AI Damage2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400 reliability: common problems
Owners of the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400 filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about electrical system and electronic stability control. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 8
What fails most often
- 1 Electrical system 38% of all complaints
- 2 Electronic stability control 25% of all complaints
- 3 Engine 13% of all complaints
- 4 Exterior lighting 13% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 13% of all complaints
- 6 Seats 13% of all complaints
- 7 Service brakes 13% of all complaints
- 8 Steering 13% of all complaints
- Electrical system: 3 complaints (38% of all).
- Electronic stability control: 2 complaints (25% of all).
- Engine: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Exterior lighting: 1 complaints (13% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (13% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 8 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 |
| Electronic stability control | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 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.
2015 mercedes benz CLS 400 - Engine caught fire while in a parking lot approximately 10 minutes after i parked it and went inside department store. The vehicle had no open recalls
while going on freeway at 70 mph car came up with code service required do not shift see dealer and lost power had to pull off lane onto shoulder luckily was able to, could not get car to shift or go anywhere could not contact their roadside assistance, this is the third time it has done it too me, this last time…
A few times a month, the emergency brake light comes on and the car's engine and volume start to decrease. The temporary fix, is to release the emergency brake.
Cls 400 4 magic 2015. Rear tires wearing from inside of tire at 36,000 miles. Looking at tires from outside and top looks great as if tires are in good shape. Luckily while on high way tire began to deflate before coming apart at 60 mph. 😥
Total electrical failure which is causing command system to power on/off while vehicle is being driven,not allowing me to use navigation,windows(rolling up&down or not working at all),side view mirrors(flipping out & in,while vehicle is being driven)air conditioning,radio turning itself off/on.electronic breaking…
This is the 2nd time my 2015 cls400 mercedes has been returned to the dealership for this reoccurring problem of the electronic command system totally shutting down while the vehicle is being driven on the street and frwy.navigation blinks on & off,side view mirrors fold in & out while vehicle is being driven,radio…
Despite nhtsa recall # 15v137 was issued on march 12th,2015 I was sold a cls400 on march 14th. Neither at time of sale nor thereafter I was notified about this recall. It seems that dealership was in violation of mercedes benz usa's stop-sale order issued to dealers on march 13th.
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 11,054 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 34% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLS 400 has 4 complaints (2 years in the data). This year has 8, above average.
What to check before buying
- Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
- Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Exterior lighting. Headlamps, leveling, sensors and mounts after a frontal hit.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: electrical system, electronic stability control, engine. Total complaints: 8. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: A/C or heater (25%), infotainment or screen glitches (25%), windows, sunroof (25%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400?
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 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLS 400 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 2015 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.