Mercedes Benz CL recalls by model year
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
2 owner complaints analyzed
2 distinct recall campaigns
53,500 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2000 to 2008 model years. Data updated: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.
Recalls by model year
All campaigns in the snapshot affecting each model year, including recalls announced years later.
Recall campaigns
Shared campaigns appear once in each affected model year.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 0 |
| 2003 | 0 |
| 2008 | 2 |
2000: 0; 2003: 0; 2008: 2
Year-by-year records
Recall history
2 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.
08V122000 · Visibility:Windshield Wiper/Washer:Motor | Exterior Lighting:Headlights
Reported: 2008-03-19 (March 19, 2008) · Model years: 2008
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING 3,283 MY 2008 S-CLASS AND CL-CLASS PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MALFUNCTION MAY OCCUR ON THE SIGNAL ACQUISITION AND ACTUATION MODULE-FRONT (SAM-F) TRANSISTORS. THE SAM-F IS A DOUBLE TRANSISTOR THAT HELPS CONTROL VEHICLE FUNCTIONS AND THE LIGHTING OF THE CENTER CONSOLE. INCORRECT STORAGE OF THE TRANSISTORS LED THE TRANSISTORS TO BE EXPOSED TO EXCESS HUMIDITY.
Consequence: THE PRESENCE OF THIS MOISTURE IN COMBINATION WITH THE THERMAL STRESS DURING THE "REFLOW SOLDERING" MAY DAMAGE THE TRANSISTORS AND PREVENT THEM FROM PROPERLY FUNCTIONING WHICH WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE ALL POTENTIALLY AFFECTED SAM FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 2, 2008. OWNER MAY CONTACT MERCEDES BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
NHTSA campaign record ↗08V303000 · Electrical System
Reported: 2008-07-07 (July 7, 2008) · Model years: 2008
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING MY 2006-2008 M-CLASS, R-CLASS, MY 2005-2009 SLK-CLASS, MY 2005-2008 C-CLASS, MY 2003-2004 AND 2006-2008 CLK-CLASS, MY 2003-2008 E-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2008 CL-CLASS, MY 2008 CLS-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2007-2008 S-CLASS, MY 2003 G-CLASS, AND MY 2003-2004, 2006 AND 2009 SL-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.
Consequence: IN THE EVENT OF A VEHICLE CRASH, THE ELECTRICAL FUEL PUMP MAY NOT RECEIVE A CRASH SIGNAL THAT IS REQUIRED FOR THE FUEL PUMP TO DISCONNECT AND PREVENT FUTURE FUEL DELIVERY AS DESIGNED.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL RECODE THE SCN FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 30, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
NHTSA campaign record ↗Vehicle analysis explorer
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
2 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.
Problems by model year
Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.
| Component | 2000 | 2003 | 2008 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | 1100.0%ODI 10195264 · 69,000 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ CL55. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COMPLETELY DIMMED AND THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS AND COULD NOT BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 69,000. | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
| Tires | 00.0%No examples available for this selection. | 1100.0%ODI 10438551 · 38,000 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES CL500 EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL EXTREME CONTACT TIRES. THE FRONT TIRES WERE SIZE 255/40/R18 AND THE REAR TIRES WERE SIZE 285/35/R18. THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE COMPANY WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE FINE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 1,000. THE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE. | 0UnavailableNo examples available for this selection. |
Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.
Failure mileage by component
Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.
| Component | Mileage range (25th–75th percentile) | Median | Usable records | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | Too few reports for a range | 69,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10195264 · 69,000 miTL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 MERCEDES BENZ CL55. WHILE DRIVING AT NIGHT, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL BEGAN TO FLICKER ON AND OFF. THE INSTRUMENT PANEL COMPLETELY DIMMED AND THE CONTACT PULLED OFF THE ROAD. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT HIS VIN IS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY RECALLS AND COULD NOT BE OF ANY ASSISTANCE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 69,000. |
| Tires | Too few reports for a range | 38,000 mi | 1 (sparse) | ODI 10438551 · 38,000 miTL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 MERCEDES CL500 EQUIPPED WITH CONTINENTAL EXTREME CONTACT TIRES. THE FRONT TIRES WERE SIZE 255/40/R18 AND THE REAR TIRES WERE SIZE 285/35/R18. THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE TIRE SUFFERED TREAD SEPARATION WHILE THE CONTACT WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT SPOKE WITH THE COMPANY WHERE THE TIRES WERE PURCHASED AND WAS INFORMED THAT THE TIRES WERE FINE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT SPOKEN WITH THE MANUFACTURER. THE FAILURE MILEAGE OF THE TIRE WAS 1,000. THE DOT NUMBER AND VIN WERE UNAVAILABLE. |
Complaint and recall timeline
Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.
Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.
Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples
| Month | Complaints | Campaigns announced | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2024-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-10 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-11 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2025-12 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-01 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-02 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-03 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-04 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-05 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-06 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-07 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-08 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-09 | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
| 2026-10 (partial) | 0 | None | No examples available for this selection. |
Emerging complaint spikes
Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.
This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.
No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.
Equal-age model-year comparison
Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.
2003: 0 complaints · 2008: 0 complaints
| Model year | Through age 0 | Through age 1 | Through age 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Date coverage across each selected cohort
| Year | Incident dates used | Filing date fallbacks | Excluded dates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.
Components reported together
Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.
| Component | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | Tires |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | — | 0 |
| Tires | 0 | — |
Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.
Recurring narrative patterns
Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.
0 patterns with matching reports.
No narratives match the published patterns.