2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

Routine

Owners filed 7 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the service brakes. It has been recalled 1 time.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Service Brakes4
000
Wheels1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Fuel/Propulsion System1
000

1 safety recall

Part 573 reports
Visibility › Sun/Moon Roof Assembly22V954000
Filed Dec 23, 2022131,653 vehiclesMercedes-Benz Usa, Llc

Defect. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.

Risk. A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall expands NHTSA recall number 19V-918. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and 2023010006.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed Sep 9, 2026MD

A malfunction of the Sensotronic Brake System (SBC) which is covered under Mercedes campaign 2005110001 was amended to include model year 2006 CLS 500 W219 (my model). While driving the vehicle SBC warning light came on and the vehicle slowed canceling acceleration and braking causing the vehicle to limp while in traffic. This is the second occurrence of this issue the first only causing a loss of acceleration. This incident occurred 6 September 2026 with the first occurring 18 August 2026

Unknown or Other
Filed Jul 14, 2023CA

Recall Campaign #2005110001.

Wheels
Filed Nov 5, 2022MI

Fuel/propulsion system failed during operation on X-Way. Squeaking noise front suspension. Wheel rims cracking. Replacement key fob not working.

Service Brakes
Filed Jan 24, 2022OH

The 2006 Mercedes Benz CLS500 was designed with a SBC braking system that uses a microcomputer to monitor the car and driver actions. The system sounds like a milestone achievement in braking technology, unfortunately its prone to failure. The entire system relies on electronics. Before long, wiring in the SBC braking system deteriorates, and suddenly the SBC system no longer functions. What happens is all of a sudden a warning light comes on and this message all in bright red saying, ‘Brake malfunction. Ineffective braking,’” Stepping on the brake, my foot was going down to the floor pretty easily. No resistance, no brakes. The Atlantic Motor Car Center receives hundreds of phone calls per year on this issue. Imagine yourself driving along and suddenly the dash goes red and you have no brakes, Mercedes has extended the warranty on the SBC pump first to 10 years, then in 2018 to 25 years. Unfortunately, which happened to me and many others is when you take your car in to the dealer after the terrorizing experience they says they can not duplicate the problem or your car is not giving out a specific code. Although I had numerous fault codes relating to the SBC system, they informed me I did not have the code they wanted. The warranty is meant to prevent failures of the SBC system that result in no brakes. But when you take the car in they inform you it will be $3,000 dollars to replace the SBC pump. Just do some investigation on line to see what's going on. Does it take a clas

Service Brakes
Filed Dec 13, 2021OH

No notice Brake Failure. Coming up to the corner of my sub-division before making a right turn onto a busy 4 lane road, Stepped on the brakes and nothing happened ! Swerved to the left to avoid hitting a jeep that was stopped in front of me also waiting for traffic to clear enough to make the right turn. My car traveled into the busy road, and its a Miracle I didn't get killed by a truck traveling 50 mph that might have T-boned my car on the driver side door. Car was beeping a loud noise and the instrument panel was lit up in Red with the following alarm. Reduced braking power, visit workshop. Car would not accelerate over 5 MPH with the alarm blaring. Luckily was able to turn on emergency flasher and pull over to the side without getting hit. This is the first time I ever had a car that when you stepped on the brakes nothing happened. It scared the hell out of me and I refused to ever drive this car again. Absolutely, no warning that you no longer have brakes. I wonder how many people have been killed in accident from the same problem. Car is a 2006 Mercedes Benz CLS 500.

Service Brakes
Filed Oct 17, 2021NV

Re 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLS500_ 211017_114326 On August 9, 2021, my brakes went out on the freeway when trying to dodge debris and other vehicles, when the brakes completely went out and caused me to run over major wood pallet debris, and scared for my.life to get to the far right lane to make it off te exit with no brakes whatsoever. and causing major under-carriage repairs. Rather than hit the cars on each side of me, all I could do at that point was get over lanes with no brakes, and make it off the exit before I killed myself and/or someone else. The damage done from the brakes going out, came to over $4000 in damage repairs to the under-carriage and left me without a vehicle for 45 days while in the shop This not only effected my income since the vehicle was used for Lyft,, but I also was evicted from my apt. 30 days later, while my vehicle was in the shop, and unable to work to pay my rent. Once getting the car back these past few weeks, even though repairs were done, the car has continued to threaten my life and others, as the brakes continue to randomly go out at a light, on the freeway, behind a merging car, and Ive come so close to having another bad accident. Not to mention since the accident, I am now getting gasoline fumes that seep throughout my car while driving, so profusely, its causing me migraines. But most of all the RISK OF A FIRE!

Fuel/Propulsion System
Filed Dec 27, 202070,000 milesCA

SMELLS LIKE GAS INSIDE THE CAR AFTER FILLING UP WITH FUEL. ONLY SMELLS INSIDE THE CAR AND IS VERY STRONG.

7 of 7 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2007
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20180100Routine
20171100Routine
20160100Routine
20151400Routine
201410400Routine
20134300Routine
201223300Routine
20114300Routine
20101300Routine
20094300Routine
200817300Routine
200735410Routine
2006 — this page7100Routine

Compare every CLS550 year →

Reading this record

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: Dec 23, 2022. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.