AI Damage2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550: common problems
Owners of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 filed 10 complaints with NHTSA, most often about suspension and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 10
- involving a crash
- 1
What fails most often
- 1 Suspension 20% of all complaints
- 2 Air bags 10% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 4 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 5 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 6 Steering 10% of all complaints
- 7 Structure 10% of all complaints
- 8 Vehicle speed control 10% of all complaints
- Suspension: 2 complaints (20% of all).
- Air bags: 1 complaints (10% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Powertrain: 1 complaints (10% of all).
- Service brakes: 1 complaints (10% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 10 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service brakes | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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.
The air bag did not deploy. The contact sustained brain, neck, and lower back injuries that required medical attention. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to the insurance lot and deemed destroyed. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted.
After the Mercedes dealer replaced the corroded rear sub frame under the 20 year extended warranty, my brake line failed so I took it back & found out that the brake lines were corroded. I paid nothing for the subframe since it was under the warranty but I ended up paying $4114 to replace the corroded brake lines.
I just had 2 tires replaced and on the way home I hit a pothole both front air shocks failed. I filed a claim and the insurance company wonât pay out either. Normal wear and tear does not make both air shocks failed.
have a 2014 cls-550 with extensive subframe rust. It is currently sitting at the dealership for $3,158 in repairs for a vehicle that is less than 10 years old. There needs to be a recall on the subframe for the c, cls, e, and like models. This is not the Mercedesâ-Benz quality I expected.
Front passenger assembly strut went out suddenly while driving almost caused an accident.No warning signs just gave out. Vehicle is in the shop but cannot be repaired because the part is out of stock and no ETA on when vendor will restock them.
While vehicle was stationary in garage, we began noticing a profuse gas/fuel smell. It became increasingly strong in and out of the vehicle. Approximately 3 days after smell was noticed, I contacted the local mercedes benz dealership to advise of the issue.
On march 8 2020 I was driving my 2014 mercedes benz cls550 straight on the freeway when my sunroof exploded, glass shattering everywhere. Glass hit my face and went down my back and cut my hands. I didn't crash the car nor was any other damage done than the sunroof.
Tl* the contact owns a 2014 mercedes benz cls550. The contact stated that while driving at low speeds and or reversing with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle independently shifted into park without warning.
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 10,921 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 30% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLS 550 has 8 complaints (13 years in the data). This year has 10, above average.
What to check before buying
- Suspension. Wheel alignment, control arms, subframe, even tire wear.
- Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
- 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 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLS 550?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: suspension, air bags, fuel/propulsion system. Total complaints: 10. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: rust, corrosion (20%), airbags did not deploy (10%), fuel system, fuel smell (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 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 2014 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 2014 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.