Mercedes Benz CL500

Owners filed 44 complaints across 8 model years of the Mercedes Benz CL500. The 2002 drew the most (12); the 2003 the fewest (1).

Model years8
Complaints44
Recalls1
Fires7
Deaths0

Every Mercedes Benz CL500 model year compared

Complaints per year
YearComplaintsRelative volumeRecallsFiresCrashesMost reportedStatus
20067
0SteeringRoutine
20052
0Equipment Adaptive/MobilityRoutine
20049
01Electrical SystemRoutine
20031
0Exterior LightingRoutine
200212
03Electrical SystemRoutine
20015
01SuspensionRoutine
20006
12Electrical SystemRoutine
19992
0Seat BeltsRoutine

Which Mercedes Benz CL500 years should you avoid?

On raw complaint volume the 2002 is the weakest year on record, with 12 complaints concentrated in the electrical system.

Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.

Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.