2000 Mercedes Benz CLK320

Owner complaints

What owners report most

1. Electrical system6
2. Air bags3
3. Vehicle speed control3
4. Unknown or other2
5. Power train2
6. Steering1
7. Structure1
8. Tires1

Latest complaints

• Jan 23, 2026NVCrash
  Power train · Steering · Vehicle speed control
  The sfloor shifter and linkage just went out randomly and caused the vehicle to be complacent and non-repairable without any fault or damage by me or previous owner the entire vehicle IS been unserviceable and has been unable to locate the original discontinued part and I believe all 2000 CLK 320…

  The sfloor shifter and linkage just went out randomly and caused the vehicle to be complacent and non-repairable without any fault or damage by me or previous owner the entire vehicle IS been unserviceable and has been unable to locate the original discontinued part and I believe all 2000 CLK 320 benz cabriolet models have the same defect within the linkage and shifter which IS it becomes stuck and gears lock causing inability to go into gear and safely manuver the vehicle as it was made to be manuvered. Vehicle was taken to the benz service center and still was unable to be fixed basically the solenoid goes out with the shifter then the vehicle becomes inoperable or startable while the rest of the vehicle IS in perfect condition a component IS causing major losses and safety hazards. Gear slipping and misfires as well to the ecm unit. As well as sensor issues causing emissions failures and false reads.

• Nov 25, 2018NJ225,000 mi
  Electrical system

  Emergency trunk release failed this system should be mechanical and should not fail remains failed whether electrical power IS on, accessory IS powered or switch in ca in, also remain failed with key

• May 16, 2018GA
  Unknown or other

  P-7OO- I'm having same code from last year. I replace what need be replace. I brought receipts that came up to be $1100. It will not pass emission. I have gotten a extension that expire 05/16/18. I'm tired!!!

• Jun 27, 2011IN32,000 miFire
  Electrical system
  This car had no mechanical issues. the car was started and the convertible top was put down. within a couple of minutes the car was shut off. twenty minutes later smoke was seen coming from the hood vent near the windshield. the hood was opened and a fire extinguisher used on the site of the…

  This car had no mechanical issues. the car was started and the convertible top was put down. within a couple of minutes the car was shut off. twenty minutes later smoke was seen coming from the hood vent near the windshield. the hood was opened and a fire extinguisher used on the site of the smoke. car was started to check for possible problem area. all indicators were good. car was immediately turned off. few minutes later, fire was seen in the passenger footwell and then spread to the engine area fire department was called. within five minutes the engine and car interior were burned and the air bags exploded.

• Mar 4, 2008MA90,000 mi
  Air bags

  The srs warning (air bag) light on my mercedes-benz clk320 stays on. the light was reset by a local mercedes dealership in 2007 but came back on 1 month later. *tr

• Aug 9, 2007MD80,000 mi
  Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

  Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz clk320. the contact was unable to see the indicators on the instrument panel. the dealer acknowledged that there was a problem. the current mileage was 89,000 and failure mileage was 80,000.

• Jul 31, 2007FL82,000 mi
  Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

  Tl*the contact owns a 2000 mercedes benz clk320. the contact stated that the gear, date, and temperature indicator lights would not fully illuminate. in addition, the mileage indicator lights were difficult to see. the dealer has not inspected the vehicle. the current mileage was 99,450 and failure mileage was 82,000.

• Jul 28, 2007CA
  Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel

  Mercedes benz clk320 W208 instrument cluster led problem. it has a faulty display readouts that I am experiencing. It IS a safety problem since you can't see which gear you are in and that could cause a driver error that could lead to an accident. It also has problems displaying temperature and time, but the main concern IS the display of gears! *jb

• Oct 3, 2005VA70,000 mi
  Structure › Body › Door › Hinge and attachments
  Door check on driver side door failed after 70,000 miles. when part failed, door check made opening door difficult causing safety hazard. also, door check failure resulted in deforming internal power window track. could not open window causing safety hazard. required owner to completely replace…

  Door check on driver side door failed after 70,000 miles. when part failed, door check made opening door difficult causing safety hazard. also, door check failure resulted in deforming internal power window track. could not open window causing safety hazard. required owner to completely replace drivers side door on vehicle in order to be able to open window again. (cost of replacement $2600.00 which IS excessive considering the low cost of the door check part.) owner believes that the door check part may be substandard in design and/or defective in nature. *nm

• Mar 4, 2005KS21,030 mi
  Tires › Tread/belt

  One of the vehicle's tires had severe separation of the tread on the inside. *nm the tire only had about 21000 miles on them therefore the consumer request full reimbursement for the new set of tires installed. *nm

• Sep 23, 2004NJ35,000 mi
  Electrical system
  Backing out of the driveway and into traffic the car completely shut down in the middle of traffic. both lanes came to a screeching halt. the car would not restart or allow me to put it in neutral to push it to the side. this happened on several other occasions where the car completely dies as…

  Backing out of the driveway and into traffic the car completely shut down in the middle of traffic. both lanes came to a screeching halt. the car would not restart or allow me to put it in neutral to push it to the side. this happened on several other occasions where the car completely dies as you are driving and you have to try and get the car over to the side of the road. it has also happened as I am pulling out into traffic which IS a very scary situation. The mercedes dealer IS unable to duplicate the failure in their shop and there are no fault codes associated with the problem. the battery was replaced and this has not corrected the problem either. I am very frustrated and at a loss with this situation. *jb

• Oct 29, 2003VACrash
  Vehicle speed control › Linkages
  At about 2PM on the date of the incident, driver left store parking lot and had stopped car, waiting for an appropriate time to turn right into the right lane of a three lane major highway. car accellerated out of driver's control across the three lanes of the highway, in front of and amid…

  At about 2PM on the date of the incident, driver left store parking lot and had stopped car, waiting for an appropriate time to turn right into the right lane of a three lane major highway. car accellerated out of driver's control across the three lanes of the highway, in front of and amid approaching traffic, and then onto a grassy median strip with a ravine in the center. car entered median strip almost directly across from the point where the car had been stopped and waiting to enter the highway. *Ak as the car was crossing the highway, driver could not control the vehicle despite all possible physical force put on the brake pedal and with both hands on the steering wheel. as the car accellerated across the highway, the police report details a collision with another car. after car entered the median strip, driver tried to keep car in the median strip and was mostly able to do so. car proceeded about 80 feet along the median strip, again with full force on the brake and both hands on the steering wheel. after this, driver was able to push gear shaft to the park position and take out keys. safety side and front air bags did not activate. weather was fine and there were no visability issues. driver was wearing seatbelt and glasses.

• Oct 26, 2003VA13,000 miCrash1 injury
  Vehicle speed control

  Driving mercedes benz CLK 320 on route 7 when vehicle suddenly surged forward. Unable to control vehicle crossed 3 lanes of traffic, side another car and ended up in the median strip. *La

• May 6, 2003FL27,000 miCrash1 injury
  Air bags

  I was injured in an automobile crash, due to my airbags not deploying. the impact was certainly great enough for them to deploy, however the manufacturer denies that they operated incorrectly. I would expect an impact at 35-40 mph would be enough to deploy an airbag and prevent certain injuries. *jb

• Feb 7, 2001CACrash1 injury
  Air bags › Frontal

  Vehicle was involved in a t-bone accident at approximately 45 mph into driver's side door, and air bags did not deploy. dealer/manufacturer were notified at this time. *ak

• Aug 22, 2000MD
  Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)

  When there IS any liquid spill near gear shift it could cause the shift to malfunction, and make gear shift like neutral with no response. vehicle had been taken to dealer.*ak

• Jul 25, 2000MD
  Unknown or other

  No summary listed for above vehicle. *Ak

Defect investigations

NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.

• Engine crankshaft pulley failure

  PE03058Opened Dec 17, 2003Closed Apr 22, 2004
  The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer…

  The office of defects investigation (odi) opened this preliminary evaluation to investigate allegations of engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure that could result in loss of power-steering assist.odi has received a total of 546 non-duplicative reports that allege engine crankshaft pulley harmonic balancer failure on all mercedes-benz vehicles using the subject component.the subject component failures are progressive in nature and only a small percentage of the complaints and warrant claims involved a failure that had progressed far enough to effect power steering performance (6 of 55 odi complaints reference increased steering effort).there have been no crashes or injuries related to the alleged defect.a safety-related defect has not been identified at this time and further use of agency resources does not appear to be warranted.accordingly, this investigation IS closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by nhtsa that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances.see summary report attached for further detail.

Service bulletins

Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.

• 11009122Complaint Washer fluid system leaks Cause Various possible causes: 1. Washer fluid reservoir itself. 2. Seal on washer fluid pump/washer fluid reservoir. 3. Washer fluid pump. 3.1. Distributor housing leaks. 3.2. Pump fitting leaks. 3.3. Washer fluid hose cannot be snapped into place on pump fitting. 3.4. Washer fluid hose will not stay on pump fitting, although connector OK. 4. Washer fluid line. 4.1 Connector will not stay on pump fitting because it is broken. 4.2 Sealing ring in connector missing. 4.3 Sealing ring in connector fitted, but deformed and therefore leaks. 4.4 Damage to washer line by animal. 5. Seal on heating washer fluid reservoir/washer fluid reservoir. Remedy Replace defective component parts only. Do not replace any adjacent component parts that are intact. Note: Repair kits for washer line hoses do exist to allow patches for line damage.
• 11008091Complaint During a phone call, the called party has difficulty understanding/cannot understand the driver, or interference/background noises are audible to the called party during a call. It becomes increasingly difficult to understand as the speed rises. Cause A. Seating of the microphones in the headliner. Side edges are covered by the textile cover (see picture "1") B. Assembly of microphones (B25/20 or B25/21) in the headliner. C. Dirt inside the microphone housing Remedy 1. Press finger on rear of microphone (on adhesive tape) 2. Remove microphone cap from the front 3. Eliminate protruding material residues of the microphone cutout at the headliner, e.g. with a soldering iron. The microphone must be seated in the headliner as shown in picture "2". 4. Push microphone from behind until it is firmly pressed into the headliner 5. Maintain pressure and press/clip cap into microphone from the front. Note: The cover cap must be clearly heard and felt to engage. 6. This procedure must be carried out on both microphones (B25/20 and B25/21) Note: It is recommended to replace the cover caps. The non-woven cloth in the cover cap protects the microphone from soiling and must not be removed. NOTE: The information contained in this document is intended for use by trained, professional technicians with the knowledge to properly and safely perform diagnosis and repairs on Mercedes-Benz vehicles, using Mercedes-Benz approved tools and equipment. It informs service technicians about conditions that could occur in certain vehicles and provides information that could assist in proper vehicle diagnosis, service, or repair. It does not indicate that a defect is present in any vehicle referenced in this document nor does it imply warranty coverage. DO NOT assume that a symptom or condition, or a described cause of a symptom or condition, affects any particular vehicle or groups of vehicles, or that a described repair applies to any particular vehicle or groups of vehicles. There can be multiple causes resulting in the same or similar symptoms or conditions described in this document, and trained professional service technicians must use their diagnostic skills to make evaluations on a case-by-case basis. The information contained in this document does not guarantee warranty coverage nor does it extend the vehicles warranty in any way.
• 11007974Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a technical impairment of the headlamp. A leak test must be performed to determine if physical fogging exists or if the headlamp is leaky. Remedy In advance, observe LI82.10-P-078301 "Headlamps or Front Fog Lamps Leaking or Fogged". 1. Prepare headlamp/check for external damage: For headlamps with a closed system 1. Check the headlamps for any external damage and check also for correct seating of the Gore-diaphragm/correct latching of the cover caps. 2. If the headlamp exhibits any external damage, replace the headlamp. For headlamps with an open system 1. Check the headlamps for any external damage and seal off the vent then make sure the cover caps are latched correctly into place. 2. If the headlamp exhibits any external damage, replace the headlamp. Note: A headlamp with external damage is not a warranty or goodwill case. 2. Leak test of headlamp with overpressure: Connect test adapter to pressure tester. (Figure 1) Check test adapter for leak tightness. To do so, connect plug and coupling (picture 2) and apply a maximum overpressure of 30 mbar. The pressure must remain constant. If the pressure does not remain constant, use a new adapter. Seal all the outlet openings using sealing compound and the given diaphragm with the plunger (picture 3). (Picture 4) Make allowance for the different headlamp variants here (there are different outlet openings). Check if the headlamp needs to be removed to gain access to the diagnostic socket on the headlamp housing. Plug the adapter onto the diagnostic socket on the headlamp housing. (Picture 5). Apply a maximum of 30 mbar overpressure to the headlamp housing. Note: If the maximum overpressure of 50 mbar is exceeded the headlamp seal will be damaged. If a pressure drop of less than 10 mbar is measured within 30 seconds, the headlamp is not leaky and the problem is down to natural physical fogging. If a pressure drop of more than 10 mbar is measured within 30 seconds, the headlamp is leaky. Note: The leaky position can be localized with the aid of soap suds. Replace any leaky headlamps. Note: Desiccant packs can be installed for headlamps that are not leaky. See: LI82.10-P-064766 Fogged headlamp, desiccant pack installed - open ventilation system LI82.10-P-078304 Fogged headlamp, desiccant pack installed - closed ventilation system
• 11007753Complaint Headlamp or front fog lamp leaky or fogged Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the headlamp. Headlamps comply with all applicable standards. If a pressure compensation diaphragm is fitted in the housing cover, then the lamp unit is a "closed system". Remedy Headlamp: Remedy 1 Clearing fogged/condensed LED headlamps and LED rear lamps: 1. Drive vehicle into workshop (temperature higher than +18 C/+64.4 F) and connect the exhaust extraction. Note: Do not perform an engine wash before the defogging test. 2. Switch off the engine and connect battery support via a charger. 3. Open the hood or trunk. 4. Switch on the lights. 5. Leave the vehicle in this state for 60 minutes. 6. Check for formation of condensation, a significant reduction in the formation of condensation must be clearly recognizable (thawing progress). Clearing fogged/condensed halogen/xenon headlamps: 1. Drive the vehicle into the workshop (temperature higher than +18 C/+64.4F). Note: Do not perform an engine wash before the defogging test. 2. Switch off the engine. 3. Open the hood. 4. Switch off the lights. 5. Leave the vehicle in this state for 60 minutes. 6. Check for formation of condensation, a significant reduction in the formation of condensation must be clearly recognizable (thawing progress). Note: If there is no visible reduction in the formation of condensation, check the headlamp for a defect. (See Remedy 2) It is not physically possible to defog the headlamps completely. Fogging does not impair the operation or the service life of the headlamp. Remedy 2 A Damaged headlamp can be identified as follows: 1. Check the headlamp for external damage and that the cover caps and the diaphragm are correctly seated. 2. Check the electrical connectors of the plugs and pins. 3. Check for leak tightness in accordance with LI82.10-P-078307. The test can only be conducted on headlamps. 4. If the headlamp or the rear lamp has any external damage, replace the component part in accordance with the WIS instructions. Note: External damage to the headlamp/rear lamp or faulty seating of the cover caps does not present a warranty or goodwill case. With headlamps, it is possible to install desiccant packs if the problem occurs repeatedly. Open ventilation system: LI82.10-P-064766. Closed ventilation system LI82.10-P-078304
• 11005294Complaint Rear lamps fogged up/not leaktight. Cause Fogging of the rear lamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. This does not lead to any technical impairment of the rear lamps. Remedy Rear lamp: Remedy 1: Clearing fogged/condensed rear lamps: 1. Drive the vehicle into the workshop (temperature higher than +18 C/+64.4 F) Note: Do not wash the vehicle or subject it to high-pressure cleaning before the defogging test. 2. Switch off the engine and connect battery support via a charger. 3. Open the trunk. 4. Switch on the exterior lighting. 5. Leave the vehicle in this state for 60 minutes. 6. Check for formation of condensation -> a significant reduction in the formation of condensation must be clearly recognizable (defogging progress).
• 10248162Crease formation on genuine leather seat covers in vehicles with low mileage Objects left on the seats for extended periods of time (pressure marks). Objects wedged between the seat backrest and seat cushion (e.g. seat belt buckle). Light initial creases due to vehicle handling. Light creases in the outer covers originating from the production process (missing finish). Heat treatment of the seat covers using heat gun and plastic wedge. Be very careful to not overheat the seat material!
• 10181124Harsh engagement when changing gear range from P to D or R
• 10167553Combination message: "Clean fuel filter" is displayed. The fault code 162500 (water level message - Bosch) or P226997 (water level message - Delphi) or 171600 (filter load - Bosch) is stored in the engine control unit.
• 10166976Message in instrument cluster "DISTRONIC PLUSCurrently Unavailable - See Owner's Manual"
• 10166081Noise complaints when load on backrest frame changes. Affects the driver and front passenger seats. Also perform the remedial action if you are performing work on: - backrest frame - backrest cover or - guide rail of head restraint. If the backrest frame is exposed as a result, the actions must always be performed in order to avoid follow-up repairs.
• 10151959Seat belt extender toothed rack sluggish or makes noises
• 10136041Selector lever blocks in position "P" (brake applied)
• 10136029SENTEX gate operator with Clik Card Remote not compatible with Homelink
• 10135917Malfunctions of various control units and/or on-board power supply problems caused by water in the control unit tray under the driver/front passenger seat (dislocated, pinched or leaking condensation hose)
• 10135628iPhone mobile phone: Various complaints after software update to iOS8
• 10044222Mercedes benz: front or rear seat belt does not roll up correctly. Dirt deposits on the seat belt guide due to soiled seat belt. Also included models 169, f cell, 246, and 231. No model years given.
• 10044181Xentry: rattling/thumping noises from the area of the steering on rough roads or when driving over road undulations. No model years given. Also included models 168 and 172.
• 10033070Xentry (mercedes): engine warning lamp IS currently on or was on and a delay fault of the camshaft adjust to current or stored in the engine control unit. Models 171, 203, 209, 211, 219, 221, 216, 230, 164, 251, and 403. No model years listed.
• 10028586Mercedes vehicle: the srs indicator lamp IS illuminated and code b1058 and b2dbo are stored, replace the srs control unit. Models 203 and model 209. Model years unknown.
• 10028585Mercedes vehicles: the xenon or bi-xenon headlamp not functioning. A function description can be found in wis document gf8s.10-p-20010 (203), gf82.10-p-0003q (209); gf82.10-p-3002r (230). Model years uknown.
• 10020460Play in the rack and pinion steering system. Models 203, 209, 210, 211, 215, 220, 230. Mercedes benz. Updated 5/13/09.
• 10015377Revised repair procedure and additional applicable models. Model 170, 202, 208 and 210 models. Front fog lamp(s) inoperative. Mercedes-benz. Model years: 1994-2004. Updated 09/09/08.
• 612197Brief information on installing telephone.

Every Mercedes Benz CLK320 model year

Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.