2001 Mercedes Benz CLK Class
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › Mercedes Benz › CLK Class › 2001
These records cover every 2001 Mercedes Benz CLK Class. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Owner complaints
14 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Electrical system
The pixels on the instrument cluster went out and you can no longer tell what gear you are in. I've brought the car to my local dealer for their inspection and I was quoted $1500 for the repair because it IS not cover under warranty. *tr
- Fuel system, other › Storage › Fuel gauge system
Fuel gauge not reading correct fuel. after filling tank, fuel gauge reads empty. after approx 20 miles of driving fuel gauge moves to full. fuel gauge then continues to read inaccurate measurements. I am using the mileage to know when to refuel. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Exhaust system › Emission control › Crankcase (pcv)
Engine stalling and failure to start due to crankshaft position sensor (cps) failure. Car IS a 2001 clk430 with approx 60,000 miles. *tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Leds on instrument cluster faulty. accident free vehicle. *tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Instrument cluster of my 2001 mercedes benz clk430 IS faulty. I cannot read the gear indicator since the led lights have gone out. Not knowing what gear I am in can cause an error while driving that can lead to an accident. Instrument cluster was working fine until a couple of weeks ago where led started to fail. Gear indicator in the instrument cluster IS no longer readable. This IS a driving safety issue. *jb
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel · Power train › Automatic transmission › Gear position indication (prndl)
The instrument cluster in my 2001 mercedes-benz clk430 does not function properly. the pixels in the gear selector, temperature and clock section do not light up. this makes it impossible to tell what gear the car IS in, and poses a safety hazard. the "p" and "r" are difficult to distinguish. this car has transmission problems, and the necessity to identify which gear the car IS in by "feel" IS dangerous. *tr
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
The automatic transmission in my 2001 mercedes-benz clk430 will frequently become stuck in only one gear. most often 3RD gear, but sometimes 2ND. this IS a terrifying situation for me, especially in traffic, as the automobile does not accelerate from a stop in 3RD gear and abruptly slows when…
The automatic transmission in my 2001 mercedes-benz clk430 will frequently become stuck in only one gear. most often 3RD gear, but sometimes 2ND. this IS a terrifying situation for me, especially in traffic, as the automobile does not accelerate from a stop in 3RD gear and abruptly slows when letting off the accelerator in 2ND. 2ND gear also limits the speed of the car significantly and has caused me to be the traffic slowdown at rush hour on many occasions. I have had several close calls, as I cannot get the car out of a busy intersection quickly or change lanes to make a turn when this IS happening. I drive my children in this car and am afraid that a 3RD gear start or a 2ND gear abrupt slowdown or its severely limited velocity will cause an accident and they may get hurt. the only way to remedy this situation IS to pull over, shut off the car and restart it. this IS not always possible on a busy street, and IS dangerous at best. My mechanic has determined that this IS not a mechanical failure in the transmission, but a failure in the electronic module that controls the transmission. I understand through corroborative and anecdotal evidence that this could be a result of liquid from the cupholder seeping down into the electronics. there IS evidence of a liquid spill, and it IS clear that the poor design of the cupholder and its location above the transmission electronics are the cause of this safety issue. we have not pursued repair as of yet, as the parts and labor are quite expensive. the car IS now parked in my garage, as I consider it unsafe to drive. *tr
- Electrical system › Instrument cluster/panel
Dash led's are failing causing the drive indicator to not register correctly. when I place it in gear because the lights go on and off as a bad connection I cannot tell what gear I am in. also the same led's for the clock and temp are failing in the same unit. *tr
- Engine and engine cooling › Engine
My car shuts down whenever I drive in temperatures over 90 degrees in slow traffic. brought car to dealer who stated nothing wrong with car that they can find. *nm
- Power train › Automatic transmission › Control module (tcm/pcm/tecm)
Dt*: the contact stated water was spilled on the console causing the transmission to be inoperable. the vehicle was towed to the residence. the dealer replaced the electronic control unit in the console which corrected the problem. updated 8/14/2006 - *nm
- Power train › Automatic transmission
1ST, in may 2006, I was parking my 2001 mercedes benz, clk-430, into parking lot at 7-11 store. I place the shifter into p (park). The engine was still running at this time. I remove my foot off the brake pedal, the car running back out of the parking stall as if it was in the reverse gear. I…
1ST, in may 2006, I was parking my 2001 mercedes benz, clk-430, into parking lot at 7-11 store. I place the shifter into p (park). The engine was still running at this time. I remove my foot off the brake pedal, the car running back out of the parking stall as if it was in the reverse gear. I placed my foot back on the brake pedal to stop the car movement. I place the shifter back in the drive location and drive the car back to the original place. And place the shifter back in park and again the car start rolling backwards. On the same evening , I drove home from the 7-11 store and park the car in my driveway, yes it again. I used the emergency braking this time. On june 14, 2006, I stopped at the long beach postal office, on level parking surface, this car star rowing forwards to another park vehicle, I stopped the car movements and place it in reverse to move the back to the original parking placed. This car stay in the park gear without further forward or reverse movement. This car only has 32,900 miles on it. *jb
- Engine and engine cooling
Dt: consumer was driving at 25- 30 mph and the vehicle died on the road. The engine light did not come on. After taking the key completely out and re-inserting the key the vehicle did crank back up. Had the vehicle towed to the dealer and they said it was crank shaft position sensor. This happened on september 4, 2005. *Ak *jb
- Structure › Body › Bumpers
In most parking lots, low concrete "curbs" are placed in stalls to prevent cars from pulling too far forward. typical curbs are about six inches in height. when parking in many lots it IS necessary to pull a car forward so the front tires touch (or nearly touch) these curbs. otherwise, the back…
In most parking lots, low concrete "curbs" are placed in stalls to prevent cars from pulling too far forward. typical curbs are about six inches in height. when parking in many lots it IS necessary to pull a car forward so the front tires touch (or nearly touch) these curbs. otherwise, the back end of the car will be too far out in the flow of traffic. the front bumper of the 2001 mercedes CLK 430 IS prone toward damage on these curbs when backing out of a parking stall. this occurs because of a lip on the lower portion of the front bumper that catches on the curb. when the car IS backed out, the lower front bumper catches on the curb and will cause the bumper to break. this situation IS not isolated to my own car. over the past year I have examined the bumpers of many cars of the same model and year (in various parking lots). without exception, every bumper has been broken in a similar manner. this bumper was designed so that breakage IS unavoidable, even under normal use. this seems to be a manufacturer's defect that would justify a recall.*jb
- Engine and engine cooling
While driving, the vehicle stalled. the consumer tried to restart the vehicle but was unsuccessful. The consumer had the vehicle towed to the dealer for inspection. the mechanic informed the consumer that the problem could not be duplicated. the consumer informed the mechanic that problem has occurred more than once . please fill in additional information. *jb
Defect investigations
NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation opened these reviews into vehicles including this one.
- Transmission malfunction
The petitioner alleges that coffee from a cup, placed in the cup holder, spilled onto the gear shifter and shut down the vehicle?s entire electrical system. The concern raised by the petitioner was investigated (sq01-010) and was closed after odi concluded that the facts did not demonstrate a safety-related defect.odi…
The petitioner alleges that coffee from a cup, placed in the cup holder, spilled onto the gear shifter and shut down the vehicle?s entire electrical system. The concern raised by the petitioner was investigated (sq01-010) and was closed after odi concluded that the facts did not demonstrate a safety-related defect.odi has subsequently received nine more complaints alleging fluid contamination of the transmission shifter since the investigation was closed, none of which report crashes or injuries.these nine complainants mainly expressed dissatisfaction with the design of the cup holder and the cost of replacing the contaminated electronic selector module.similarly, in petitioner?s case she was able to operate the vehicle to a place where it could be safety stopped after the liquid spillage.the petitioner has not provided any evidence of a safety-related defect.in view of the foregoing and the need to allocate and prioritize nhtsa's limited resources to best accomplish the agency's safety mission, the petition IS denied.
- Sudden engine shut down
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.
- 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)
- 10025642Model 203 (c) series from production 8/1/01 to 2/1/03 and model 209 (CLK) series up to production 2/1/03; esp visit workshop with fault code c1185.
- 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.
- 10007612Air mass sensors.
- 621570On some vehicles, upon release of the brake pedal and / or application of the accelerator pedal, there IS a 1-2 second delay until the actuator moves to the new accelerator pedal input position. This delay IS integrated in the engine management system as a safety feature and IS not subject to modification in the field.
Every Mercedes Benz CLK Class model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.