AI Damage2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK320: common problems
Owners of the 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 filed 17 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 17
- involving a crash
- 5
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 35% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 18% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 18% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 12% of all complaints
- 5 Steering 6% of all complaints
- 6 Structure 6% of all complaints
- 7 Tires 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (35% of all).
- Air bags: 3 complaints (18% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (18% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Steering: 1 complaints (6% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 17 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 2 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Gear slipping and misfires as well to the ecm unit. As well as sensor issues causing emissions failures and false reads.
At about 2pm on the date of the incident, driver left store parking lot and had stopped car, waiting for an appropriate time to turn right into the right lane of a three lane major highway.
Driving mercedes benz clk 320 on route 7 when vehicle suddenly surged forward. Unable to control vehicle crossed 3 lanes of traffic, side another car and ended up in the median strip.
I was injured in an automobile crash, due to my airbags not deploying. The impact was certainly great enough for them to deploy, however the manufacturer denies that they operated incorrectly. I would expect an impact at 35-40 mph would be enough to deploy an airbag and prevent certain injuries.
Vehicle was involved in a t-bone accident at approximately 45 mph into driver's side door, and air bags did not deploy. Dealer/manufacturer were notified at this time.
Emergency trunk release failed this system should be mechanical and should not fail remains failed whether electrical power is on, accessory is powered or switch in ca in, also remain failed with key
Twenty minutes later smoke was seen coming from the hood vent near the windshield. The hood was opened and a fire extinguisher used on the site of the smoke. Car was started to check for possible problem area. All indicators were good. Car was immediately turned off.
The srs warning (air bag) light on my mercedes-benz clk320 stays on. The light was reset by a local mercedes dealership in 2007 but came back on 1 month later.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 8,823 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLK320 has 13 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 17, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 17. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (6%), seat belts (6%), smoke, burning smell, fire (6%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK320?
NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.
Should I buy a 2000 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 from a US auction?
Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.
Other 2000 models
Read also
Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-06.