Total Complaints
8 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 · model year
2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500
8 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2001MERCEDES-BENZCL500 carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 1 fire, 2 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 2001 CL500 is suspension with 3 filings, followed by electrical system (2) and engine (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 2001 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.
8
Complaints
0
Crashes
1
Fires
2
Injuries
0
Deaths
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
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| SUSPENSION | 3 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 2 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20210719FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CAUGHT ON FIRE AND ALMOST CHOKED ME AND MY COUSIN TO DEATH SMH. IT SAYS THERE WAS A RECALL FOR THIS BUT I GUESS MY CAR IS TO OLD. IT ONLY HAS A 130,000 MILES ON IT THIS SHOULDNT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE.
20190125ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK AND HAS NOT COME BACK ON. THIS INCLUDES THE SPEEDOMETER, THE FUEL GAUGE AND ALL THE OTHER ENGINE GAUGES. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. SEARCHING ONLINE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PREVALENT PROBLEM AND THAT WAS CONFIRMED BY MY MECHANIC. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THE MANY OTHERS AFFECTED. THE VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 100,000 MILES ON IT (I CAN'T SEE EXACTLY HOW MAY WITH THE DASH BLACK).
Mileage: 100,000
20190125VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK AND HAS NOT COME BACK ON. THIS INCLUDES THE SPEEDOMETER, THE FUEL GAUGE AND ALL THE OTHER ENGINE GAUGES. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. SEARCHING ONLINE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PREVALENT PROBLEM AND THAT WAS CONFIRMED BY MY MECHANIC. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THE MANY OTHERS AFFECTED. THE VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 100,000 MILES ON IT (I CAN'T SEE EXACTLY HOW MAY WITH THE DASH BLACK).
Mileage: 100,000
20190125EXTERIOR LIGHTING
DRIVING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL WENT BLACK AND HAS NOT COME BACK ON. THIS INCLUDES THE SPEEDOMETER, THE FUEL GAUGE AND ALL THE OTHER ENGINE GAUGES. THE CRUISE CONTROL DOES NOT WORK. SEARCHING ONLINE, THIS APPEARS TO BE A PREVALENT PROBLEM AND THAT WAS CONFIRMED BY MY MECHANIC. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS IS NOT A SAFETY RECALL FOR THIS VEHICLE AND THE MANY OTHERS AFFECTED. THE VEHICLE HAS ABOUT 100,000 MILES ON IT (I CAN'T SEE EXACTLY HOW MAY WITH THE DASH BLACK).
Mileage: 100,000
20180924ENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE AIRMATIC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V263000 (SUSPENSION, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLUID WAS DUE TO THE COMPRESSOR THAT FRACTURED AND THE COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
Mileage: 45,000
20180924SUSPENSION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE AIRMATIC WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. UPON INSPECTING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT NOTICED FLUID LEAKING FROM UNDER THE HOOD ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED BY AN UNKNOWN DEALER PER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 07V263000 (SUSPENSION, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING), BUT THE REMEDY FAILED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL BODY SHOP WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE FLUID WAS DUE TO THE COMPRESSOR THAT FRACTURED AND THE COMPRESSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 45,000. THE VIN WAS INVALID.
Mileage: 45,000
20150707SUSPENSION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE CHASSIS LOWERED OVER THE WHEELS OF THE VEHICLE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC LINE WAS CORRODED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE HYDRAULIC FUSE SYSTEM PUMP NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000.
Mileage: 100,000
20140730SUSPENSION
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2001 MERCEDES BENZ CL500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL SENSOR ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY AND THEN REMAINED LIT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 137,000.
Mileage: 137,000
Compare 2001MERCEDES-BENZCL500 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 have?▼
The 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 has 8 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500?▼
The most-complained component for the 2001 MERCEDES-BENZ CL500 is SUSPENSION with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include ELECTRICAL SYSTEM and ENGINE.
Is the 2001 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.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.