MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS · model year

2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS

8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004MERCEDES-BENZCLK CLASS carries 8 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 1 injury, 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 2004 CLK CLASS is air bags with 1 filings, followed by seat belts:front:retractor (1) and power train:automatic transmission (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 2004 CLK CLASS. 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
1
Crashes
0
Fires
1
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

8 filings

Crashes Reported

1 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
AIR BAGS1
SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER1
TIRES:SIDEWALL1
EQUIPMENT1
TIRES1
SEAT BELTS1

Recent Complaints

20111221SEAT BELTS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLK. THE CONTACT STATED THE FRONT DRIVER'S SIDE SHOULDER SEAT BELT RETRACTOR FAILED TO OPERATE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER WHO INFORMED THE SEAT BELT ASSEMBLY WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 111,000.

Mileage: 111,000

20070320TIRES

KEYES MERCEDES BENZ SOLD ME A VEHICLE ,CLK 320, WITH DEFECTIVE TIRES , AND WAS UNWILLING TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. *AK

20060420EQUIPMENT

WHILE USING THE CUP HOLDER ON MY 2004 MERCEDEZ BENZ CLK VIN [XXX] COFFEE SPILLED AND CAUSED THE RADIO AND A/C UNIT TO MALFUNCTION. THIS RESULTED IN ALMOST $2,000 IN REPAIR COSTS. THE CUP HOLDER IN THE VEHICLE IS PLACED DIRECTLY ABOVE THE RADIO AND A/C CONTROLS. I KNOW THAT MERCEDES HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST WITH THE SLK MODELS WITH SPILLS CAUSING THE ELECTRONIC TRANSMISSION TO SHORT OUT. BASED ON THE DESIGN OF THE CUP HOLDER IS WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE TO PREVENT SPILLING WHEN FACED WITH A SUDDEN STOP OR A HOLE IN THE ROAD. I REQUESTED THE REPAIR TO BE COVERED BY MERCEDES BENZ BUT THEY REFUSED TO HONOR MY REQUEST. SINCE THE DESIGN IS SO FLAWED, AND THE DAMAGE TO ELECTONIC EQUIPMENT SO FORESEEABLE IT IS WRONG TO DO THIS TO CONSUMERS. *NM UPDATED 07/16/2012 *JS INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Mileage: 17,900

20050416TIRES:SIDEWALL

SPARE TIRE FOLDS OVER WHEN INSTALLED IN A TURN UNDER 55 MPH LEAVING CAR EXTREMLY UNSTABLE. *AK

20050408POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:TORQUE CONVERTER

ON MONDAY, APRIL 4TH, I WAS DRIVING MY 2004 CLK55 CONVERTIBLE TO MY OFFICE, GOING 55 MPH AND LOST ALL POWER. I ATTEMPTED TO PUT THE CAR INTO NEUTRAL AND THE CAR GOING AGAIN, WITH NO SUCCESS. I WAS ABLE TO PULL OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, AND THEN DRIVE A FEW MILES PER HOUR TO GET TO A SAFE PLACE OFF OF THE HIGHWAY. THE DEALER IS TELLING ME THAT THE TORQUE CONVERTER AND THE TRANSMISSION ARE BROKEN. THE TORQUE CONVERTER PART HAS BEEN ORDERED FROM GERMANY, AND IT IS ON BACKORDER FOR THE ENTIRE UNITED STATES. HAD THIS HAPPENED IN OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, IT COULD HAVE LED TO A LIFE THREATENING ACCIDENT. I AM WRITING THIS LETTER TO YOU TO MAKE YOU FORMALLY AWARE OF THE PROBLEM, AND TO PREVENT IT FROM HAPPENING TO OTHER INDIVIDUALS. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF A $2 BILLION MEDICAL DEVICE COMPANY, AND HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENED IN OUR BUSINESS WITH AN OPERATING ROOM PRODUCT, OR ANY CRITICAL DEVICE, WE WOULD BE OBLIGED TO IMMEDIATE FULLY INVESTIGATE AND NOTIFY THE FDA IF A RECALL

Mileage: 5,600

20050106SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR

THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM ARM MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED FOR LEAKING FLUID, AND NOT CHANGING GEARS.*AK

20050106POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

THE SEAT BELT RETRACTOR WAS REPLACED TWICE. THE SEAT BELT MECHANISM ARM MALFUNCTIONED. ALSO, TRANSMISSION WAS SERVICED FOR LEAKING FLUID, AND NOT CHANGING GEARS.*AK

20041130CrashAIR BAGS

THE VEHICLE WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. THE IMPACT WAS SO SEVERE THAT THE ENTIRE FRONT GRILL AND BUMPER WERE RIPPED OFF. THERE WAS DAMAGE ON EVERY SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ONLY THE RIGHT REAR AIR BAG DEPLOYED. *NM *SC

Compare 2004MERCEDES-BENZCLK CLASS to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS have?
The 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS has 8 NHTSA complaints, 1 crashes, 0 fires, 1 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS?
The most-complained component for the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS is AIR BAGS with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SEAT BELTS:FRONT:RETRACTOR and POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION.
Is the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK CLASS 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.