Mercedes Benz CLS problems and owner complaints
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
5 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
65,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2006 to 2011 model years. Data snapshot: . 5 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Fuel System, Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 3 of 5 complaints (60.0%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Steering behavior | 2 | 40.0% |
| Fuel system concerns | 2 | 40.0% |
| Braking behavior | 1 | 20.0% |
Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.
Component breakdown
Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 |
| Air Bags:Frontal | 1 |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 1 |
Fuel System, Gasoline: 3; Air Bags:Frontal: 1; Service Brakes, Hydraulic: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 2 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 1 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 1 |
| 150,000 and above | 0 |
Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 1; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 1; 150,000 and above: 0
Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 0 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.
Complaints over time
Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2013 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
2008: 1; 2011: 1; 2013: 2; 2014: 1
Pattern summary
Fuel System, Gasoline leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 2 complaint narratives. Fuel system concerns appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.
Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.
Complaint evidence
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10242877 · 2008-09-18 (September 18, 2008)
AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY WITH CRASH IN 2009 CLK 550 MERCEDES. IMPACT WAS AT 50 MILES PER HOUR AND STRUCK THE FRONT DRIVERS SIDE BUMPER. THE BUMPER WAS ON THE GROUND AND THE ALUMINUM FRAME BENT. RESTRAINED BY SEAT BELT, MY DAUGHTER'S HEAD STRUCK THE STEERING WHEEL AND SUFFER FROM WHIPLASH. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS VEHICLE IS A CLK 550 NOT A CLS - THERE WAS NOT AN OPTION TO PICK THE VEHICLE. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 2,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10242877 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10418100 · 2011-08-09 (August 9, 2011)
MY NEW 2011 MERCEDES C300 2500 MILES IN. THE FRONT ROTORS WARPED. THE STEERING WHEEL SHAKES WHEN YOU APPLY BRAKES. THIS ISSUE WAS CONFIRMED BY FLETCHER JONES MERCEDES BENZ OF NEWPORT BEACH CALIFORNIA. MERCEDES CORPORATE AND FLETCHER JONES MERCEDES DENIED BY REQUEST TO REPLACE. THEY WILL NOT COVER IT. THIS IS MY SECOND NEW MERCEDES IN 3 YEARS AND LIKELY MY LAST. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 1,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10418100 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10541932 · 2013-09-04 (September 4, 2013)
CAR WAS SMELLING OF GAS ON SEPT 2, 2013. I TOOK IT TO MIKE SMITH MERCEDES ON SEPT 3, 2013 TALKED TO SERVICE REP, HE SAID IT MAY BE THE FUEL PUMP SENDING UNIT. HE SAID IT WAS GOING TO TAKE ALL DAY FOR THEM TO GET TO IT AND THAT IT PROBABLY WOULD COST SEVERAL THOUSAND TO FIX. I THEN TOOK IT TO MERCEDES SERVICE, LP IN BEAUMONT TX. THEY FOUND THAT IT WAS LEAKING GAS TREMENDOUSLY UNDER MY BACK SEAT. THEY FIXED THE PROBLEM TODAY SEPT 4, 2013. THIS DEFECTIVE FUEL SYSTEM COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF MY YOUNG 5 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND WIFE. I CALLED CORPORAT…
Owner-reported narrative. 93,300 miles reported. Look up ODI 10541932 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10592870 · 2014-05-20 (May 20, 2014)
FUEL LEAK AT TOP OF SENDING UNIT UNDERNEATH LEFT REAR SEAT. FUEL SMELL IN CAR. I REMOVED SEAT AND COVER AND DISCOVERED FUEL POOLING. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 105,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10592870 at NHTSA ↗
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2008 | 1 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
2006: 0; 2008: 1; 2009: 0; 2011: 0