AI Damage2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK320: common problems
Owners of the 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 filed 19 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 19
- involving a crash
- 4
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 32% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 26% of all complaints
- 3 Seat belts 16% of all complaints
- 4 Structure 16% of all complaints
- 5 Visibility 11% of all complaints
- 6 Engine 5% of all complaints
- 7 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 5% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 6 complaints (32% of all).
- Air bags: 5 complaints (26% of all), 4 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Structure: 3 complaints (16% of all).
- Visibility: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 19 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 | 5 | 4 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 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.
The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 133,000.
The airbag did not deploy even though damage was extensive (car was total loss), and injuries to the driver were sustained. Seatbelt was on but injuries resulted from crash. A complaint was filed with mercedes benz, even sent a picture of the damage, but I have not heard back from them.
While driving at 30 mph vehicle was involved in a frontal collision. Upon impact, both air bags did not deploy. Driver sustained minor injuries.
Consumer writes in regards to sunroof glass bonding safety recall. The consumer stated the sunroof was rusted. The consumer was advised that the rust was leading to structural instability of the entire vehicle. The consumer stated the vehicle's was serial number was not included in recall 19v918.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz clk320. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.
My 2003 mercedes benz clk 320 that I have owned for less than 1 year caught on fire on june 9, 2017. The engine is melted and destroyed luckily no one was injured despite it happened around a busy area.
When I started the car the mechanism that brings the seat belt forward so I can grab it began to move back and forward erratically. When it stopped the seatbelt failed to come all the way out. I turned the car off and started it again and the mechanism came out like it should but the seatbelt wouldn't come out.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz clk320. The contact stated that while driving at 60 mph, the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was applied. The contact applied force to the accelerator pedal and the vehicle resumed to normal.
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 8,437 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 23% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLK320 has 13 complaints (9 years in the data). This year has 19, 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.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS 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 2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, air bags, seat belts. Total complaints: 19. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (21%), airbags did not deploy (16%), stalls while driving (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2003 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 2003 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 2003 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.