MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 · model year

2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500

3 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-BENZCLS500 carries 3 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 CLS500 is engine with 1 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (1) and vehicle speed control (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 CLS500. 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.

3
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

3 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
ENGINE1
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM1
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL1

Recent Complaints

20131016FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

FROM A STOPPED POSITION THERE IS DELAY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED BEFORE THE ENGINE ACTUALLY BEGINS TO ACCELERATE. THE DELAY IS APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS AND PRESENTS SERIOUS DANGER WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO APPROACHING TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS WHERE I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT HESITATION WITH THE ACCELERATION. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER A FEW TIMES, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND NO ERROR FAULTS HAD BEEN LOGGED IN THE VEHICLES COMPUTER. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT INITIALLY BUT IS NOT CONSISTENTLY OCCURRING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SUSPECT MY CASE IS NOT UNIQUE. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

20131016VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

FROM A STOPPED POSITION THERE IS DELAY WHEN THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL IS PRESSED BEFORE THE ENGINE ACTUALLY BEGINS TO ACCELERATE. THE DELAY IS APPROXIMATELY 2 SECONDS AND PRESENTS SERIOUS DANGER WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PULL INTO APPROACHING TRAFFIC. I HAVE HAD A FEW CLOSE CALLS WHERE I WAS ALMOST HIT BY ANOTHER VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE SIGNIFICANT HESITATION WITH THE ACCELERATION. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER A FEW TIMES, BUT THEY SAID THEY COULD NOT FIND ANY PROBLEM AND NO ERROR FAULTS HAD BEEN LOGGED IN THE VEHICLES COMPUTER. THE PROBLEM WAS INTERMITTENT INITIALLY BUT IS NOT CONSISTENTLY OCCURRING. I BELIEVE THIS IS A SERIOUS SAFETY ISSUE AND SUSPECT MY CASE IS NOT UNIQUE. *TR

Mileage: 50,000

20130426ENGINE

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 MERCEDES BENZ S500. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS. THE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT THE CRANK SHAFT POSITION SENSOR WOULD HAVE TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 64,530. *TR UPDATED 06/07/13*LJ THE CONSUMER STATED THE MANUFACTURER ULTIMATELY OFFERED A 20 PERCENT DISCOUNT ON THE PART ONLY. UPDATED 06/13/2013 *JS

Mileage: 64,530

Compare 2004MERCEDES-BENZCLS500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 have?
The 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 has 3 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500?
The most-complained component for the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 is ENGINE with 1 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL.
Is the 2004 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 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 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 CLS500; 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.