Total Complaints
7 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ CL550 · model year
2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550
7 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2011MERCEDES-BENZCL550 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, 3 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 2011 CL550 is unknown or other with 2 filings, followed by power train (1) and engine and engine cooling (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 2011 CL550. 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
3
Fires
0
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 |
|---|---|
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 |
| ENGINE | 1 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 |
Recent Complaints
20231021FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On October 17, 2023, my vehicle experienced a significant issueâa fire incidentâwhile I was leaving the garage of my house. According to the fire department & my insurance adjuster, it appeared that electrical components started the fire. Separately, on June 22, 2023, I was stuck inside the vehicle as I could not open the doors of the car. The batteries of the car had completely been drained, and the car was just jump-started by my insurance road-side assistant, but I turned off the engine (I was inside the car) forgetting about the fact that the car was not sufficiently being charged. Eventually the car was jump-started again, and I got out of the car safely. And, I had a local MB dealership replace both starter and ancillary batteries. Shouldn't car doors open regardless of the levels of the batteries left? What if the fire on Oct 17 had happened, and I could not escape from the car as I could not open the doors...
20231021FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER
On October 17, 2023, my vehicle experienced a significant issueâa fire incidentâwhile I was leaving the garage of my house. According to the fire department & my insurance adjuster, it appeared that electrical components started the fire. Separately, on June 22, 2023, I was stuck inside the vehicle as I could not open the doors of the car. The batteries of the car had completely been drained, and the car was just jump-started by my insurance road-side assistant, but I turned off the engine (I was inside the car) forgetting about the fact that the car was not sufficiently being charged. Eventually the car was jump-started again, and I got out of the car safely. And, I had a local MB dealership replace both starter and ancillary batteries. Shouldn't car doors open regardless of the levels of the batteries left? What if the fire on Oct 17 had happened, and I could not escape from the car as I could not open the doors...
20221201UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My back up just stops producing an image. I can restart the car and it might or might not come back on. For the most part the camera is on but Iâve been reading on all the MB forums this is a very common issue, with these W216 and also itâs sister car, the W221. The problem is, these were extremely low production vehicles and Iâm sure not many are in existence now. I feel these 130-210k cars, shouldnât have safety issues like this. I donât mind paying for aging components but safety components should always be working properly. It concerns me because what if a neighborhood child were to dart out from behind and I hit them? The incident could have been prevented.
20220909FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2011 Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC with 63,335 miles. it has a strong gas smell in the inside. There was a recall pertaining to, "Due to the irregularity stemming from the molding process of the fuel filter flange, the filter may crack when operated in high temperatures." I live in California and it has been very hot here. when I put my VIN into the recall system it states no recall. I also have a 2010 S550 that had the same problem last year and it also showed no recalls for this problem. If there are no recalls for all models of this vehicle for this problem there should be.
20150302FireENGINE
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 MERCEDES BENZ CL550. AFTER PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT CAUGHT FIRE. THE FIRE INITIATED IN THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT AND THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT CAUSED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 39,000.
Mileage: 39,000
20111229POWER TRAIN
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SPEED JUST DROPPED FROM 80 MPH TO 40 MPH AND BRAKE LIGHTS, OF COURSE, DID NOT TURN ON. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT WARNED AND ALMOST CRASHED BEHIND ME. IT WAS NOT ONLY THIS INCIDENT BUT THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT FIXED. *KB
20111229ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
I WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE SPEED JUST DROPPED FROM 80 MPH TO 40 MPH AND BRAKE LIGHTS, OF COURSE, DID NOT TURN ON. BECAUSE OF THAT, THE DRIVER BEHIND ME WAS NOT WARNED AND ALMOST CRASHED BEHIND ME. IT WAS NOT ONLY THIS INCIDENT BUT THIS HAPPENED NUMEROUS TIMES AND THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT FIXED. *KB
Compare 2011MERCEDES-BENZCL550 to Similar Vehicles
NHTSA Investigations
Frequently Asked Questions
How many complaints does the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550 have?▼
The 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550 has 7 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 3 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550?▼
The most-complained component for the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550 is UNKNOWN OR OTHER with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include POWER TRAIN and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2011 MERCEDES-BENZ CL550 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.