2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 24 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 0 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
24
Complaints
0
Recalls
1
Crash reports
0
Fire reports
2
Injuries
83.3
Severity index
Severity index 83.3 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 9 | 37.5% |
| ENGINE | 4 | 16.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 12.5% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 3 | 12.5% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 12.5% |
| POWER TRAIN | 3 | 12.5% |
| SUSPENSION | 2 | 8.3% |
| VISIBILITY | 2 | 8.3% |
The single most-reported system is FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, cited in 9 of 24 complaints (37.5%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 2 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2016 | 1 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2022 | 3 |
| 2023 | 2 |
| 2024 | 1 |
| 2025 | 6 |
Complaint volume is broadly steady year over year.
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.