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Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz CL (C216).

2006–2014 · Petrol · 3 engines

Taken only from Testigo's sourced sheets. Use it to question the seller and on the test drive: it does not confirm that any particular car is affected.

Mercedes-Benz CL (C216), real photo of this generation
Thomas doerfer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · Photo source

The essentials.

Typical faults by engine

The period and mileage are those mentioned by each sheet's sources. They are not a maintenance interval and do not predict that any particular car will fail.

All versions

Sheets the catalogue links to all 3 of its engines.

  • AIRMATIC leaks and compressorSuspension
    Period mentioned
    2002–2026
    Mileage mentioned
    95,000–115,000 km

    Applies if: Only if fitted with air suspension.

CL 500 / 600

Petrol

  • M272 / M273 balance shaft sprocketTiming system
    Period mentioned
    2004–2008 (engines below serial number 2729..30 468993)
    Mileage mentioned
    The sheet does not mention a mileage.

CL 63 AMG (M156, 6.2 V8, hasta 2010)

Petrol

CL 63 / 65 AMG (5.5 V8 / 6.0 V12)

Petrol

We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.

Which engine has the fewest documented faults?

Documented faults and recalls by engine for the Mercedes-Benz CL (C216)
EngineDocumented faults
CL 500 / 600Petrol21 with conditions
CL 63 AMG (M156, 6.2 V8, hasta 2010)Petrol21 with conditions
CL 63 / 65 AMG (5.5 V8 / 6.0 V12)PetrolFewest documented11 with conditions

According to the data we have, the engine with the fewest documented faults is the CL 63 / 65 AMG (5.5 V8 / 6.0 V12) (Petrol).

We only count the sourced sheets we have. An engine with fewer is not guaranteed to be more reliable: it may have been studied less or sold in smaller numbers.

Official recalls: ask before you pay

We have no official recalls on record for this model. Our list is not complete: ask anyway, with the chassis number.

  1. Ask the seller for the chassis number (VIN): it has 17 characters, appears in the car's documents and can usually also be seen at the base of the windscreen.
  2. Ask an official Mercedes-Benz dealer, or the brand's official website if it lets you check by chassis number, whether each recall has been done or is still outstanding for that VIN.
  3. Manufacturer recalls are normally carried out free of charge by the official service network. If one is outstanding, ask for it to be done before you close the sale.

On the test drive: what to look and listen for

Taken from each sheet's symptoms and checks. You can tick off what you have already looked at: it is saved only in this browser.

0 of 3 checked

Timing system

  • Look out for: Engine light with P0016 and P0017 (1200 and 1208 on Mercedes diagnostics), rattle on start-up, hesitation, misfires and, in severe cases, stalling.

    Ask them to check: Compare the engine serial number with the 2729..30 468993 cut-off, read cam correlation codes and, if in doubt, inspect the sprocket with a borescope. First rule out the cam adjuster magnet (a cheap fault).

Engine (cylinder head / valvetrain)

  • Look out for: Coolant loss, coolant in the oil or white smoke (broken head bolts); rattle or ticking on start-up (camshaft and lifter wear).

    Ask them to check: Overnight cooling system pressure test, oil analysis and camshaft inspection with a borescope.

Suspension

  • Look out for: One corner sags overnight, suspension fault warning, the compressor runs a lot or a compressor overheated message appears; eventually the car sits low and rides hard.

    Ask them to check: Spray soapy water on bellows, lines and valve block; read each corner's data with Xentry; check the compressor fuse and relay. Do not replace the compressor without fixing the leak first, or the new one will fail soon.

OBD codes worth looking for

If they let you read the fault memory with an OBD reader, these are the codes mentioned in this model's sheets:

P0016P001712001208

Sources

Every fact on this page comes from these Testigo sheets and their original sources. Sources are not checked in real time.

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