Most common 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 problems
Share of the 23 complaints; one complaint can involve more than one system. "~" is the median mileage when the problem started.
Mercedes-Benz CLS550 complaints by model year
Best CLS550 years: 2006, 2010, 2015. Years to avoid: 2007, 2012. Compare all years →
2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 recalls (3)
Electrical system › Software
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…
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.
Exterior lighting
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.
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.
Latches/locks/linkages › Hood › Latch
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.
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.
NHTSA defect investigations
Federal safety investigators have looked into a possible defect involving the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550:
Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
From 2000 through 2017, Takata produced millions of air bag inflators using two types of phase-stabilized ammonium nitrate ("PSAN") propellant -- propellant 2004 and propellant 2004L. After prolonged exposure to high temperature cycles and humidity, inflators using propellant 2004 can degrade, causing the propellant to burn too quickly when ignited.
What 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 owners say
Fuel & propulsion system
I have Mercedes Benz CLS 550. Whenever I fill up a tank full, I smell gas in the CAR and in my garage. After researching the cause of this issue , I found its a common issue with Mercedes Benz older vehicles where the fuel sender unit cracks and start leaking Gas which is located under the rear seat driver side. Mercedes Benz sent a recall notice for same problem for older vehicles from 2006-2008 to fix this issue. Below are the steps to reproduce the issue 1. Fill the car up. 2. Drive straight home. 3. Park in the driveway. 4. Take rear seat out(pull up on the leading edge of the lower cushion...there are 2 tabs to depress then the seat comes up) 5. 8mm socket and take the drivers side inspection cover off. 6. There will be a fuel lake around that sender.
For several months I been smelling different odors from my 2012 CLS550, getting stronger as the weeks go by now smelling like gas, would noticed puddles whenever I parked from rear driver side area towards middle, just got the news from the mechanic that the driver side fuel gas pump is cracked and leaking gas and passenger side is also cracked. Labor + parts $1,660.00..
Engine & cooling
Engine started misfiring and would go into limp mode so I brought it to dealership for diagnostic and was told oil was leaking from the camshaft sensors into the engine wiring harness and ECU. All of which needed to be replaced at a cost of over $6033.00 and the car has only around 50K miles on it. Several previous year Mercedes from 2011 and earlier have a recall on the camshaft sensors due to oil leaking from them into engine wiring harness and ECU however my year car which is 2012 has no recall on these parts even though they use the exact same camshaft sensors and have the same problem as the previous years which is oil leaking from them and destroying expensive parts that need to be replaced.
When started and for some period after warm up the engine fuel injectors rattle. The dealer mechanic claims that this is the result of the split rail system installed on the engine. This makes the motor appear to be knocking as the noise is loud. I have reported it several times since 2017.
Brakes
Premature rusting on brake and fuel lines which lead to further issues with driveability and saftey. This us caused by the same defects leading to the Premature rust on the subframe that can cause a serious wreck on the interstate.
While driving 45 MPH, the brakes were applied however, the vehicle would not decelerate. In addition, the steering wheel seized simultaneously and the contact lost control of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer for diagnosis. T the manufacturer has been contacted and stated that they would look into the issue. The failure and the current mileage was 980.
2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 engines & fuel economy
| Engine | Transmission | Drive | MPG city / hwy / combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.7L 8-cyl turbo | 7-speed automatic | RWD | 17 / 25 / 20 |
EPA ratings. Class: Compact car.
Frequently asked questions
Is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 a good car?
Based on 23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2012 CLS550 rates use caution: 2.3× as many complaints as a typical year of the CLS550 at the same age. It is one of the CLS550 years we suggest avoiding. Complaint counts don't account for sales volume or individual maintenance, so have any used car inspected before buying.
What is the most common problem with the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550?
The fuel & propulsion system — 8 complaints, 35% of all complaints for this model year. Next are the engine & cooling (4) and brakes (3).
How many recalls does the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 have?
There are 3 recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550, the most recent from March 14, 2017 (software). Recall repairs are free at any authorized dealer — check whether yours has been done with the VIN recall check.
What are the best and worst years of the Mercedes-Benz CLS550?
The best years by complaints, compared at the same age, are 2006, 2010 and 2015. Years to avoid or approach with caution: 2007 and 2012. See the full Mercedes-Benz CLS550 years comparison.
At what mileage do 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 problems happen?
The median mileage reported in complaints is about 54,000 miles; 50% of problems with a recorded mileage started before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.