MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 · model year

2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550

10 NHTSA complaints for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2006MERCEDES-BENZCLS550 carries 10 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 2006 CLS550 is fuel/propulsion system with 3 filings, followed by service brakes (3) and electrical system (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 2006 CLS550. 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.

10
Complaints
0
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0
Deaths

Total Complaints

10 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
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM3
SERVICE BRAKES3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1
WHEELS1
SUSPENSION1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1

Recent Complaints

20230714UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Recall Campaign #2005110001.

20221105WHEELS

Fuel/propulsion system failed during operation on X-Way. Squeaking noise front suspension. Wheel rims cracking. Replacement key fob not working.

20221105SUSPENSION

Fuel/propulsion system failed during operation on X-Way. Squeaking noise front suspension. Wheel rims cracking. Replacement key fob not working.

20221105FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Fuel/propulsion system failed during operation on X-Way. Squeaking noise front suspension. Wheel rims cracking. Replacement key fob not working.

20220124SERVICE BRAKES

The 2006 Mercedes Benz CLS500 was designed with a SBC braking system that uses a microcomputer to monitor the car and driver actions. The system sounds like a milestone achievement in braking technology, unfortunately its prone to failure. The entire system relies on electronics. Before long, wiring in the SBC braking system deteriorates, and suddenly the SBC system no longer functions. What happens is all of a sudden a warning light comes on and this message all in bright red saying, ‘Brake malfunction. Ineffective braking,’” Stepping on the brake, my foot was going down to the floor pretty easily. No resistance, no brakes. The Atlantic Motor Car Center receives hundreds of phone calls per year on this issue. Imagine yourself driving along and suddenly the dash goes red and you have no brakes, Mercedes has extended the warranty on the SBC pump first to 10 years, then in 2018 to 25 years. Unfortunately, which happened to me and many others is when you take your car in to t

20211213SERVICE BRAKES

No notice Brake Failure. Coming up to the corner of my sub-division before making a right turn onto a busy 4 lane road, Stepped on the brakes and nothing happened ! Swerved to the left to avoid hitting a jeep that was stopped in front of me also waiting for traffic to clear enough to make the right turn. My car traveled into the busy road, and its a Miracle I didn't get killed by a truck traveling 50 mph that might have T-boned my car on the driver side door. Car was beeping a loud noise and the instrument panel was lit up in Red with the following alarm. Reduced braking power, visit workshop. Car would not accelerate over 5 MPH with the alarm blaring. Luckily was able to turn on emergency flasher and pull over to the side without getting hit. This is the first time I ever had a car that when you stepped on the brakes nothing happened. It scared the hell out of me and I refused to ever drive this car again. Absolutely, no warning that you no longer have brakes. I wonder how

20211017SERVICE BRAKES

Re 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLS500_ 211017_114326 On August 9, 2021, my brakes went out on the freeway when trying to dodge debris and other vehicles, when the brakes  completely went out and caused me to run over major wood pallet debris, and scared for my.life to get to the far right lane to make it off te exit with no brakes whatsoever. and causing major under-carriage repairs. Rather than hit the cars on each side of me, all I could do at that point was get over lanes with no brakes, and make it off the exit before I killed myself and/or someone else. The damage  done from the brakes going out, came to over $4000 in damage repairs to the under-carriage and left me without a vehicle for 45 days while in the shop This not only effected my income since  the vehicle was used for Lyft,, but I also was evicted from my apt. 30 days later, while my vehicle was in the shop, and unable to work to pay my rent. Once getting the car back these past few weeks, even though repairs were

20211017ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Re 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLS500_ 211017_114326 On August 9, 2021, my brakes went out on the freeway when trying to dodge debris and other vehicles, when the brakes  completely went out and caused me to run over major wood pallet debris, and scared for my.life to get to the far right lane to make it off te exit with no brakes whatsoever. and causing major under-carriage repairs. Rather than hit the cars on each side of me, all I could do at that point was get over lanes with no brakes, and make it off the exit before I killed myself and/or someone else. The damage  done from the brakes going out, came to over $4000 in damage repairs to the under-carriage and left me without a vehicle for 45 days while in the shop This not only effected my income since  the vehicle was used for Lyft,, but I also was evicted from my apt. 30 days later, while my vehicle was in the shop, and unable to work to pay my rent. Once getting the car back these past few weeks, even though repairs were

20211017FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

Re 2006 MERCEDES BENZ CLS500_ 211017_114326 On August 9, 2021, my brakes went out on the freeway when trying to dodge debris and other vehicles, when the brakes  completely went out and caused me to run over major wood pallet debris, and scared for my.life to get to the far right lane to make it off te exit with no brakes whatsoever. and causing major under-carriage repairs. Rather than hit the cars on each side of me, all I could do at that point was get over lanes with no brakes, and make it off the exit before I killed myself and/or someone else. The damage  done from the brakes going out, came to over $4000 in damage repairs to the under-carriage and left me without a vehicle for 45 days while in the shop This not only effected my income since  the vehicle was used for Lyft,, but I also was evicted from my apt. 30 days later, while my vehicle was in the shop, and unable to work to pay my rent. Once getting the car back these past few weeks, even though repairs were

20201227FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

SMELLS LIKE GAS INSIDE THE CAR AFTER FILLING UP WITH FUEL. ONLY SMELLS INSIDE THE CAR AND IS VERY STRONG.

Mileage: 70,000

Compare 2006MERCEDES-BENZCLS550 to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 have?
The 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 has 10 NHTSA complaints, 0 crashes, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550?
The most-complained component for the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM with 3 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SERVICE BRAKES and ELECTRICAL SYSTEM.
Is the 2006 MERCEDES-BENZ CLS550 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.