2004 Mercedes Benz CL500: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
9 owner complaints analyzed
0 distinct recall campaigns
122,000 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2004 model year. Data snapshot: . 8 complaints include usable failure mileage.
This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.
Most common problems
Electrical System is the most frequently named component, appearing in 6 of 9 complaints (66.7%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 11.1% |
| Steering behavior | 1 | 11.1% |
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 |
|---|---|
| Electrical System | 6 |
| Suspension | 4 |
| Exterior Lighting | 2 |
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 1 |
| Engine | 1 |
| Power Train | 1 |
| Service Brakes | 1 |
Electrical System: 6; Suspension: 4; Exterior Lighting: 2; Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel: 1; Engine: 1; Power Train: 1; Service Brakes: 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 | 0 |
| 25,000 to 49,999 | 0 |
| 50,000 to 74,999 | 2 |
| 75,000 to 99,999 | 1 |
| 100,000 to 149,999 | 4 |
| 150,000 and above | 1 |
Under 25,000: 0; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 2; 75,000 to 99,999: 1; 100,000 to 149,999: 4; 150,000 and above: 1
100,000 to 149,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (4). 1 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 |
|---|---|
| 2015 | 3 |
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 1 |
2015: 3; 2016: 4; 2019: 1; 2020: 1
Pattern summary
Electrical System leads the component reports. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Steering 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 10692683 · 2015-03-07 (March 7, 2015)
WHILE I WAS DRIVING HWY 1 TO MONTEREY CA. CLUSTER DASH LIGHTS BLACKED OUT. NOW DON'T KNOW HOW FAST I'M GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND CAN SEE INFORMATION FROM IT. *TR
Owner-reported narrative. 154,930 miles reported. Look up ODI 10692683 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10762189 · 2015-09-08 (September 8, 2015)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE FRONT END CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THERE WAS A FIRE REPORT AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE FIRE STARTED FROM THE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. NO INJURIES WERE REPORTED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V263000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING, SUSPENSION). THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 124,000. UPDATED 01/06/16*L…
Owner-reported narrative. 124,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10762189 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10783549 · 2015-10-20 (October 20, 2015)
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
Owner-reported narrative. 120,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10783549 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10852256 · 2016-03-29 (March 29, 2016)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT APPROXIMATELY 55 MPH, THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE LOWERED INDEPENDENTLY AND THE INSTRUMENT PANEL CLUSTER FAILED. THE VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBERS: 07V263000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING , SUSPENSION) AND 06V028000 (INTERIOR LIGHTING). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE HYDRAULIC SYSTEM WAS REPLACED BUT THE FAILURE REOCCURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED FOR THE MOST RECENT FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILU…
Owner-reported narrative. 65,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10852256 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10852491 · 2016-03-30 (March 30, 2016)
RECALL #1-ABC PUMP LEAK. AT 67,000 MILES IN MARCH 2013, THE ABC PUMP BROKE AND LEAKED FLUID ALL OVER THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, AND CAUSED THE SUSPENSION TO COLLAPSE. HAD THE NECESSARY REPAIRS MADE AT THE COST OF $3500 WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS ISSUE. RECALL #2-INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILURE-AT 87,000 MILES IN MARCH 2016, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER WENT BLACK WHILE TRAVELING AT 60 MPH ON I-10. DID SOME RESEARCH AND DISCOVERED THAT THIS ISSUE IS ALSO A SAFETY RECALL. I HAVE EXPERIENCED 2 OF THE 4 SAFETY RECALLS WITH THIS VEH…
Owner-reported narrative. 67,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10852491 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10862317 · 2016-04-30 (April 30, 2016)
TAKATA RECALL I BOUGHT MY 04 CL500 BENZ IN APRIL OF 2015, AFTER A FEW MONTH I NOTICED THE CLUSTER FLICKERING THEN SOON AFTER THE BACK LIGHT WENT OUT BUT GAGES STILL WORKING THEN TODAY WHILE DRIVING IN THE CITY A POOF OF SMOKE HIT ME IN THE FACE I FIGURED SOMETHING WAS ON FIRE SO I PULLED OVER OPENED ALL MY DOORS AND HOOD BUT NO FLAMES JUST SMOKE WHEN SMOKE STOPPED I LOOKED TOWARD WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM WITCH WAS THE CLUSTER NOW IM STUCK WITH A HORRBLE SMELL AND NO GAGES
Owner-reported narrative. 128,762 miles reported. Look up ODI 10862317 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 10910748 · 2016-09-30 (September 30, 2016)
I PURCHASED THIS CAR JUNE 2016. ENROUTE TO VACATION, IN EARLY AUGUST, THE DRIVER SIDE ELECTRICAL PANEL STOPPED OPERATING. MID-WAY TO VACATION, WHILE STOPPING FOR GAS THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WHEN COMPLETELY DARK. I WAS UNABLE TO GAUGE HOW MUCH GAS, SPEED, ETC., ALSO AT THAT TIME WHILE SITTING IN THE CAR, THE JUMPED AS IF SOMEONE HIT THE CAR. LATER I LEARNED THAT IT WAS THE SUSPENSION. THIS CONTINUED TO HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE VACATION. UPON REACHING MY VACATION DESTINATION, THE NEXT DAY THE CAR WOULD NOT START AND I HAD TO CALL TO GET MY BATTE…
Owner-reported narrative. 93,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10910748 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11234248 · 2019-07-23 (July 23, 2019)
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500. WHEN THE VEHICLE WAS STARTED, THE SRS INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE OF THE VEHICLE WAS TILTED AND LOW. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE SUSPENSION WAS FAULTY. THE TECHNICIAN ALSO DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT LINE PUMP AND STRUT NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE PUMP AND THE STRUT WERE REPLACED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN. …
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11234248 at NHTSA ↗
Recall history
0 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
No recall campaigns are recorded in this snapshot.