Mercedes-Benz CL550 Problems by Model Year
NHTSA recorded 19 consumer complaints across the 3 model years of the Mercedes-Benz CL550 (2007–2011) that have at least 5 complaints. 2008 has the most, with 7. Across all years, the part named most often is fuel system (8 mentions). Pick a model year below to see its parts, mileage, recalls and service bulletins.
All CL550 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 5 | 39,000 | 1 | 61 | — | Not enough data |
| 2008 | 7 | 68,000 | 0 | 56 | — | Not enough data |
| 2007 | 7 | 60,050 | 0 | 52 | — | Not enough data |
Parts named most often, all years
Counts add up complaint mentions across the listed years. A complaint can name several parts.
- Fuel system8 32%
- Electrical system4 16%
- Transmission and drivetrain3 12%
- Other or unknown3 12%
- Seat belts2 8.0%
- Engine2 8.0%
- Brakes2 8.0%
- Body and structure1 4.0%
Example complaints
One per model year, chosen for length and detail. Personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
2007: “I fueled the car this morning then parked it in the garage. When I entered the garage about a hour later there is a very strong smell of gasoline in the entire garage. Is there are recall on this issue. I did not overfill the tank, and the cap was on.”
NHTSA complaint #10588101, filed 2014-05, 65,100 miles2008: “I am writing to inform you of a very troubling incident that occurred recently. I own a 2008 mercedes benz CL550 with 31,000 miles on the odometer. On june 16, 2014, the seatbelt on my vehicle would not release from the seat, leaving me unable to buckle my seat. On top of the obvious safety hazard, illegality of driving without a seat belt, constant dinging from the vehicle to remind me that I was not buckled, which did not allow me to speak with my clients by phone in the vehicle, I had to deal with very poor handling of this matter by mbusa. …”
NHTSA complaint #10605381, filed 2014-06, 31,000 miles2011: “My back up just stops producing an image. I can restart the car and it might or might not come back on. For the most part the camera is on but I’ve been reading on all the MB forums this is a very common issue, with these W216 and also it’s sister car, the W221. The problem is, these were extremely low production vehicles and I’m sure not many are in existence now. I feel these 130-210k cars, shouldn’t have safety issues like this. I don’t mind paying for aging components but safety components should always be working properly. …”
NHTSA complaint #11495721, filed 2022-12Other 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