AI Damage2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK500: common problems
Owners of the 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK500 filed 18 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 18
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 17% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 17% of all complaints
- 3 Tires 17% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 11% of all complaints
- 5 Exterior lighting 11% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 11% of all complaints
- 7 Engine and cooling 6% of all complaints
- 8 Fuel system 6% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Tires: 3 complaints (17% of all).
- Air bags: 2 complaints (11% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 2 complaints (11% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 18 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 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 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.
Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK500. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the vehicle was purchased. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 127,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 147,000.
The driver side seat belt. The seat belt won't retract. Yes, the seat belt is available for inspection upon request. The driver side seat belt is useless, because there is no tension in restrain your body from moving. No, the dealer will not fix the issue. The vehicle has been inspected by the dealership.
Tire size: 245/40/17 Had a blowout without any warning, causing me to hit the center console and mirror receiving cuts and bruises. Immediately was pulled to the side of the road.
While driving at 60mph on the a highway, without warning the passenger rear tire had a blowout. I immediately pulled off the road and when looking to see what happened, clearly seen was the rubber from the tire completely separated from the tire, causing major damage to my car.
Low beam is out, discovered that on both sides all the headlight wires have lost all the insulation. Pictures can be texted.
When the gas tank is full there is a very strong gas smell all around the automobile. The vehicle is parked with the ignition off. This should not be the case. The cel will come on with code p0456. A smoke test of the fuel filler neck showed there was a leak. Part no: w0[phone].
I've started noticing a very strong smell of gasoline coming from the driver's side rear wheel well after filling up the car. The gas fill door is on passenger side. In doing some research on the web, it's come to my attention that there are many other people with my make and model with the same problem.
Tl* the contact owns a 2005 mercedes benz clk500. When the ignition was turned to the on position, a message reading "there is a problem with the srs, see a mechanic soon" illuminated on the instrument panel continuously. The failure recurred numerous times.
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 8,622 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 24% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLK500 has 10 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 18, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- Tires. Tire age by DOT code, bulges, wear pattern.
- 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 2005 Mercedes-Benz CLK500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, fuel/propulsion system, tires. Total complaints: 18. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (17%), door locks, latches, handles (11%), knocking, grinding or other noise (11%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2005 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 2005 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 2005 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.