AI Damage2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK320: common problems
Owners of the 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 filed 15 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 15
- involving a crash
- 6
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 27% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 20% of all complaints
- 3 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 13% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 7% of all complaints
- 6 Equipment 7% of all complaints
- 7 Exterior lighting 7% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 7% of all complaints
- Air bags: 4 complaints (27% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (20% of all).
- Vehicle speed control: 3 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Structure: 2 complaints (13% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 15 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| Structure | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Wheels | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other | 1 | 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.
I could move my hands, feet without numbness or tingling neck didn't hurt, chest had sharp pinpoint pain, there was smoke, engine was damaged I was worried about fire. Reached for seatbelt a guy wanted me to stay. Then firefighter said to leave to spray. Ems on scene.
The mechanic noted that the control arm was hollow and seemed to be rusting. He was able to detect that the driver side control arm had a similar problem in the making and that the stabilizer bar had stress crack. All were replaced over the next few weeks while I was on vacation.
Pulling car into driveway and it just surged or took off, running into the garage door and crashing. I had foot on brake leaving black marks on driveway. Had 2 witnesses to the incident. Exact day not listed as I do not have that with me. Since that time I have noticed in the newspapers and t.v.
I was hit in the driver side door and my air bag did not deploy. Mercedes sent out a technical team who found that the airbag operated properly. They said I got hit too low but I was hit by a ford work van whose bumper is 27" up. There is not an inch of that door that is not caved in.
My airbag did not deploy causing injury to my shoulder from the door buckling into me and moving my seat and console over. All professionals that see this car are very surprised I am not critically injured or dead. Mercedes-benz sent a technical team to inspect the vehicle and found the airbag operated properly.
Numerous blow out and shredding of firestone low profile tires. The tires lose air pressure very quickly within weeks of filling & this often leads to the tire heating up and catastrophic side wall failure. Most of the time the shredding occurs on the inside of the rim and is not visible from the outside.
While driving down the street both the right and left led instrument clusters that indicate what gear you are in and the outside temperature both failed and are unable to read. I consider this a safety issue only because I cannot tell which gear I am in and often times I must guess at what gear it is in.
The gps adapter does not fit tightly in the cigarette lighter socket. I use a paper piece to make it tight, however it gets loose and gets gps disconnected while driving. Many times when I realize this either I have gone too far or I have to make sudden decision, which makes it dangerous.
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 9,286 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 25% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLK320 has 13 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 15, above average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
- Structure. Rails, pillars, panel gaps, signs of pulling or welding.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2001 Mercedes-Benz CLK320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, electrical system, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 15. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: airbags did not deploy (20%), seat belts (13%), stalls while driving (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2001 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 2001 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 2001 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 2026-11-05.