical system: “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 miles

Suspension: “I have a mercedes CL500 while driving the car the lights in the speedometer everything went out I had to check it when I got home I was able to get speedometer working again gas gauge by replacing fuse the lights in the background are still not working also I have an issue with the vehicle active body control I have a leak suspension goes all the way down I would like to know if there is a recall to get this fixed and how I go about this.”

NHTSA complaint #10853432, filed 2016-04, 130 miles

Brakes: “While driving my 2002 mercedes CL500, I noticed smoke coming from the engine bay and the smell of something burning. Upon inspection it was discovered that a hydraulic suspension hose ruptured and sprayed fluid onto a catalytic converter. This resulted in a large amount of smoke and small flames starting to appear right before the passenger side engine bay was hosed down with water. The mercedes dealership advised this was a known issue and a recall was issued/performed back in 2005/2007. Mercedes advised me no further work would be done under the recall. …”

NHTSA complaint #10472814, filed 2012-08, 109,000 miles

Engine: “The contact owns a 2002 mercedes benz CL500. While driving 50 MPH, smoke appeared near the rear of the vehicle. The contact continued to drive and the active body control (abc) warning light illuminated. The failure recurred multiple times. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The technician diagnosed that the abc high pressure distribution hose needed to be replaced. The VIN was not included in NHTSA campaign number: 07v263000 (engine and engine cooling, suspension). The VIN and failure mileage were unknown.”

NHTSA complaint #10681604, filed 2015-02

Mileage when problems were reported

11% of the 9 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 78,000 and 122,000 miles.

11%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–7533%75–10056%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (9 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 109,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

201220142015520162022
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
CL500 RWD5.0L 8-cyl5-speed automatic142117$4,850

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 in the data used here. A recall can apply to some vehicles of a model year and not others, so check a specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 33 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 33 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz CL500

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2006724,4260—17—Not enough data
20049122,0000—17—Not enough data
200212109,0000—17—Not enough data
20015100,0000—17—Not enough data
2000674,0001—17—Not enough data

All Mercedes-Benz CL500 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 have?

NHTSA recorded 12 consumer complaints for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 is reported most often?

Electrical system is named most often, in 7 complaints (58% of the total), followed by suspension with 3.

Has the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 been recalled?

NHTSA lists no recall campaigns for this model year in the data used here. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 get?

The EPA rates the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 (CL500, 5.0L 8-cyl) at 17 mpg combined, 14 city and 21 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,850 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CL500 reported?

Among the 9 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 109,000 miles and the middle half falls between 78,000 and 122,000 miles; 11% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.