Problems owners report
Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS, by the system named in each complaint. One complaint can name several.
- Service brakes, hydraulic1
NHTSA ODI complaints (public domain) · updated 23 Oct 2026 · 0 injuries and 0 deaths reported
Compared with other years
NHTSA ODI complaints by model year
Registered new in Europe in 2011
759 new Mercedes-Benz CLS cars were registered in the EU, Norway and Iceland in 2011; the largest markets were Spain (757), Poland (2).
- Average mass
- 1,845 kg
- Average power
- 291 kW
- Fuel type recorded
- Diesel 82% · Petrol 18%
European Environment Agency, CO₂ emissions from new passenger cars · averages weighted by registrations; CO₂ is the type-approval value; fuel type as recorded at registration, where many non-plug-in hybrids appear as petrol · re-use permitted with acknowledgement
MOT test results in Great Britain
In 2023, 1,269 of these cars first registered in 2011 took their annual MOT test. 76% passed first time; among all cars first registered in 2011 the figure was 63%.
| Failed on | These cars | All cars from 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| Suspension | 8.6% | 14.1% |
| Tyres | 8.3% | 7.3% |
| Brakes | 6.6% | 8.6% |
| Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment | 4.9% | 16.0% |
| Noise, emissions and leaks | 2.6% | 3.6% |
| Visibility | 1.5% | 5.4% |
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
84 2011 cars are on the New Zealand register; 77% arrived as used imports, 19% 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 1 variant: combined 16.7 L/100 km (about 14 mpg US), CO₂ 384 g/km.
| Variant | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|
| CLS 63 AMG · Compact · Premium gasoline | 19.7 | 13.1 | 16.7 |
Litres per 100 km. Natural Resources Canada, Fuel consumption ratings (open.canada.ca) · Open Government Licence – Canada
Recalls
No recall campaigns cover the 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS.
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 2011 Mercedes-Benz CLS: known faults, fixes and updates.
| Bulletin | Summary |
|---|---|
| 10044600 | XENTRY (MERCEDES): ASSISTANCE IS OFF FOR POWER STEERING AND FAULT MESSAGE, ON ENGINE START, POWER STEERING MALFUNCTION, SERVICE REQUIRED, IN INSTRUMENT CLUSTER. MODEL 218. NO MODEL YEAR. *PE |
| 10039259 | MERCEDES-BENZ: INSTALLATION INFORMATION OF BOLTED WHEEL CONNECTIONS. ALL MODELS. *RM |
| 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 |
NHTSA manufacturer communications (public domain)
NHTSA investigations
Loss of rear lighting assembly
NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation