AI Damage2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550: common problems
Owners of the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 filed 4 complaints with NHTSA, most often about air bags and engine. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 4
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Air bags 25% of all complaints
- 2 Engine 25% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 25% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 25% of all complaints
- 5 Suspension 25% of all complaints
- 6 Tires 25% of all complaints
- Air bags: 1 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Engine: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (25% of all).
- Suspension: 1 complaints (25% of all).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Engine | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 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.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz cls550. While driving 60 mph, the vehicle hydroplaned and crashed into a guardrail. None of the air bags deployed. A police report was filed. The contact sustained injuries to the shoulders, neck, and back.
The issues regarding the mercedes airmatic suspension system have been widely known for years, and mercedes never made an effort to mitigate the mercedes loyal owners excessive expense to cover the repair. It is also hard to believe the dealer never informed, inspected or recommended repairs to the airmatic system.
Tl* the contact owns a 2009 mercedes-benz cls550 equipped with sentry thunder d7 tires, size: 275/30/r20. The contact stated that the rear tires exhibited thread separation. The dealer determined that it was due to a manufacturer defect. The tires were replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure.
On may 19, 2014 I purchased a 2009 mercedes cls550 from mossy ford dealership in san diego, ca with a guarantee of no current or pre-existing mechanical or hazard issues. Days after purchase I noticed acceleration issues, strong odor of fuel or chemicals, engine noise and gas efficiency problems.
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 15,521 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 42% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLS 550 has 8 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 4, below average.
What to check before buying
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.
- 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 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: air bags, engine, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 4.
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550?
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 2009 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 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 2009 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.