Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Electrical system1
- Power train1
- Seats1
- Unknown or other1
- Service brakes1
- Exterior lighting1
- Latches/locks/linkages1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 1 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 2,796 of these cars first registered in 2008 took their annual MOT test. 62% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2008 the figure was 57%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2008 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 22.2% | 17.2% |
| Brakes | 10.9% | 11.3% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 10.5% | 19.8% |
| Tyres | 8.7% | 7.6% |
| Visibility | 5.4% | 6.7% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 3.2% | 6.2% |
DVSA anonymised MOT tests and results, 2023 (Department for Transport) · Open Government Licence v3.0 · first tests only; a fix made at the test station within the hour still counts as a fail
In New Zealand
68 2008 cars are on the New Zealand register; 56% arrived as used imports, 43% were sold new in New Zealand.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi, Motor Vehicle Register (March 2026) · CC BY 4.0
Fuel consumption
Official Canadian test results for 5 variants: combined 11.8–17.0 L/100 km (about 14–20 mpg US), CO₂ 271–391 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLK 350 Convertible · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.8 | 9.3 | 11.8 |
| CLK 350 Coupe · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 13.8 | 9.3 | 11.8 |
| CLK 550 Coupe · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.1 | 10.7 | 13.7 |
| CLK 550 Convertible · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 16.2 | 11.1 | 13.9 |
| CLK 63 AMG Convertible · Subcompact · Premium gasoline | 20.3 | 12.9 | 17.0 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
MERCEDES-BENZ IS RECALLING MY 2006-2008 M-CLASS, R-CLASS, MY 2005-2009 SLK-CLASS, MY 2005-2008 C-CLASS, MY 2003-2004 AND 2006-2008 CLK-CLASS, MY 2003-2008 E-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2008 CL-CLASS, MY 2008 CLS-CLASS, MY 2004 AND 2007-2008 S-CLASS, MY 2003 G-CLASS, AND MY 2003-2004, 2006 AND 2009 SL-CLASS VEHICLES. A SOFTWARE CALIBRATION NUMBER (SCN) CODING RECEIVED ON THE AFFECTED VEHICLES DURING A RECENT WORKSHOP VISIT WAS INCORRECT. DEPENDING ON THE MODEL YEAR AND MODEL AFFECTED, THE RESULTS OF AN INCORRECT SCN CODING CAN AFFECT A NUMBER OF VEHICLE SAFETY AND EMISSION FUNCTIONS INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING TYPES OF FUNCTIONS: (1) THE FUEL GAUGE READINGS MAY BE INCORRECT; (2) A STUCK FUEL-LEVEL SENSOR MAY NOT BE DISPLAYED IN THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER; (3) THE OBD SYSTEM MAY CAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT TO ILLUMINATE INCORRECTLY; AND, (4) THE SPEEDOMETER MAY BE OUT OF TOLERANCE.
Whether a recall was fixed on a particular car is known only to the manufacturer: check the VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA recalls · summaries in NHTSA's own words
Service bulletins
What Mercedes-Benz told its dealers about the 2008 Mercedes-Benz CLK: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10136041 | Selector lever blocks in position "P" (brake applied) |
| 10136031 | Engine noises (rattling) after engine start |
| 10135912 | COMAND: No sound, SDARS message in central display "Device Unavailable" |
| 10039256 | MERCEDES-BENZ: THE MALFUNCTION LIGHT IS ON WITH MULTIPLE POSSIBLE TROUBLE CODES STORED. THERE COULD BE A PROBLEM WITH THE CAMSHAFT AND/OR SCORING OF A PISTON. *RM |
| 10037408 | MERCEDES-BENZ: SHOCK ABSORBER PROCEDURE. *RM |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of rear lighting assembly
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation