Model year record

2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550

3 recall campaigns on file for this model year. 36 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 17V177000

Electrical system: software

Component
Electrical system: software
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Vehicles affected
51
Reported to NHTSA
2017-03-14
Owners notified
2017-04-21

Defect description

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.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 15V137000

Exterior lighting

Component
Exterior lighting
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Vehicles affected
30,141
Reported to NHTSA
2015-03-10
Owners notified
2015-04-06

Defect description

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."

Safety risk

Reduced rear side marker illumination may prevent other drivers from seeing the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Recall campaignNHTSA 12V533000

Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch

Component
Latches/locks/linkages: hood: latch
Manufacturer
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC.
Vehicles affected
23
Reported to NHTSA
2012-11-06
Owners notified
2012-11-21

Defect description

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.

Safety 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.

Manufacturer remedy

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.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

ComponentComplaintsMedian mileage
Fuel/propulsion system1181,000 mi
Engine454,000 mi
Unknown or other4
Electrical system361,000 mi
Power train354,000 mi
Service brakes3980 mi
Suspension3
Steering2980 mi
Visibility125,000 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly186,000 mi
Wheels113,000 mi

The 2011 model has 9 times as many complaints as this one. The 2013 model has 7 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Open investigations

An investigation is not a recall. It indicates that NHTSA is currently evaluating an alleged defect but has not reached a final determination.

EA21002Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture

Air bags: frontal: driver side: inflator module

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.