2005 Mercedes-Benz CL500 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CL500, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Brakes125.0%
- Driver assistance125.0%
- Other / unspecified125.0%
- Suspension125.0%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SBC PUMP STOP WORKING CAUSING THE BRAKES TO NOT WORK THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THERE DESIGN AND I COULD SEE IF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURING KNEW THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND HAD OFFERED AN 10 YEAR WARRANTY BUT I FEEL IT SHOULD BE REPLACED ON ALL CARS THAT HAVE AN SBC PUMP, I WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK IF IT WAS NOT FOR MY QUICK THINKING AND BEING ABLE TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER LANE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR CAR PILE UP WITH WHO KNOWS HOW MANY INJURIES. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL IS OFF TERRIBLY. THE FRONT LEFT AND BACK RIGHT SIDES OF MY CAR SAG SO LOW BUT THE OPPOSITE SIDES DON'T. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ETC.. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE SBC PUMP STOP WORKING CAUSING THE BRAKES TO NOT WORK THIS IS A VERY DANGEROUS DEFECT IN THERE DESIGN AND I COULD SEE IF CAUSING AN ACCIDENT AND INJURIES. THE MANUFACTURING KNEW THIS WAS A DEFECTIVE DESIGN AND HAD OFFERED AN 10 YEAR WARRANTY BUT I FEEL IT SHOULD BE REPLACED ON ALL CARS THAT HAVE AN SBC PUMP, I WAS TRAVELING 65 MPH ON THE FREEWAY WHEN I HAD TO APPLY THE BRAKES AND THE BRAKES DID NOT WORK IF IT WAS NOT FOR MY QUICK THINKING AND BEING ABLE TO SWITCH TO ANOTHER LANE THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A MAJOR CAR PILE UP WITH WHO KNOWS HOW MANY INJURIES. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL IS OFF TERRIBLY. THE FRONT LEFT AND BACK RIGHT SIDES OF MY CAR SAG SO LOW BUT THE OPPOSITE SIDES DON'T. THIS CAN CAUSE AN ACCIDENT ETC.. *TR
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .