Total Complaints
15 filings
MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500 · model year
15 NHTSA complaints. A VIN lookup is required to determine whether a specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2004MERCEDES-BENZCLK500 carries 15 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.
The most frequently selected component label in reports for the 2004 CLK500 is fuel/propulsion system with 6 filings, followed by seat belts (3) and electronic stability control (esc) (1). Complaint categories reflect owner reports and intake categorization; they do not establish a defect pattern or cause.
NHTSA currently has 15 investigation files overlapping the 2004 CLK500. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should read the complaint-by-year trend as report volume, not a causal diagnosis. Use the related-complaint feed and the official recall lookup when researching a specific vehicle.
Total Complaints
15 filings
Crashes Reported
0 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 |
| SEAT BELTS | 3 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP | 1 |
| POWER TRAIN | 1 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 |
| AIR BAGS | 1 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 |
After evaluation by garage it is concluded that there’s subframe damage to the vehicle
STRONG GAS SMELL FROM REAR SEAT WHENEVER GAS FILLED UP.
MY CAR AFTER FUELING LEAKS A VERY STRONG FUEL SMELL ENTERS MY CAR. THE STRONG FUEL VAPOR WILL REMAIN UNTIL THE TANK GETS BELOW 3/4. IT WILL BE THERE WHETHER IT IS IN MOTION, STATIONARY, OR AT IDLE. MY ENTIRE GARAGE WILL SMELL OF FUEL DURING THIS TIME WHEN THE TANK IS FULL. I KNOW MERCEDES RECALLED THE E CLASS FUEL TANK BECAUSE OF THIS SAME ISSUE. MY CLK500 IS THE SAME AS THE E CLASS BUT THE CONVERTIBLE VERSION. THESE ARE DANGEROUS FAULTY TANKS THAT NEED TO BE RECALLED IN EVERY VEHICLE THEY INSTALLED THEM IN.
Mileage: 84,000
AFTER FILLING FUEL TANK STRONG SMELL OF GASOLINE. OTHER COMPLAINTS OF THIS NATURE IN YOUR SYSTEM. RECALL ALREADY ISSUED FOR OTHER MODEL MERCEDES BENZ WITH SAME ISSUE.
Mileage: 83,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLK500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RESTRAIN WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS ENGAGED AND THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESTRAINT SYSTEM WARNING LIGHT REMAINED ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 121,000.
Mileage: 121,000
VEHICLE SHOW AN SRS LIGHT ISSUE ON THE DASHBOARD, I TOOK THE VEHICLE MANY TIMES TO TYSON'S CORNER, VA MERCEDEZ BENZ DEALERSHIP TO FIGURE WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM, AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE ISSUE. AFTER A LOT OF INVESTIGATION I FOUND OUT IT MAY BE THE SEATBELT BUCKLES, OR THE CHILD RECOGNITION EMULATOR WHICH ARE GIVING AND ISSUE. IF HE SRS LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 102,666
VEHICLE SHOW AN SRS LIGHT ISSUE ON THE DASHBOARD, I TOOK THE VEHICLE MANY TIMES TO TYSON'S CORNER, VA MERCEDEZ BENZ DEALERSHIP TO FIGURE WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM, AND THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO FIND THE ISSUE. AFTER A LOT OF INVESTIGATION I FOUND OUT IT MAY BE THE SEATBELT BUCKLES, OR THE CHILD RECOGNITION EMULATOR WHICH ARE GIVING AND ISSUE. IF HE SRS LIGHT IS ON THE AIRBAGS WILL NOT DEPLOY IN CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.
Mileage: 102,666
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLK500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHENEVER HE WOULD REFUEL, THERE WAS A STRONG OVERWHELMING FUEL ODOR COMING FROM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN DEALER WHERE TIT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
Mileage: 82,000
BOUGHT CAR IN SEPT. 2012. STARTED TO NOTICE FUEL SMELL AFTER FILL UPS. GETTING WORSE, AND CHECKED FUEL SENDING UNIT ON TOP OF TANK. PUDDLE OF FUEL ON TOP OF SENDING UNIT. *TR
Mileage: 68,000
I SMELLED GASOLINE WHEN MY TWO CARS WERE PARKED IN THE GARAGE. THIS OCCURRED ONLY AFTER FILLING THE GAS TANKS (NO TOPPING OFF.) I THOUGHT IT WAS MY 2010 MBZ BUT THE DEALER CHECKED AND FOUND NO PROBLEM. I HAD MY 2004 MBZ CHECKED. THE DEALER TOLD ME I NEEDED A NEW GAS TANK, BECAUSE IT WAS LEAKING. MY CAR HAS 80K MILES AND LOOKS NEW; GARAGED, SERVICED AND NEVER IN AN ACCIDENT AND HAS NO LEAKS. A NEW GAS CAP DID NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. OVER THREE QUARTERS OF A TANK DOES NOT EMIT ANY ODOR, SO I DON'T FILL THE TANK COMPLETELY. I FEEL THE FUMES COULD BE A SAFETY HAZARD INSIDE A GARAGE CONTAINING A HOT WATER HEATER. *TR
Mileage: 70,000
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES CLK500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE SEAT BELT FAILED TO RETRACT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 78,000.
Mileage: 78,000
STRONG SMELL OF GAS FUMES AT REAR WHEEL WELL AREA WHEN FUEL TANK IS FILLED. DEALER FOUND FUEL LEAKING FROM THE TOP OF THE FUEL SENDING UNIT AND WAS FILLING THE RECESSED AREA ON TOP OF FUEL TANK WITH GAS. THE DEALER SAID THAT THE PLASTIC SENDING UNIT HAS A SMALL CRACK OR PIN HOLE AND WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. I FOUND ON THE MERCEDES BENZ USER BLOG THAT OTHER CLK OWNERS HAD SIMILAR ISSUES. I CONTACTED MERCEDES BENZ USA AND FILED A COMPLAINT STATING THIS IS A FIRE HAZARD. THEY SAID THAT THEY COULD NOT ASSIST ME WITH THIS PROBLEM SINCE THE VEHICLE OUT OF WARRANTY. I FEEL THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE AND SHOULD BE TAKEN CARE OF BY MERCEDES BENZ. *TR
Mileage: 53,900
I WAS DRIVING ON A BUSY STREET WHEN THE MERCEDES BENZ STARTED JERKING. AFTER STOPPING AT A RED LIGHT, I COULD NOT GET THE CAR TO ACCELERATE PAST 2ND GEAR; THUS, I WAS DRIVING ON A STREET WITH A 45 MPH SPEED LIMIT AT LESS THAN 20 MPH. THEN, AS I WAS CROSSING AN INTERSECTION, THE CAR FINALLY STALLED. LUCKILY, BECAUSE IT WAS AN INTERSECTION, THE ONCOMING CARS MANEUVERED AROUND ME. AFTER TURNING THE IGNITION, IT STARTED UP AGAIN, AND I WAS ABLE TO DRIVE IT INTO A PARKING LOT (ONCE AGAIN, NOT PAST 2ND GEAR). I TOWED THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALERSHIP, AND THEY HAVE INFORMED ME THAT THE RADIATOR LEAKED FLUID INTO THE TRANSMISSION; AS A RESULT, THE TRANSMISSION, THE TRANSMISSION CONTROL UNIT, AND THE TORQUE CONVERTER ARE ALL DAMAGED AND NEEDS REPLACEMENT. I BELIEVE THAT THE FAULT LIES ON MERCEDES TO REPLACE THE DAMAGED PARTS DUE TO THEIR KNOWLEDGE THAT THERE WAS A POTENTIALLY FAULTY RADIATOR INSTALLED IN THEIR VEHICLES. IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE ON A BUSY STREET OR HIGHWAY ONLY TO HAVE THE CA
Mileage: 76,000
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ CLK500. THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED IN A GARAGE WHEN THE CONTACT SMELLED FUEL AND NOTICED THAT THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING FUEL. THE FUEL PUMP WAS LEAKING UNDERNEATH THE REAR SEAT WHICH WAS WHERE ITS LOCATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO REPLACED THE FUEL PUMP ON BOTH THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE APPROXIMATELY 70,000.
Mileage: 70,000
MY 2004 MBZ 500 CABRIOLET STOPPED RUNNING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITHOUT WARNING. IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN SERVICED REGULARLY AND THERE WERE NO PROBLEMS. IT WAS IN RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC IN IRVINE CA. TOWED TO AUTHORIZED REPAIR SHOP- CRANKSHAFT ELECTRONIC SENSOR SHUT VEHICLE DOWN. COULD HAVE CAUSED A MAJOR ACCIDENT. LESS THAN 48K MILES ON CAR. *TR
Mileage: 48,380
Data vintage: August 2026. 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.
Every figure on PlainCars is rendered directly from NHTSA complaint and safety data, no number is typed in by an editor. This year-specific record is rendered from NHTSA ODI, recall, and NCAP rows for the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLK500; no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.