Before you buy a used Mercedes-Benz CLS (C218).
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.
The essentials.
- 5 documented, sourced faults across its 4 engines.
- 3 of them depend on the equipment or the production date: ask what this car has.
- We have no official recalls on record for this model; ask anyway, with the chassis number (VIN).
- According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: CLS 350 / 400 / 500 (Petrol), CLS 63 AMG (M157, 5.5 V8) (Petrol).
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 4 of its engines.
- 7G-Tronic conductor plateGearbox
- Period mentioned
- 2004 onwards (more failures in 2004–2008)
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only if fitted with 7G-Tronic. Confirm the gearbox type.
- 9G-Tronic harsh shiftingAutomatic gearbox
- Period mentioned
- 2013–2026
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
Applies if: Only if fitted with the automatic gearbox described in the record.
- AIRMATIC leaks and compressorSuspension
- Period mentioned
- 2002–2026
- Mileage mentioned
- 95,000–115,000 km
Applies if: Only if fitted with air suspension.
CLS 250 CDI (OM651)
Diesel
- Chain, injectors and coolant leaksTiming / injection
- Period mentioned
- 2008 onwards
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
CLS 350 CDI (OM642)
Diesel
- Oil cooler and injector leaksOil leaks / injectors
- Period mentioned
- 2005 onwards
- Mileage mentioned
- The sheet does not mention a mileage.
CLS 350 / 400 / 500 · CLS 63 AMG (M157, 5.5 V8)
Petrol
We have no faults specific to this engine, only those common to every version.
Which engine has the fewest documented faults?
| Engine | Documented faults |
|---|---|
| CLS 250 CDI (OM651)Diesel | 43 with conditions |
| CLS 350 CDI (OM642)Diesel | 43 with conditions |
| CLS 350 / 400 / 500PetrolFewest documented | 33 with conditions |
| CLS 63 AMG (M157, 5.5 V8)PetrolFewest documented | 33 with conditions |
According to the data we have, the engines with the fewest documented faults are: CLS 350 / 400 / 500 (Petrol), CLS 63 AMG (M157, 5.5 V8) (Petrol).
By fuel type, the one with the fewest documented faults is: 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 5 checked
Timing / injection
Look out for: Chain rattle on a cold start; on early units, loud injector knocking; coolant loss from the plastic coolant manifold or the EGR cooler.
Ask them to check: Listen to a cold start, check the dealer's injector campaign history and check the coolant level.
Oil leaks / injectors
Look out for: Oil pooling in the engine's V, burning oil smell, drips under the engine; or a hiss or chirp next to an injector with an exhaust smell.
Ask them to check: Visual inspection of the engine's V and the base of the injectors.
Gearbox
Look out for: Gearbox stuck in 2nd or 3rd (limp mode), harsh shifts, delay engaging D or R, gearbox warning often without an engine light; turning off and restarting clears it for a while.
Ask them to check: Diagnose with Xentry/STAR to see the sub-codes (a basic reader only shows P0700). Check for oil in the gearbox connector.
Automatic gearbox
Look out for: Harsh or jerky shifts (especially 1st to 2nd and when cold), vibration, delayed shifts or limp mode; sometimes the gear will not engage from N to D. Codes P073E00 and P07B700.
Ask them to check: Follow the Mercedes bulletin: reproduce the complaint, save the EEPROM, check the oil level, run the Xentry valve flush, update engine, gearbox and shift unit software and perform the standstill adaptation. If it persists, check the control unit.
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.
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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