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Model file · Mercedes-BenzUpdated · 14 sources

Selling a dead or junk Mercedes-Benz CLS

More than a third of every complaint owners have filed with NHTSA about the CLS sits on its first model year. Of 221 CLS reports counted by October 10, 2026, the 2006 has 78, and service brakes come up most for it, with 24.

A red second-generation (C218) Mercedes-Benz CLS four-door coupe driving in city traffic
Photo: Dinkun Chen · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Model years (EPA)
2006-2023
Generations
C219, C218, C257
Complaints to NHTSA
221
Year with the most complaints
2006 (78)
Recall campaigns
33
Component named most
Fuel/propulsion system (43)

Recall 05V133 covers the Sensotronic Brake Control on certain 2006 cars. If your CLS has brake warnings, fuel trouble or a list of repairs bigger than the car, we buy whole non-running and junk cars. You sell the whole car as it sits, with free pickup anywhere in the US.

Three generations of the CLS

Wikipedia lists production from 2003 to 2023 in three generations, all front-engine with rear-wheel drive or 4Matic all-wheel drive. The second generation came as a four-door coupe and a five-door estate Mercedes called the Shooting Brake.

Generation (Wikipedia)Model years grouped hereComplaintsWhat stands out in the data
First, C219 (2004)2006-2011146Brakes on the 2006, fuel complaints, four sunroof recalls
Second, C218 (2010; sold 2011-2018)2012-201849Fuel/propulsion on the 2012, tail light and hood recalls
Third, C257 (2018)2019-202326Few complaints, many recalls, wheel complaints

Wikipedia says the C218 was sold from 2011, so a 2011 CLS could be either body; this page counts it with the first group. Complaints are what owners filed, not a reliability rating.

First generation: brakes, then fuel

On the 2006, service brakes lead with 24 complaints, then the gasoline fuel system (14) and fuel/propulsion (13). Recall 05V133 says the Sensotronic Brake Control system could switch to its hydraulic backup mode too early. Dealers added a bracket and a new ground wire to the SBC pump. The campaign counted 204,000 vehicles and was not limited to the CLS.

The 2007 shifts to fuel: 16 fuel/propulsion complaints and 8 for the gasoline fuel system, out of 38. Fuel/propulsion is the CLS's most named component overall, at 43.

The sunroof is the other first-generation story. Recalls 19V918, 22V954 and 24V874 list 2006-2011 CLS models, and 21V196 lists 2006-2007 CLS500, CLS55 AMG, CLS550 and CLS63 AMG cars. The glass panel may not stay bonded or secured. 21V196, 22V954 and 24V874 also cover C-Class, CLK and E-Class cars.

Second generation: a quiet stretch

The 2012 has 24 complaints, 8 naming fuel/propulsion. Every other year from 2013 to 2017 has 11 or fewer, and the 2016 has none.

Recall 15V137 lists only CLS models: 30,141 2012-2015 CLS400, CLS550 and CLS63 cars whose LED tail light controller needed new software. Recall 15V088 added four retaining clips to a hood rubber seal on 2013-2015 CLS550s and E-Class cars, 147,224 vehicles in all.

Third generation: more recalls than complaints

The 2019 has 14 complaints but appears in 12 recall campaigns. The 2021 has a single complaint and 8 campaigns. Wheels lead the 2019 (4) and the 2023 (3 of 3). The latest CLS years simply haven't been around as long as the early ones to rack up reports.

Recalls on these years include 22V733, for a 12-volt battery in the trunk that may not be secured (19,968 vehicles, E-Class models included), 24V100, for a 48-volt ground cable connection in the engine bay (12,191 vehicles), and 23V445, a fuel pump replacement across 143,551 vehicles from many model lines.

CLS complaints and recalls by year

Rows with very few complaints are grouped. The 2016 and 2018 have no complaints on file. A recall listing several years counts in each of them.

Model yearComplaintsRecall campaignsTop component (count)
2006785Service brakes (24)
2007384Fuel/propulsion (16)
2008174Fuel/propulsion (5)
2009-201113 (6, 1, 6)3 each yearAir bags lead the 2009 (2)
2012243Fuel/propulsion (8)
2013-201524 (4, 11, 9)3, 4, 4Suspension leads the 2014 (2)
201711Wheels (1)
20191412Wheels (4)
202055Electrical system (4)
2021-20237 (1, 3, 3)8, 6, 3Wheels lead the 2023 (3)

Worth fixing, or time to sell?

Compare the quote with what a running CLS of the same year brings. On an older car with brake or fuel faults, the quote often wins.

  1. Check recalls on your VIN at NHTSA's lookup. A 2006-2011 may still have a sunroof campaign open.
  2. Brake warning on a 2006? Ask a Mercedes-Benz dealer whether 05V133 was done. Our bad brakes guide covers the rest of the decision.
  3. Fuel trouble on a 2006-2008? That's where the fuel complaints sit. Get a written diagnosis before deciding.
  4. Recall open and no interest in fixing it? You can still sell; see open recall.

Selling your CLS whole

  1. Note the VIN, mileage and version (CLS500, CLS550, CLS63 AMG and so on) and what's wrong.
  2. Request an offer online, or call (877) 421-6008.
  3. Say where your CLS sits and whether it still rolls and steers. Mention it if it sits on flat tires.
  4. Leave it whole. Don't pull the wheels or the engine parts first.
  5. Keep the title and ID handy for the driver. Lost title? See selling with no title.

More from the same family: E-Class, CLA-Class, S-Class, or every Mercedes-Benz we cover.

Questions people ask

Which CLS model years have the most NHTSA complaints?
It's the 2006, at 78 on October 10, 2026. Next is the 2007 at 38, then the 2012 at 24. No other year has more than 17.
What was the Sensotronic brake recall on the 2006 CLS?
Recall 05V133 covered vehicles whose Sensotronic Brake Control system could drop into its hydraulic backup mode early, because of a wiring connection or a hydraulic part wearing out. Dealers added a bracket and a new ground wire to the SBC pump. The campaign covered 204,000 vehicles, not all of them CLS models.
Will you buy a CLS63 AMG that doesn't run?
Yes. We buy whole non-running and junk cars, AMG versions included, with free pickup anywhere in the US.
Should I sell the wheels separately first?
No. Sell the whole car as it sits. Mention missing wheels or other parts up front, before we make an offer.

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from one of these. Checked October 11, 2026.

  1. EPA fuel economy data: CLS-Class model years and versions fueleconomy.gov
  2. NHTSA complaints flat file (FLAT_CMPL.zip), downloaded October 10, 2026 nhtsa.gov
  3. NHTSA: Check for recalls by VIN nhtsa.gov
  4. NHTSA recall 05V133: Sensotronic Brake Control, 2006 nhtsa.gov
  5. NHTSA recall 19V918: sunroof glass bonding, 2001-2011 Mercedes-Benz vehicles nhtsa.gov
  6. NHTSA recall 21V196: sunroof glass bonding, 2006-2007 models nhtsa.gov
  7. NHTSA recall 22V954: sunroof panel, C-Class, CLK, E-Class and CLS nhtsa.gov
  8. NHTSA recall 24V874: sunroof panel, C-Class, CLK, E-Class and CLS nhtsa.gov
  9. NHTSA recall 15V137: LED tail light software, 2012-2015 CLS nhtsa.gov
  10. NHTSA recall 15V088: hood seal clips, 2013-2015 E-Class and CLS nhtsa.gov
  11. NHTSA recall 22V733: trunk 12-volt battery mounting, 2019-2022 CLS450 and others nhtsa.gov
  12. NHTSA recall 24V100: 48-volt ground cable, 2021-2023 CLS450 and others nhtsa.gov
  13. NHTSA recall 23V445: fuel pump, 2021-2023 models including CLS nhtsa.gov
  14. Wikipedia: Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class (generations, layout, body styles) en.wikipedia.org