MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 · model year

2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500

75 NHTSA complaints, 5 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2006MERCEDES-BENZCLS500 carries 75 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 5 crashes, 0 fires, 7 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 2006 CLS500 is service brakes with 21 filings, followed by fuel/propulsion system (12) and fuel system, gasoline (10). 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 2006 CLS500. 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.

75
Complaints
5
Crashes
0
Fires
7
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

75 filings

Crashes Reported

5 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

At or below the fleet median complaint volume.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
SERVICE BRAKES21
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM12
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE10
AIR BAGS4
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL3
POWER TRAIN3
WHEELS3
ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM2
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC2
ENGINE2
TIRES2
POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION1
WHEELS:RIM1
AIR BAGS:FRONTAL1

Recent Complaints

20241028SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC

The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500. The contact stated while driving approximately 20 MPH, the messages "Reduced Braking Pressure, and “Service Required" was displayed and the vehicle experienced a loss in braking power. The contact was able to pull the vehicle over and proceed to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the VIN on the SVC (Sensotronic-braking Control Unit) did not match with the VIN and that the contact had to bring the vehicle to a local dealer for repair. Upon becoming aware of the failure, the vehicle was towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed; however, the contact was advised that the dealer could not replace the unit because the unit was not the correct unit for the vehicle. The contact was informed that the vehicle should not have an SVC unit but instead should have an ABS unit. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of th

Mileage: 172,989

20240918ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and ESC warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic stability control module. The contact was informed that the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was 131,000.

Mileage: 131,000

20240229SERVICE BRAKES

The contact owns a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brake pedal failed to depress properly. There was a message to “STOP” displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who replaced the TLS, but the failure recurred. The contact called the local dealer, who informed the contact that there were no recalls on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 99,000.

Mileage: 99,000

20210225FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

VERY STRONG GAS SMELL INSIDE THE CAR AND OUTSIDE THE CAR. GAS LEAKING ON THE FLOOR FROM GAS TANK AREA.

20200731SERVICE BRAKES

BRAKES KEEP GOING OUT. BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. ESP LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR THROTTLING TO A SLOW CREEP EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR ME AND MY WIFE AND CHILD.

Mileage: 170,000

20200731ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)

BRAKES KEEP GOING OUT. BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. ESP LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR THROTTLING TO A SLOW CREEP EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR ME AND MY WIFE AND CHILD.

Mileage: 170,000

20200731POWER TRAIN

BRAKES KEEP GOING OUT. BRAKE PEDAL GOING TO THE FLOOR. ESP LIGHT COMES ON AND CAR THROTTLING TO A SLOW CREEP EVEN ON THE HIGHWAY. EXTREMELY DANGEROUS FOR ME AND MY WIFE AND CHILD.

Mileage: 170,000

20200625VISIBILITY

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 19V918000(VISIBILITY) HOWEVER, THE PART TO DO THE RECALL REPAIR WAS NOT YET AVAILABLE. MERCEDES-BENZ OF SACRAMENTO (1810 HOWE AVE, SACRAMENTO, CA 95825, (888) 479-0451) WAS CONTACTED AND CONFIRMED THAT THE PART WAS NOT AVAILABLE FOR THE RECALL REMEDY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO REACH THE MANUFACTURER BUT RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. VIN TOOL CONFIRMS PARTS NOT AVAILABLE. ## VIN PASSED ## MERCEDES-BENZ 2006 CLS 500 ##

20200308SERVICE BRAKES

I WAS EXITING THE HIGHWAY WHEN I BEGAN TO PUSH ON THE BREAK PEDAL IT WENT ALL THE WAY THE THE FLOOR. GOOD THING IT WAS A LITTLE TRAFFIC BECAUSE I WAS GOING ABOUT 40 MPH SO I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF THE HIGHWAY IN THE GRASS AND STOP. BUT THIS IS A MAJOR SAFETY ISSUE AND THIS COULD HAVE WELL ENDED BAD FOR ME. WITHOUT WARNING THE BRAKES JUST STOPPED WORKING AND GAVE THE ERROR 'DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL STOP VEHICLE'

Mileage: 129,000

20190925SERVICE BRAKES

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500. WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE 'DEPRESS BRAKE PEDAL STOP VEHICLE' WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED ALL THE WAY TO THE FLOORBOARD, BUT THE VEHICLE DID NOT STOP. THE VEHICLE COASTED UNTIL IT CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. THE VEHICLE WAS RESTARTED AND WAS ABLE TO FUNCTION NORMALLY. MERCEDES-BENZ OF SOUTH ORLANDO (4301 MILLENIA BLVD, ORLANDO, FL 32839, (407) 374-0033) WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THERE WAS NO RECALL FOR THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING OR REPAIRS. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 133,726.

Mileage: 133,726

20190730WHEELS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500C. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHEN IT RAINED, IT FELT AS IF THE VEHICLE WOULD FLIP OVER. THE CONTACT FELT THAT THE VEHICLE NEEDED AN ALIGNMENT AND STATED THAT THE TIRE TREAD WAS WORN. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO PRESTIGE AUTO MALL (1501 VERNON ODOM BLVD, AKRON, OHIO, 44320, (330) 634-9999), BUT WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE DEALER REFUSED TO REPAIR THE VEHICLE BECAUSE THE CONTACT DID NOT SIGN UNKNOWN PAPERWORK AFTER PURCHASING THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DID NOT ASSIST. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 141,849.

Mileage: 141,849

20190407SUSPENSION

THE MERCEDES BENZ CLS500 HAS A DEFECTIVE PART ALL OF THE AIR STRUTS SUSPENSION ARE DROPPED THE MERCEDES BENZ AIRMATIC ARE KNOWN FOR GOING BAD IT'S A WAY THAT MERCEDES CAN CHARGE FOR MORE WORK TO CUSTOMERS THEY SELL YOU A CAR THAT WILL GO BAD NOT IF BUT WHEN WILL GO BAD THIS IS CLEARLY NEEDS TO BE A RECALL MERCEDES BENZ NEEDS TO STAND BY THEIR PRODUCTS AND START THE RECALL PROCESS 2006 CLS500 FRONT AND REAR AIR STRUTS SUSPENSION

Mileage: 100,000

20181021SERVICE BRAKES

SENSOMATIC BRAKING CONTROL HAS BEEN OBSERVED TO HAVE FAILED. RELATED BRAKE WARNING LIGHT INHIBITS THE CAR FROM BRAKING PROPERLY OR DRIVING AT A COMFORTABLE SPEED. BRAKE WIRE HAS BEEN REPLACED AND BRAKE PADS AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. THERE IS A RECALL ON THIS THAT I WAS UNAWARE EXISTED. I NEED HELP. I'M IN A DANGEROUS SITUATION THAT IS UNSAFE FOR ME AND MY FAMILY. BRAKING THE VEHICLE TAKES CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE AND SEEMS TO BE DELAYED.

Mileage: 51,573

20181016SERVICE BRAKES

BOUGHT THE 2006 CLS 500 2 YEARS AGO, SINCE THAT SECOND DAY I HAVE ISSUES WITH SBC MODULE, I CALL MB DEALER THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SINCE THE PRODUCTION DATE WAS 2004, OKAY AFTER THAT I TRY SEVERAL OTHER MECHANICS AND NOBODY HAVE THE STAR TOOL TO FIX UP, THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I CONTINUE TAKE THE RISK COUPLE MONTHS UNTIL THE FUEL LINE STARTS LEAK ON THE PUMP, THIS COULD GENERATE A SPARK AND BURN MY CAR, I CALL AGAIN MB DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IS PROBABLY UNSAFE TO START THE CAR. AFTER ALL THIS YEARS I PARKED THE CAR AND ALL MY SUSPENSION WAS BROKE AS WELL, CALL AGAIN THE MB DEALER THEY ESTIMATED $ 1800 TO REPLACE THE AIR SHOCKS, SO I BUY FROM ARNOTT THE SAME MB SELL AND I REPLACE ALL 4, SO THE CAR IS UP AGAIN, NEXT WEEK I DECIDE TO SELL THE VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING IN 3 YEARS 9,000 MILES ONLY, TRY TO MOVE THE CAR FROM THE GARAGE, GUESS WHAT, MY TRANSMISSION GO TO LIMP MODE BECAUSE THE BREAKS ARE NOT WORKING, SO FAR I DECIDE TO WRITE IN HERE TO COMPLAIN WHY A S

Mileage: 130,900

20181016FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

BOUGHT THE 2006 CLS 500 2 YEARS AGO, SINCE THAT SECOND DAY I HAVE ISSUES WITH SBC MODULE, I CALL MB DEALER THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SINCE THE PRODUCTION DATE WAS 2004, OKAY AFTER THAT I TRY SEVERAL OTHER MECHANICS AND NOBODY HAVE THE STAR TOOL TO FIX UP, THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I CONTINUE TAKE THE RISK COUPLE MONTHS UNTIL THE FUEL LINE STARTS LEAK ON THE PUMP, THIS COULD GENERATE A SPARK AND BURN MY CAR, I CALL AGAIN MB DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IS PROBABLY UNSAFE TO START THE CAR. AFTER ALL THIS YEARS I PARKED THE CAR AND ALL MY SUSPENSION WAS BROKE AS WELL, CALL AGAIN THE MB DEALER THEY ESTIMATED $ 1800 TO REPLACE THE AIR SHOCKS, SO I BUY FROM ARNOTT THE SAME MB SELL AND I REPLACE ALL 4, SO THE CAR IS UP AGAIN, NEXT WEEK I DECIDE TO SELL THE VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING IN 3 YEARS 9,000 MILES ONLY, TRY TO MOVE THE CAR FROM THE GARAGE, GUESS WHAT, MY TRANSMISSION GO TO LIMP MODE BECAUSE THE BREAKS ARE NOT WORKING, SO FAR I DECIDE TO WRITE IN HERE TO COMPLAIN WHY A S

Mileage: 130,900

20181016POWER TRAIN

BOUGHT THE 2006 CLS 500 2 YEARS AGO, SINCE THAT SECOND DAY I HAVE ISSUES WITH SBC MODULE, I CALL MB DEALER THEY TOLD ME MY CAR WAS OUT OF WARRANTY, SINCE THE PRODUCTION DATE WAS 2004, OKAY AFTER THAT I TRY SEVERAL OTHER MECHANICS AND NOBODY HAVE THE STAR TOOL TO FIX UP, THE CAR IS NOT SAFE TO DRIVE AND I CONTINUE TAKE THE RISK COUPLE MONTHS UNTIL THE FUEL LINE STARTS LEAK ON THE PUMP, THIS COULD GENERATE A SPARK AND BURN MY CAR, I CALL AGAIN MB DEALER AND THEY TOLD ME IS PROBABLY UNSAFE TO START THE CAR. AFTER ALL THIS YEARS I PARKED THE CAR AND ALL MY SUSPENSION WAS BROKE AS WELL, CALL AGAIN THE MB DEALER THEY ESTIMATED $ 1800 TO REPLACE THE AIR SHOCKS, SO I BUY FROM ARNOTT THE SAME MB SELL AND I REPLACE ALL 4, SO THE CAR IS UP AGAIN, NEXT WEEK I DECIDE TO SELL THE VEHICLE AFTER DRIVING IN 3 YEARS 9,000 MILES ONLY, TRY TO MOVE THE CAR FROM THE GARAGE, GUESS WHAT, MY TRANSMISSION GO TO LIMP MODE BECAUSE THE BREAKS ARE NOT WORKING, SO FAR I DECIDE TO WRITE IN HERE TO COMPLAIN WHY A S

Mileage: 130,900

20180521SERVICE BRAKES

I WAS DRIVING AND THE BRAKE LIGHT CAME ON AND MY BRAKES WENT STRAIGHT TO THE FLOOR WHICH COULD HAVE CAUSED ME TO CRASH. MB SHOULD HAVE RECALLED THIS PROBLEM FROM THIS SENSOTRONIC MODULE WHICH THEY NEW ABOUT

Mileage: 141,000

20180130SERVICE BRAKES

THE MERCEDES-BENZ CLS 500 HAS A ISSUE ON SBC MODULE THAT OCCUR ON MODELS LIKE MINE, THIS SBC SYSTEM CANNOT STOP THE VEHICLE AND MB KNOW THIS OCCUR AND IS REPLACEMENT ONLY, THEY DO NOT REPLOGRAM TO CLEAN THE ERROR.

Mileage: 119,040

20180102CrashAIR BAGS

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500. THE CONTACT REAR ENDED ANOTHER VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE SUSTAINED FRONT END DAMAGE. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED A SHOULDER INJURY, WHICH DID NOT REQUIRE MEDICAL ATTENTION. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THERE WERE NO RECALLS. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

Mileage: 150,000

20171228SERVICE BRAKES

I WAS DRIVING AND THE REDUCE BRAKING LIGHT CAME ON. I PULLED OVER STOPPED MY VEHICLE BECAUSE IT STATED THAT I NEEDED TO DO SO, RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND TRIED TO MAKE IT HOME. I BEGAN TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE STEERING AND EVEN THOUGH I WAS PUSHING THE BRAKE PEDAL TO STOP, THE PEDAL WENT TO THE FLOOR. I WAS IN RUSH TRAFFIC AND SO SCARED THAT I WOULD HURT SOMEONE OR MYSELF. I RECENTLY HAD MY BRAKES AND ROTORS REPLACED, MONTHS IN ADVANCE. I BARELY MADE IT HOME AND SINCE THEN I HAVE TRIED TO TAKE MY VEHICLE TO THE SHOP BUT IN DOING SO THE SAME PROBLEM AROSE. AGAIN, I WAS FRIGHTEN TO PUT IT ON THE ROAD I PLACED IT BACK IN THE GARAGE. PLEASE HELP. I AM NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY I AM HAVING THESE PROBLEMS. I BROUGHT THE CAR IN SEPTEMBER OF 2013 AND THIS IS THE ONLY MAJOR ISSUE I HAVE HAD. I LOVE MY CAR. I ALSO READ THAT IN 2006 SOME TYPE OF BRAKING SYSTEM WAS DISCONTINUED AND THAT THERE WAS A RECALL ON THE SBC PUMP.

Mileage: 197,120

Compare 2006MERCEDES-BENZCLS500 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 have?
The 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 has 75 NHTSA complaints, 5 crashes, 0 fires, 7 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500?
The most-complained component for the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS500 is SERVICE BRAKES with 21 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM and FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE.
Is the 2006 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 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.