AI Damage2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK500: common problems
Owners of the 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK500 filed 14 complaints with NHTSA, most often about fuel/propulsion system and seat belts. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 14
What fails most often
- 1 Fuel/propulsion system 43% of all complaints
- 2 Seat belts 21% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 14% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 7% of all complaints
- 5 Electronic stability control 7% of all complaints
- 6 Powertrain 7% of all complaints
- Fuel/propulsion system: 6 complaints (43% of all).
- Seat belts: 3 complaints (21% of all).
- Fuel system: 2 complaints (14% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (7% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 1 complaints (7% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 14 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 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.
My car after fueling leaks a very strong fuel smell enters my car. The strong fuel vapor will remain until the tank gets below 3/4. It will be there whether it is in motion, stationary, or at idle. My entire garage will smell of fuel during this time when the tank is full.
After filling fuel tank strong smell of gasoline. Other complaints of this nature in your system. Recall already issued for other model mercedes benz with same issue.
The contact stated that the seat belt failed to restrain when the brake pedal was engaged and the supplemental restraint system warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 121,000.
Vehicle show an srs light issue on the dashboard, I took the vehicle many times to tyson's corner, va mercedez benz dealership to figure what was the problem, and the dealership was unable to find the issue.
Started to notice fuel smell after fill ups. Getting worse, and checked fuel sending unit on top of tank. Puddle of fuel on top of sending unit.
The contact stated that the driver's side seat belt failed to retract. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 78,000.
Strong smell of gas fumes at rear wheel well area when fuel tank is filled. Dealer found fuel leaking from the top of the fuel sending unit and was filling the recessed area on top of fuel tank with gas. The dealer said that the plastic sending unit has a small crack or pin hole and would have to be replaced.
I was driving on a busy street when the mercedes benz started jerking. After stopping at a red light, I could not get the car to accelerate past 2nd gear; thus, I was driving on a street with a 45 mph speed limit at less than 20 mph. Then, as I was crossing an intersection, the car finally stalled.
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 9,552 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 26% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLK500 has 10 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 14, above average.
What to check before buying
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Seat belts. Belt pretensioners after airbag deployment, SRS codes.
- Fuel system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: fuel/propulsion system, seat belts, fuel system. Total complaints: 14. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (43%), seat belts (21%), airbag warning light (7%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2004 Mercedes-Benz CLK500?
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 CLK500 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 2026-11-06.