2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other CLS550 years
- Far more complaints than other years 2nd of 13 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550. That ranks 2nd out of 13 CLS550 model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is fuel/propulsion system (8 complaints, 35%), typically at around 81,000 miles. Complaints mention 1 crash, 2 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
- 23owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 1complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel/propulsion System | 8 | 35% | 81,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 4 | 17% | 57,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 3 | 13% | 61,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 13% | 54,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 13% | 8,929 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 13% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 9% | 8,929 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 9% | — | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 9% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 4% | 13,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system:software; air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 AMG GT-S, GLC300, CLA250 and GLE300d 4Matic vehicles, 2013 C250, E350 BlueTec and G63 AMG vehicles, 2008-2014 C300 vehicles, 2013-2014 C300 4Matic and ML350 4Matic vehicles, 2009 C350 vehicles, 2014 CLS550, E350 4Matic, E350 Coupe 4Matic, E350 Wagon 4Matic, GLK350 and SL550 vehicles, 2012 CLS550 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2016 E350 vehicles, 2016-2017 GL450 4Matic vehicles, 2012-2014 ML350 4Matic BlueTec vehicles, 2015 S550, S550 4Matic and C300 4Matic Sedan vehicles, 2015-2016 C300 Sedan vehicles, and 2017 SL63 AMG vehicles. Various control units on these vehicles may have been updated with incorrect software, potentially affecting the correct deployment of the air bags in the event of a crash.
Risk: If the air bags do not deploy as intended in the event of a crash, there would be an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Fix: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update software in the affected control units, free of charge. The recall began April 21, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
Exterior lighting
Problem: Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2015 CLS 400 and CLS 400 4matic, 2012-2015 CLS 550 and CLS 550 4matic, 2012-2013 CLS 63, 2014 CLS 63, and 2014-2015 CLS 63P. The affected vehicles have LED tail lights that may not light on the sides, reducing the rear side visibility of the vehicle. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) No. 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Reduced rear side marker illumination may prevent other drivers from seeing the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the lighting controller software, free of charge. The recall began April 6, 2015. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2015030005.
Latches/locks/linkages:hood:latch
Problem: Mercedes-Benz is recalling certain model year 2012 CLS550 and CLS550 4Matic vehicles, manufactured December 01, 2011, through December 13, 2011. The bolts that hold the hood's secondary latch striker may have been insufficiently tightened.
Risk: The reduced torque of the striker bolts might lead to a loosening of the bolts. If two of the four bolts securing the striker became loose, the secondary hood latch function would become ineffective. If this problem combines with a failure of the primary hood lock or if the hood is not properly closed, the hood could open while driving, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash.
Fix: Mercedes-Benz will notify owners, and dealers will check and retighten the bolts as necessary. Mercedes-Benz notified the owners by phone for this campaign starting on 11/21/2012. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz at 1-800-367-6372.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture (EA21002) — opened Sep 17, 2021, still open.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Mercedes-Benz offers an extended warranty, effectively a 20-year/unlimited mileage coverage, for the rear subframe due to corrosion with perforation, covering specific model years my vehicles make and model are included. Iâm having the issues they claim free repair for.
For several months I been smelling different odors from my 2012 CLS550, getting stronger as the weeks go by now smelling like gas, would noticed puddles whenever I parked from rear driver side area towards middle, just got the news from the mechanic that the driver side fuel gas pump is cracked and…
There is a strong odor of gasoline coming from the drivers side rear. I conducted a Google search on the issue and there are a lot of instances of the same thing. It appears to be the Gas Tank Sending Unit, they have a tendency to crack and leak.
I have Mercedes Benz CLS 550. Whenever I fill up a tank full, I smell gas in the CAR and in my garage. After researching the cause of this issue , I found its a common issue with Mercedes Benz older vehicles where the fuel sender unit cracks and start leaking Gas which is located under the rear…
The vehicle sunroof exploded while traveling on the interstate. Stopped and inspected the vehicle to find no impact objects inside the vehicle. Later reviewed online that this was a common problem with this modern Mercedes and the item is already under recall but not my year. I have a 2012 and the…
Other Mercedes-Benz CLS550 years
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 CLS550 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 CLS550 | 1 | 1 |
| 2016 CLS550 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 CLS550 | 1 | 4 |
| 2014 CLS550 | 10 | 4 |
| 2013 CLS550 | 4 | 3 |
| 2012 | 23 | 3 |
| 2011 CLS550 | 4 | 3 |
| 2010 CLS550 | 1 | 3 |
| 2009 CLS550 | 4 | 3 |
| 2008 CLS550 | 17 | 3 |
| 2007 CLS550 | 35 | 4 |
| 2006 CLS550 | 7 | 1 |
See all Mercedes-Benz CLS550 problems by year, every Mercedes-Benz model, or the Mercedes-Benz VIN decoder.
Similar Mercedes-Benz models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550?
Owners most often report fuel/propulsion system, engine, electrical system problems. The top one, fuel/propulsion system, accounts for 8 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other CLS550 model years, the 2012 has far more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.