2004 Mercedes-Benz Clk Class 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 2004 Mercedes-Benz Clk Class, 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
- Seat belts225.0%
- Tires & wheels225.0%
- Transmission225.0%
- Airbags112.5%
- Other / unspecified112.5%
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
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLK. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO INFORMED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.
THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM ARM MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED FOR LEAKING FLUID, AND NOT CHANGING GEARS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
KEYES MERCEDES BENZ SOLD ME A VEHICLE ,CLK 320, WITH DEFECTIVE TIRES , AND WAS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK
SPARE TIRE FOLDS OVER WHEN INSTALLED IN A TURN UNDER 55 MPH LEAVING CAR EXTREMLY UNSTABLE. *AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
ON MONDAY, APRIL 4TH, I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 CLK55 CONVERTIBLE TO MY OFFICE, GOING 55 MPH AND LOST ALL POWER. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR GOING AGAIN, WITH NO SUCCESS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN DRIVE A FEW MILES PER HOUR TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND THE TRANSMISSION ARE BROKEN. THE TORQUE CONVERTER PART HAS BEEN ORDERED FROM GERMANY, AND IT IS ON BACKORDER FOR THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. HAD THIS HAPPENED IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, IT COULD HAVE LED TO A LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO YOU TO MAKE YOU FORMALLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF A $2 BILLION MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANY, AND HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED IN OUR BUSINESS WITH AN OPERATING ROOM PRODUCT, OR ANY CRITICAL DEVICE, WE WOULD BE OBLIGED TO IMMEDIATE FULLY INVESTIGATE AND NOTIFY THE FDA IF A RECALL WAS NECESSARY. *AK
THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM ARM MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED FOR LEAKING FLUID, AND NOT CHANGING GEARS.*AK
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER WERE RIPPED OFF. THERE WAS DAMAGE ON EVERY SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ONLY THE RIGHT REAR AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *NM *SC
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
WHILE USING THE CUP HOLDER ON MY 2004 MERCEDEZ BENZ CLK VIN [XXX] COFFEE SPILLED AND CAUSED THE RADIO AND A/C UNIT TO MALFUNCTION. THIS RESULTED IN ALMOST $2,000 IN REPAIR COSTS. THE CUP HOLDER IN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE RADIO AND A/C CONTROLS. I KNOW THAT MERCEDES HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WITH THE SLK MODELS WITH SPILLS CAUSING THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION TO SHORT OUT. BASED ON THE DESIGN OF THE CUP HOLDER IS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT SPILLING WHEN FACED WITH A SUDDEN STOP OR A HOLE IN THE ROAD. I REQUESTED THE REPAIR TO BE COVERED BY MERCEDES BENZ BUT THEY REFUSED TO HONOR MY REQUEST. SINCE THE DESIGN IS SO FLAWED, AND THE DAMAGE TO ELECTONIC EQUIPMENT SO FORESEEABLE IT IS WRONG TO DO THIS TO CONSUMERS. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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 .