Owners filed 18 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the unknown or other. It has been recalled 1 time.
| Component | Reports | Crashes | Fires | Injuries | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Windshield | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Visibility | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Structure › Body › Roof and Pillars | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Power Train › Automatic Transmission | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Fuel System, Other › Storage › Fuel Gauge System | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defect. VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A DEFECTIVE WELD WAS DISCOVERED ON THE WELD NUT FOR THE BOLT USED TO SECURE THE FRONT SHOULDER SEAT BELT GUIDES.
Risk. DUE TO THIS DEFECTIVE WELD, THE ANCHORAGES MAY NOT ADEQUATELY SECURE THE FRONT SEAT BELTS IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH.
Remedy. DEALERS WILL REPAIR THE SHOULDER BELT ANCHOR ASSEMBLY.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 1999 MERCEDES BENZ CLK320. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE SUN ROOF SUDDENLY SHATTERED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 199,000.
REAR ROLL BAR WILL NOT RAISE OR LOWER, COULD BE FATAL TO REAR PASSENGERS IN A ROLL OVER SITUATION. ROLL BAR/ HEAD RESTRAINTS STUCK IN LOWER POSITION. THIS WAS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AT FIRST, NOW IT DOES NOT WORK AT ALL. SWITCH WILL NOT RAISE OR LOWER ROLL BAR ALL THE WAY; AS A RESULT, CANNOT RAISE THE CONVERTIBLE TOP. THE TOP WILL NOT RAISE OR LOWER UNLESS THE ROLL BAR IS ALL THE WAY DOWN. WILL NOT RELEASE SO THAT I CAN MANUALLY RAISE THE TOP EITHER. THIS IS A DEFECT THAT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED. *TR
MERCEDES BENZ 1999 CLK320: THE OUTSIDE MIRROR ON THE DRIVER'S DOOR HAS TURNED SO DARK, IT IS VIRTUALLY BLACK AND THE DRIVER CANNOT SEE ANYTHING IN IT. THIS INABILITY TO SEE IN THIS EXTERIOR SIDE-VIEW MIRROR IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IT PROBABLY IS CAUSED BY CHANGES IN THE COATING THAT IS SUPPOSED TO EITHER HEAT THE MIRROR OR DIM IT. *TR
MASSIVE LOSS OF TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM SEALED TRANSMISSION UNIT. 1999 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 320 CAUSING TRANS TO STOP FUNCTIONING WHILE ON THE HIGHWAY. *TR
NUMEROUS COMPLAINTS ABOUT A FAULTY CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR IN MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLES THAT PREVENTS CARS FROM STARTING AND ALSO SHUTS THEM OFF WHILST ON THE ROAD AND IN MOTION. CAR DIED ON ME 6 TIMES. LUCKILY, I WASN'T TRAVELING VERY FAST BUT THIS IS VERY UNSAFE BUT I DID CAUSE A TRAFFIC DELAY AND BLOCKED THE ROAD SEVERAL TIMES WHILE STALLED. *NM
DT: VEHICLE IS BURNING OIL. DEALER SAID THEY CAN'T FIND THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM. MANUFACTURER HAS NOT BEEN CONTACTED YET. INDEPENDENT MECHANIC STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS BURNING EXCESSIVE OIL, AND RECOMMENDED THAT THE DEALER OR MANUFACTURER LOOK INTO IT.*AK
(1) VIBRATIONS OF ENGINE AT IDLE WAS FELT 1 DAY PRIOR TO THE FAILURE. (2) HEARD LOUD/KNOCKING NOISE THE NEXT DAY WHILE DRIVING HOME. (3) HOME INSPECTIONS REVEALED DISENGAGEMENT OF THE OUTER BELT PULLEY FROM THE HARMONIC BALANCER.*AK (4) CALLED THE SAN DIEGO DEALER FOR A REPAIR/REPLACEMENT. (5) THE MODEL IS CLK 320, 1999, APPROXIMATELY 64,000 MILES WHEN THIS HAPPENED. (6) DIRECTED TO THIS SITE FROM AN INTERNET FORUM, WHOSE HUNDRED OF MEMBERS HAD STATED THE SAME PROBLEMS. (7) SURPRISED TO SEE THAT ODI DID NOT FIND THE DEFECT SERIOUS ENOUGH TO FORCE THE MANUFACTURER RECALL.
THE TIRES EXPERIENCED EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR, THE VEHICLE HAD A FRONT ALIGNMENT, AND THE TIRES WERE ROTATED, HOWEVER THE PROBLEM RECURRED.*JB
MERCEDES-BENZ, DEVON, PA, SAYS FLOOR MAT JAMMED ACCELERATOR AS DRIVER BRAKED.*AK
WHILE DRIVING ABOUT 10 MPH, POWER STEERING WENT OUT, DEALER REPLACED THE LOWER ENGINE PULLEY. *JB
VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER FOR REPAIRS 20 TIMES. 3 TIMES FOR CONVERTIBLE TOP NOT GOING DOWN. DRIVER'S WINDOW WOULD NOT SHUT, STOPPED 4 INCHES SHORT OF BEING CLOSED. STITCHING ON INTERIOR IS COMING APART, AND THERE WAS RATTLING IN FRONT AND REAR OF VEHICLE.*AK
SINCE THE DATE OF OWNERSHIP CONSUMER HAS EXPERIENCED PROBLEMS WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. *MJS
NO SUMMARY
THE VEHICLE STARTED BACK FIRING AND STALLING, IT SUDDENTLY LOST ALL POWER, TRACTION LIGHTS ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH, WHILE THE CONSUMER PULLED TO THE SIDE THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE.*ET
FUEL SENDING UNIT WAS DEFECTIVE FROM THE FACTORY, CAUSING FUEL GAUGE TO WANDER AND ENGINE LIGHT WILL COME ON. 2. NO REPLACEMENT HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR RECALL OF BOOSTER . CONSUMER HAS BEEN WAITING 3 MONTHS . *AK
NO SUMMARY
SEAT TRIM FAILED. *YC
WINDOW ADJUSTMENTS WERE REPAIRED. YH
18 of 18 complaints, reproduced as filed.
No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.
Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.
Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.
Most recent recall on file: Feb 11, 1999. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.