2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 Recalls, Complaints & Specs
3 safety recalls list the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550, and owners have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
3 safety recalls for the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550
Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.
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Software (electrical system) and air bags: sensor/control module-inactive
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 SL550…
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.
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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. As such, these vehicles…
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. MBUSA's number for this…
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Latch (latches/locks/linkages)
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. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz at…
23 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 have filed 23 complaints with NHTSA; 1 describe a crash. Reports cite 2 injuries and 0 deaths. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 42,785 miles. Complaints peaked in 2025 with 5 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Mercedes-Benz offers an extended warranty, effectively a 20-year/unlimited mileage coverage, for the rear subframe due to corrosion with perforation, covering specific model years my vehicles make and”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 5, 2025 · Suspension
“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 to”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 3, 2025 · Fuel/propulsion system
Compare Mercedes-Benz CLS550 model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Mercedes-Benz CLS550 model year in NHTSA's database.
Checking a specific 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550
How do I know if my 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550 has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS550; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Mercedes-Benz dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 12V533000).
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Mercedes-Benz models
- C3003,469 complaints
- E3502,170 complaints
- E3201,164 complaints
- ML350952 complaints
- GLK350904 complaints
- ML320742 complaints
- C250726 complaints
- C230657 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.