MERCEDES BENZ IS RECALLING 4,564 MY 2001-2006 CL-CLASS (MODEL 215), MY 2002-2006 S-CLASS (MODEL 220), MY 2003-2007 SL-CLASS (MODEL 230), MY 2007-2008 CL-CLASS (MODEL 216), AND MY 2007 S-CLASS (MODEL 221)PASSENGER VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ACTIVE BODY CONTROL (ABC) ACCELERATION SENSORS ON THE FRONT STRUTS. THESE SENSORS MEASURE ACCELERATION AROUND THE Z-AXIS OF THE VEHICLE AND ASSURE AN AUTOMATIC ADAPTATION OF THE FRONT STRUTS TO MAINTAIN A RELATIVELY LEVEL BODY POSITION. VARIATIONS IN THE SOLDERING PROCESS RESULTED IN SOLDERING POINTS ON THE BOARD OF THE ABC SENSORS WHICH MAY NOT BE WITHIN DESIGN TOLERANCES. SIGNALS FROM THE AFFECTED SENSORS MEASURING THE ACCELERATION MAY NOT BE ACCURATELY TRANSMITTED TO THE ENGINE CONTROL UNIT.
Consequence: A VARIATION IN THE TRANSMITTED VALUES BETWEEN AFFECTED AND UNAFFECTED SENSORS CAN RESULT IN ONE FRONT STRUT ADJUSTING TO A VALUE INDICATING BODY MOVEMENT WHILE ANOTHER STRUT DOES NOT ADJUST PRESENTING THE DRIVER WITH AN UNEVEN FRONT SUSPENSION. THIS CONDITION MAY LEAD TO UNEXPECTED BODY MOVEMENTS AT THE FRONT AXLE WHICH CAN ADVERSELY INFLUENCE THE VEHICLE'S DIRECTIONAL STABILITY AND COULD LEAD TO A VEHICLE CRASH.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE, IF NECESSARY, THE FRONT ABC SENSORS IN ALL POTENTIALLY AFFECTED VEHICLES. THE RECALL BEGAN ON SEPTEMBER 22, 2008. OWNERS MAY CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.
Data completeness
1 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-10-01.
100.0%Usable mileage1 / 1 records
100.0%Valid incident date1 / 1 records
100.0%Valid filing date1 / 1 records
100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates1 / 1 records
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 complaint heatmap
Component
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
0Unavailable
No examples available for this selection.
1100.0%ODI 10296936 · 49,999 mi
I HAVE A 2004 CL 500 MERCEDES. I HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE HAD A DEAD SPOT IN THE THROTTLE RESPONSE. I FIRST THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS HOW I HAD MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL BUT I FIGURED OUT THAT WASN'T IT. I DID NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES THE CAR JUST WONT GO THEN LURCHES I ALMOST HIT SOMEONE IN THE POST OFFICE PARKING LOT. NO RESPONSE THEN IT JUMPED FORWARD. LAST SUNDAY, I WENT TOO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AT ALL. I FLOORED THE PEDAL,THE ENGINE REVVED REALLY HARD BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE, EXCEPT AT A SLOW PACE, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY TWO O…
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 failure mileage distribution
Component
Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)
Median
Usable records
Examples
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
Too few reports for a range
49,999 mi
1 (sparse)
ODI 10296936 · 49,999 mi
I HAVE A 2004 CL 500 MERCEDES. I HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE HAD A DEAD SPOT IN THE THROTTLE RESPONSE. I FIRST THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS HOW I HAD MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL BUT I FIGURED OUT THAT WASN'T IT. I DID NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES THE CAR JUST WONT GO THEN LURCHES I ALMOST HIT SOMEONE IN THE POST OFFICE PARKING LOT. NO RESPONSE THEN IT JUMPED FORWARD. LAST SUNDAY, I WENT TOO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AT ALL. I FLOORED THE PEDAL,THE ENGINE REVVED REALLY HARD BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE, EXCEPT AT A SLOW PACE, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY TWO O…
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
Monthly complaint and recall timeline
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.
2005: 0 complaints · 2006: 0 complaints
Equal observation windows
Model year
Through age 0
Through age 1
Through age 2
2005
0
0
0
2006
0
0
0
Date coverage across each selected cohort
Date basis for all complaints in selected model years
Year
Incident dates used
Filing date fallbacks
Excluded dates
2005
0
0
0
2006
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 co-occurrence matrix
Component
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
Power Train:Automatic Transmission
—
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.
1 patterns with matching reports.
Hard or delayed shifting
1 mentions · 100.0% of complaints
Median mileage: 49,999 mi (1 usable records).
ODI 10296936 · 49,999 mi
I HAVE A 2004 CL 500 MERCEDES. I HAVE NOTICED THAT I HAVE HAD A DEAD SPOT IN THE THROTTLE RESPONSE. I FIRST THOUGHT MAYBE IT WAS HOW I HAD MY FOOT ON THE PEDAL BUT I FIGURED OUT THAT WASN'T IT. I DID NOTICE THAT SOMETIMES THE CAR JUST WONT GO THEN LURCHES I ALMOST HIT SOMEONE IN THE POST OFFICE PARKING LOT. NO RESPONSE THEN IT JUMPED FORWARD. LAST SUNDAY, I WENT TOO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN AND NO THROTTLE RESPONSE AT ALL. I FLOORED THE PEDAL,THE ENGINE REVVED REALLY HARD BUT THE CAR WOULDN'T MOVE, EXCEPT AT A SLOW PACE, I WAS ALMOST HIT BY TWO O…