AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK320: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK320 filed 16 complaints with NHTSA, most often about seat belts and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 16
- involving a crash
- 2
What fails most often
- 1 Seat belts 38% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 3 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 5 Engine 6% of all complaints
- 6 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints
- 7 Latches, locks, linkages 6% of all complaints
- 8 Seats 6% of all complaints
- Seat belts: 6 complaints (38% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Air bags: 4 complaints (25% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Electrical system: 4 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 2 complaints (13% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 16 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Seat belts | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Air bags | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Latches, locks, linkages | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
Also the drivers seat belt (which was worn at the time of the accident) due to the immense collision at one point clicks unhinged and would no longer actively snap back causing multiple injuries as well. This incident will call for suit.
After stopping at a red light, I went thru the street and going less than 25 mph and in less than 100 yards drove directly into an overhead light standard in a median strip. I don't know to this day what happened.
This needs to be recalled immediately, and drivers shouldnât have to pay top dollar (or their life) to fix an issue Mercedes bad door locking mechanism created.
This will cause the tires to rub the shock absorbers and will lead to tire blowouts and likely much more damage to my vehicle or injury to myself and or others. I called Firestone when realizing this and they said to bring it back and they would fix it.
Engine light came on , windshield wipers stopped working, drivers side window stopped working, multiple error lights, on multiple dates.
I know the dangers and I do not want it to erupt in fire and destroy me, my house nor my new porsche! This seems costly and an accident awaiting to happen. I cannot understand why others with documented problems on the internet have not registered a complaint with you.
This shifting causes the vehicle to jerk and stutter when down shifting or shifting from 1st or 2nd gear. I have had a transmission service, replacement transmission, replacement radiator all installed to no avail. The condition is at best a nuisance, and at its worst a safety concern.
The car would jerk/stall while being driven. It was very dangerous as it was difficult to merge with traffic, but most importantly, we felt we were going to get rear-ended and cause an accident. The mercedes-benz dealer service department diagnosed the problem which required the transmission to be flushed.
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 9,040 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 16, above average.
What to check before buying
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- 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.
- 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 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK320?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: seat belts, air bags, electrical system. Total complaints: 16. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: seat belts (31%), warning lights, check engine (19%), jerking, harsh shifts (13%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 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 2004 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 2004 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.