2003 mercedes benz clk. Consumer writes in regards to sunroof glass bonding safety recall. *ld the consumer stated the sunroof was rusted. The consumer was advised that the rust was leading to structural instability of the entire vehicle. The consumer stated the vehicle's was serial number was not included in recall 19v918.
The worst 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Electrical6
- Airbags5
- Body3
- Seat belts3
- Visibility2
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Electrical6
- Airbags5
- Body3
- Seat belts3
- Visibility2
- Acceleration1
- Engine1
- Seats1
- Tires1
- Transmission1
Recalls 3
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models and model years. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and can detach.
- Risk
- A detached sunroof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 10, 2025. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. This recall is an expansion of previous the federal safety agency recall number 22V‑954. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2024120001/2/3.
Recall number 24V874000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 C-Class, CLK, E-Class, and CLS vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The glass sunroof panel may not be properly secured and may detach.
- Risk
- A detached sunroof panel may become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will inspect and replace the sunroof panel as necessary free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 3, 2023. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. This recall expands the federal safety agency recall number 19V‑918. MBUSA's numbers for this recall are 2023010004, 2023010005, and 2023010006.
Recall number 22V954000 · Recall details
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly
- What is wrong
- Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2001-2011 vehicles. The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may deteriorate, possibly resulting in the glass panel detaching from the vehicle. For a full list of the affected models visit:
- Risk
- A detached glass panel can separate from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the glass panel bonding and replace the sliding roof, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 10, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1‑800‑367‑6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020040011.
Recall number 19V918000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 45
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is...
- Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper...
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Headlamps leaking or fogged
- Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end)
- Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged
- Vehicle with atypical reduced heat output
2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.2L 6‑cyl | RWD | 17 | 24-25 | 20 |
What 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz clk320. The contact received notification of the federal safety agency campaign number: 19v918000 (visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. Neither the manufacturer nor the dealer were made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Vin tool confirms parts not available.
My 2003 mercedes benz clk 320 that I have owned for less than 1 year caught on fire on june 9, 2017. The engine is melted and destroyed luckily no one was injured despite it happened around a busy area. I am completely in shock still, not knowing what actually happened until I came across a website stating that other mercedes benz models have had their engines catch on fire due to trying to start the vehicle more than once in consecutive attempts. (while reading that last paragraph, I do recall trying to do just that since the car decided to stall on me). I remember I was waiting at an intersection to make a turn into a u.s. Post office parking lot area. However, before I could even make the turn, it stalled on me in the intersection. I immediately tried to start it as people began honking their horns at me without any luck. On the second consecutive try I got the car started and drove and parked in the parking lot. I did not give a thought of why the mercedes gave me starting problems just a minute ago as I grabbed my purse and headed to the post office. While I got in line,I started to hear people yell about a fire-a car fire. We all went outside to see this and as I got a good look at it, I realized that was my car on fire. I called 911 while I was shaking.
On mar. 18, 2017 I was in a parking lot preparing to leave. When I started the car the mechanism that brings the seat belt forward so I can grab it began to move back and forward erratically. When it stopped the seatbelt failed to come all the way out. I turned the car off and started it again and the mechanism came out like it should but the seatbelt wouldn't come out. I played with seatbelt until I got it to come out, however, it wouldn't retract to fit snug against my body. I shut off the car again and turned it on again and the mechanism came out as it should but the seatbelt didn't do anything. I tried to manually retract the seatbelt but it didn't work so I had to drive home without a seatbelt.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz clk320. While driving 30 MPH, the contact rear ended another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. There were no injuries and a police report was not filed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The VIN was unknown. The failure mileage was 133,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz clk320. The contact stated that while driving at 60 MPH, the vehicle decelerated while the accelerator pedal was applied. The contact applied force to the accelerator pedal and the vehicle resumed to normal. Additionally, there were fumes that omitted into the vehicle from the rear end of the vehicle. The failure occurred on ten different occasions. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wire harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 116,000 and the current mileage was 125,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes-benz clk320 convertible. The contact stated that he drove over three road bumps and the rollover bar in the rear head restraint deployed independently each time. He was able to move the rollover bar back into place the first two times. The third time, he had an issue putting the rollover bar back down. The vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where the contact was informed that there was only a 20 percent chance that the actual rollover bar could be repaired. Otherwise, he would have to repair the entire rollover bar system. The manufacturer did not offer any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000 and the current mileage was approximately 69,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 mercedes benz clk 320. While driving at unknown speeds, the instrument panel lights failed. The dealer advised the entire instrument panel would need to be replaced at the contact's expense. There were no recalls for the failure. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 77,000 and the current mileage was 77,050. Updated 10/27/10. *lj updated 11/12/10 *cn updated 11/26/10
2003 mercedes (convertible) 350 clk traveling approx 35 MPH on 2-lane road veered right and struck a parked car, causing approximately $20,000 damage to the right front of the mercedes (total loss). None of the airbags deployed, although the rear seat roll bars did deploy. Driver hit her head on the steering wheel, suffering concussion. Apparently the air bags were defective.
Oncoming car slid sideways into the front of my car on a county highway. The airbag did not deploy even though damage was extensive (car was total loss), and injuries to the driver were sustained. Seatbelt was on but injuries resulted from crash. A complaint was filed with mercedes benz, even sent a picture of the damage, but I have not heard back from them.
Compare the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320
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Questions about the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320
Is the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 reliable?
Owners have filed 19 complaints about the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320, 1.3 times a typical CLK320 model year.
What is the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 year score?
The 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 scores 64 out of 100 (average). The score compares it with the other model years of the Mercedes Benz CLK320: 75 is a typical year, 50 means twice the usual complaints, and serious complaints and recalls lower it.
What is the most common problem with the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320?
Electrical system, with 6 complaints, typically around 77,000 miles. Next is airbags (5).
How many recalls does the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 have?
3 recalls, covering visibility.
What gas mileage does the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 get?
Official estimates for the 2003 Mercedes Benz CLK320 range from 20 mpg combined. The most efficient version (3.2L 6-cyl, RWD) gets 17 city and 24-25 highway.
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