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Mercedes-Benz CLS550Model year report

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Problems

Complaints
23filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
49,280miles, 12 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
20 mpgcombined, 4.7L 8-cyl RWD · 17 city / 25 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 23 consumer complaints for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550. The part named most often is fuel system, with 8 complaints (35% of the total), followed by engine (4) and brakes (3). 12 of the complaints include a mileage, and 50% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 49,280 miles. Of all complaints, 1 involved a crash, 2 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 111 technical service bulletins for this model year. Fuel system complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part. Engine complaints overlap with 10 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

Fuel system: “Fuel leaking from gas tank after smelling a strong fuel smell both inside and out side my vehicle I took to mercedes 9/17/18 to see if they knew of the issue of if there was some type or recall on my vehicle regarding a fuel issue. The smell always seemed stronger after I put in a full tank of gas. They did a visual inspection and told me they see fuel leaking from my vehicle and that there was no fuel related recall. They wanted to charge me $185 just to see what the actual problem was and didn't really have a concern if the vehicle was safe to drive or not. …”

NHTSA complaint #11130069, filed 2018-09, 81,000 miles

Engine: “Driving on the highway with my 6month old baby and suddenly my car surges and loses power. The check engine light flashes and I move to the side of the road with almost no acceleration. Turn off the engine, wait a while then turn it back on and head back home. The cel stayed on but I still had engine power so I thought it was a fluke. This car just has 60k miles on it and I take it to mercedes for all the routine checks. So this behaviour was out of nowhere. …”

NHTSA complaint #11122317, filed 2018-08, 61,000 miles

Brakes: “While driving 45 MPH, the brakes were applied however, the vehicle would not decelerate. In addition, the steering wheel seized simultaneously and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. T the manufacturer has been contacted and stated that they would look into the issue. The failure and the current mileage was 980.”

NHTSA complaint #10478737, filed 2012-10, 980 miles

Electrical system: “The very day I brought my car home from a used car purchase, the moment I pulled in my driveway to park, the message center said, sos service not activated in a warning in the center cluster. It wouldn't go away and I didn't know what to do, so I pushed the sos button and mb asked me, what is your emergency ? I appologized and explained that I had received a warning message on my dash. They ended the call and I turned off the car. I restarted the car and the warning went away. This was on feb 1, 2018 at 4:38 p.m.”

NHTSA complaint #11075324, filed 2018-02, 44,560 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

50% of the 12 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 16,878 and 61,000 miles.

17%0–1017%10–2517%25–5033%50–7517%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (12 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 49,280 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: stable. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.

201420182020202320255
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 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 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
CLS550 RWD4.7L 8-cyl7-speed automatic172520$4,100
CLS550 4matic 4WD4.7L 8-cyl7-speed automatic162519$4,350

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

Recall details for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 → · Check a 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. 111 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 111 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz CLS550

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20141074,7174—20—Not enough data
20122349,2803—20—Stable
20081780,0003—16—Stable
20073558,7004—16Not compared (before 2008)Falling
2006770,0001———Not enough data

All Mercedes-Benz CLS550 model years

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 have?

NHTSA recorded 23 consumer complaints for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 8 complaints (35% of the total), followed by engine with 4.

Has the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 get?

The EPA rates the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 (CLS550, 4.7L 8-cyl) at 20 mpg combined, 17 city and 25 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $4,100 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 reported?

Among the 12 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 49,280 miles and the middle half falls between 16,878 and 61,000 miles; 50% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

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. 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.