MERCEDES-BENZ CLK · model year

2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK

4 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2002MERCEDES-BENZCLK carries 4 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 0 crashes, 0 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 2002 CLK is electrical system with 2 filings, followed by seats (1) and visibility/wiper (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 2002 CLK. 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.

4
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

4 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
SEATS1
VISIBILITY/WIPER1

Recent Complaints

20121206ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR AS-IS IN OCTOBER OF 2011. AT THAT TIME IT HAD 67,500 MILES ON IT. IN ABOUT MARCH OF 2012 WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE THREE MAJOR THINGS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY ALL APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. THE WINDSHIELD SPRAY DID NOT FUNCTION EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FULL OF LIQUID. WE WIGGLED THE ELECTRICAL PLUG AND CHANGED THE FUSE AND IT WORKED FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THE NEXT THING WAS THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEATED SEAT DID NOT WORK AND STILL DOES NOT. WE CANNOT FIND THE FUSE FOR THAT ONE. THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CONTROL ON THE DOOR STOPPED WORKING FOR THE MAIN PART OF THE SEAT BENCH ITSELF. IT WILL NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH AND WILL NOT TILT OR RISE. THE SEAT BACK WORKS AND THE HEADREST WORKS, BUT THAT IS ALL. AGAIN WE COULD NOT FIND THE FUSE. *TR

Mileage: 72,000

20121206SEATS

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR AS-IS IN OCTOBER OF 2011. AT THAT TIME IT HAD 67,500 MILES ON IT. IN ABOUT MARCH OF 2012 WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE THREE MAJOR THINGS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY ALL APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. THE WINDSHIELD SPRAY DID NOT FUNCTION EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FULL OF LIQUID. WE WIGGLED THE ELECTRICAL PLUG AND CHANGED THE FUSE AND IT WORKED FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THE NEXT THING WAS THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEATED SEAT DID NOT WORK AND STILL DOES NOT. WE CANNOT FIND THE FUSE FOR THAT ONE. THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CONTROL ON THE DOOR STOPPED WORKING FOR THE MAIN PART OF THE SEAT BENCH ITSELF. IT WILL NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH AND WILL NOT TILT OR RISE. THE SEAT BACK WORKS AND THE HEADREST WORKS, BUT THAT IS ALL. AGAIN WE COULD NOT FIND THE FUSE. *TR

Mileage: 72,000

20121206VISIBILITY/WIPER

WE BOUGHT THIS CAR AS-IS IN OCTOBER OF 2011. AT THAT TIME IT HAD 67,500 MILES ON IT. IN ABOUT MARCH OF 2012 WE NOTICED THAT THERE WERE THREE MAJOR THINGS WRONG WITH THE CAR AND THEY ALL APPEARED TO BE ELECTRICAL. THE WINDSHIELD SPRAY DID NOT FUNCTION EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FULL OF LIQUID. WE WIGGLED THE ELECTRICAL PLUG AND CHANGED THE FUSE AND IT WORKED FOR ABOUT 2 WEEKS. THE NEXT THING WAS THAT THE PASSENGER SIDE HEATED SEAT DID NOT WORK AND STILL DOES NOT. WE CANNOT FIND THE FUSE FOR THAT ONE. THEN THE PASSENGER SIDE SEAT CONTROL ON THE DOOR STOPPED WORKING FOR THE MAIN PART OF THE SEAT BENCH ITSELF. IT WILL NOT MOVE BACK AND FORTH AND WILL NOT TILT OR RISE. THE SEAT BACK WORKS AND THE HEADREST WORKS, BUT THAT IS ALL. AGAIN WE COULD NOT FIND THE FUSE. *TR

Mileage: 72,000

20100825ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2002 MERCEDES BENZ CLK 430. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TEMPERATURE AND CLOCK GAUGES WERE DEFECTIVE AND HE WAS UNABLE TO DISTINGUISH THE ENTIRE NUMBERS OF THE TEMPERATURE AND CLOCK READINGS. FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE TEMPERATURE WAS 85 DEGREES, THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE WOULD ONLY DISPLAY THE 5. THE VEHICLE WAS NEITHER INSPECTED NOR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 45,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 52,500.

Mileage: 45,000

Compare 2002MERCEDES-BENZCLK to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK have?
The 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK has 4 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK?
The most-complained component for the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK is ELECTRICAL SYSTEM with 2 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEATS and VISIBILITY/WIPER.
Is the 2002 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK 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.