2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 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 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550, 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
- Engine240.0%
- Electrical120.0%
- Fuel system120.0%
- Powertrain (other)120.0%
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
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ CL550. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE INITIATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SPEED JUST DROPPED FROM 80 MPH TO 40 MPH AND BRAKE LIGHTS, OF COURSE, DID NOT TURN ON. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT WARNED AND ALMOST CRASHED BEHIND ME. IT WAS NOT ONLY THIS INCIDENT BUT THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT FIXED. *KB
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
On October 17, 2023, my vehicle experienced a significant issue—a fire incident—while I was leaving the garage of my house. According to the fire department & my insurance adjuster, it appeared that electrical components started the fire. Separately, on June 22, 2023, I was stuck inside the vehicle as I could not open the doors of the car. The batteries of the car had completely been drained, and the car was just jump-started by my insurance road-side assistant, but I turned off the engine (I was inside the car) forgetting about the fact that the car was not sufficiently being charged. Eventually the car was jump-started again, and I got out of the car safely. And, I had a local MB dealership replace both starter and ancillary batteries. Shouldn't car doors open regardless of the levels of the batteries left? What if the fire on Oct 17 had happened, and I could not escape from the car as I could not open the doors...
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC with 63,335 miles. it has a strong gas smell in the inside. There was a recall pertaining to, "Due to the irregularity stemming from the molding process of the fuel filter flange, the filter may crack when operated in high temperatures." I live in California and it has been very hot here. when I put my VIN into the recall system it states no recall. I also have a 2010 S550 that had the same problem last year and it also showed no recalls for this problem. If there are no recalls for all models of this vehicle for this problem there should be.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SPEED JUST DROPPED FROM 80 MPH TO 40 MPH AND BRAKE LIGHTS, OF COURSE, DID NOT TURN ON. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT WARNED AND ALMOST CRASHED BEHIND ME. IT WAS NOT ONLY THIS INCIDENT BUT THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT FIXED. *KB
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 .