MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 · model year

2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500

7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2000MERCEDES-BENZCL500 carries 7 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2000 CL500 is electrical system with 2 filings, followed by suspension (2) and interior lighting (1). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2000 CL500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

7
Complaints
0
Crashes
2
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

7 filings

Crashes Reported

0 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
SUSPENSION2
INTERIOR LIGHTING1
SUSPENSION:REAR1
ENGINE1

Recent Complaints

20151125FireSUSPENSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 60 MPH, THE SUSPENSION SYSTEM NEARLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED AND REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 116,000.

Mileage: 116,000

20150708ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. WHILE TRAVELING APPROXIMATELY 40 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER FAILED TO WORK AND WENT COMPLETELY BLANK SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE CONTACT REPLACED THE FUSES MULTIPLE TIMES BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED NO REMEDY. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

20140923SUSPENSION

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES CL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 30 MPH, THE VEHICLE DROPPED TO THE GROUND. IN ADDITION, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL IS TOO LOW PLEASE STOP VEHICLE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE FAILURE OCCURRED ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT FLUIDS WAS LEAKING THROUGH SEALS OF THE VEHICLE. AS A RESULT, THE ABC HIGH PRESSURE HOSE AND THE HYDRAULIC PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,000. THE VIN NUMBER WAS UNAVAILABLE.

Mileage: 74,000

20130708ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 80 MPH, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE CONTACT STOPPED AND RESTARTED THE VEHICLE HOWEVER, THE VEHICLE LATER STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A PRIVATE MECHANIC, WHO STATED THAT THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED AND THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE WAS REPORTED TO THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 96,000.

Mileage: 96,000

20100625FireSUSPENSION:REAR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ CL500 (N/A). WHILE TRAVELING AT 55 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A LOUD, UNUSUAL POP COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. WITHIN SECONDS, THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE VEHICLE REAR. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL MECHANIC WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE SUSPENSION HOSE HAD FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A SECOND MECHANIC WHERE THE SUSPENSION HOSE WAS REPLACED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 78,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 90,000.

Mileage: 15,000

20061016ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DID NOT ILLUMINATE PROPERLY ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #06V028000 REGARDING INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE PART AVAILABILITY. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN WAITING OVER A MONTH FOR THE PART TO BE AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR.*AK UPDATED 10/31/2006 - THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BLACKED OUT PLUS THERE WERE ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL FAULURES. THE NEW CLUSTER THAT THE DEALER CCLAMED WAS NEEDED WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. *NM

Mileage: 54,118

20061016INTERIOR LIGHTING

DT*: THE CONTACT STATED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER DID NOT ILLUMINATE PROPERLY ON TWO OCCASIONS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, WHO DETERMINED THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THERE WAS A NHTSA RECALL #06V028000 REGARDING INTERIOR LIGHTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO THE VIN. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED DUE TO THE PART AVAILABILITY. THE CONTACT HAS BEEN WAITING OVER A MONTH FOR THE PART TO BE AVAILABLE FOR REPAIR.*AK UPDATED 10/31/2006 - THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER BLACKED OUT PLUS THERE WERE ADDITIONAL ELECTRICAL FAULURES. THE NEW CLUSTER THAT THE DEALER CCLAMED WAS NEEDED WAS NOT COVERED UNDER RECALL. *NM

Mileage: 54,118

Compare 2000MERCEDES-BENZCL500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 have?
The 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 2 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500?
The most-complained component for the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and INTERIOR LIGHTING.
Is the 2000 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.