AI Damage2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500: common problems
Owners of the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 filed 62 complaints with NHTSA, most often about service brakes and fuel/propulsion system. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 62
- involving a crash
- 3
What fails most often
- 1 Service brakes 37% of all complaints
- 2 Fuel/propulsion system 19% of all complaints
- 3 Fuel system 18% of all complaints
- 4 Air bags 8% of all complaints
- 5 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
- 6 Wheels 6% of all complaints
- 7 Electrical system 5% of all complaints
- 8 Electronic stability control 5% of all complaints
- Service brakes: 23 complaints (37% of all).
- Fuel/propulsion system: 12 complaints (19% of all).
- Fuel system: 11 complaints (18% of all).
- Air bags: 5 complaints (8% of all), 3 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
- Powertrain: 4 complaints (6% of all).
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 62 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) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Service brakes | 23 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 12 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel system | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Air bags | 5 | 3 | 0 |
| Powertrain | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical system | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Electronic stability control | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle speed control | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility | 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 bags did not deploy. The vehicle sustained front end damage. A police report was filed. The contact sustained a shoulder injury, which did not require medical attention. The dealer and manufacturer were not notified. There were no recalls. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 150,000.
2006 mercedes benz cls500. Last night while pulling into a parking spot located in a commercial building, the car suddenly accelerated forward and hit the office wall greatly damaging the driver's front side. I had already eased up on the gas pedal hardly pressing the gas as about to stop the car and place it in park.
Pulling into parking space car accelerated and hit tree. Air bags did not inflate and satellite did not notify police. Could not stop vehicle. Myself and 2 other people were injured.
The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and ESC warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the electronic stability control module. The contact was informed that the part had been discontinued. The vehicle was not repaired.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 mercedes-benz cls500. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 19v918000(visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available.
The contact felt that the vehicle needed an alignment and stated that the tire tread was worn. The contact drove the vehicle to prestige auto mall ([address], akron, [ZIP], [phone]), but was not diagnosed.
The mercedes benz cls500 has a defective part all of the air struts suspension are dropped the mercedes benz airmatic are known for going bad it's a way that mercedes can charge for more work to customers they sell you a car that will go bad not if but when will go bad this is clearly needs to be a recall mercedes…
Related brake warning light inhibits the car from braking properly or driving at a comfortable speed. Brake wire has been replaced and brake pads and the problem still persists. There is a recall on this that I was unaware existed. I need help. I'm in a dangerous situation that is unsafe for me and my family.
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 4,759 of 36,659 model years in the NHTSA data (top 13% most complained about).
On average one model year of the CLS500 has 17 complaints (4 years in the data). This year has 62, above average.
What to check before buying
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
- Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system 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 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: service brakes, fuel/propulsion system, fuel system. Total complaints: 62. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: fuel system, fuel smell (26%), warning lights, check engine (13%), smoke, burning smell, fire (5%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500?
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 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 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 2006 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.