2001 Mercedes-Benz CL CL500 from UK and Ireland - Comments

Clogged water drainage channel under front windscreen causing wet passenger side footwell carpet.

Rear lights electrical fault.

Front light malfunctions. (Various)

ABS Warning light malfunction.

Loose interior trim.

Window failing to operate properly. (electrical problem)

Warranty suspension lines replaced. (Recall)

Suspension height adjustment failure.

Rust appearing on several body panels.

Seat belt fails to retract (Passenger front)

Heater noisy when operating (whining noise)

Cassette player causes scratch on Sat Nav screen when opened.

Wing mirror contacts bodywork when folded, causing damage over time.

Exterior glass trims have faded/discoloured.

This car has been a massive disappointment!

I never expected such lack of quality with such an expensive car. Various interior parts have broken or seem to be of poor quality.

Various faults during short ownership as listed above.

Rust problems appearing as per numerous other comments on this site.

Very poor car, will never own another Mercedes.

These all seem like minor issues for a 9 year old car. MB or not.

The CL 500 is a big luxury coupe that I would think had much more going for it, but I guess the reviewer missed the point.

We would have been better served to know how the car rides and handles. The level of comfort and engine and drive-train performance combined with maintenance costs would have helped also.

I guess having a prestige luxury car means nothing to some if it experiences a few petty problems. Since they are mechanical objects and mechanical things sometimes break and require maintenance. It should be no surprise if they are not perfect.

Cars can't maintain themselves. The owners should do it.

Just purchased a 2001 CL500 Coupe with 50K miles. This car is mechanically perfect and the interior/exterior are in impeccable condition. Everything works as designed. Of course, I realize this car is 9 years old and there are a few minor issues - the drivers door interior panel where the seat, mirror and seat heater switches is loose and the rear view mirror wobbles slightly. Both easy fixes. I've had the car up to a speed of 105 MPH (shh! Don't tell anyone!) and it handled like a DREAM. The only thing I wished the Mercedes engineers would have done is have the steering wheel tilt down another 1/2 to 1 inch. As I'm 6'5" I find the car fits me perfectly except for that one small problem. So far GREAT car!

You could always RAISE the seat 1/2" or 1" inch if the steering wheel won't lower enough for you.

I too am 6'5" and find it difficult to find a vehicle that's fits me. I have the exact same complaint with the steering wheel. Another inch or more would be perfect. Raising the seat changes contact areas for my legs, specifically my knees, and makes the overall fit, for me, a little different. Overall a great car that MUST be maintained. Expensive to buy, expensive to fix, but you will be rewarded with the ride of a lifetime!

If performance is important to you, spend a little extra and go with the CL55. You will appreciate the extra horsepower and overall sportier feel of that model.

I guess by some of the responses here, the CL500 is a favorite car of big and tall men. At 6'4" myself, I must say that is my personal reason for getting one.

The 215 series CL500 body-style and seats looked oh so attractive and comfortable to me, that I just had to put my butt in one asap. I was keenly aware of the CL500s sophisticated technology and its place as the benchmark automobile for Mercedes Benz entering the new millennium, so I decided to buy one.

Having done that, I can't recommend this car enough!

It is a supreme automobile, that could be compared to a Rolls Royce or Bentley GT rather than a BMW or Lexus. These CL500 cars are more luxuriously appointed than an Aston or Jag and forget about a Porsche.

Those others are fine cars in their own way, but the CL500 and its stable mates the CL55, CL600 and the stupendous CL65 stand alone as a breed apart from the expensive and exclusive norm.

Using MBs ABC suspension, they can handle as well as the most demanding GT cars, but with levels of comfort and refinement that few other cars can match.

OK, I'll admit the CL500 has enough computer systems and sensors to run a small space station, but, that has always been a major part of owning a top-model Mercedes. Innovative engineering, plus safety and high-technology that will eventually 'trickle down' to other auto makers .

As was pointed out above, the CLs are expensive to maintain and service, but give plenty of luxurious spaciousness, exterior and interior style and amenities, plus the famous MB cachet.

Thank goodness for luxury big body coupes like the Mercedes CL500. All things considered, they are a relatively good deal new or used.

OK people, leaving the apparent MB employees comments above aside, the case for this car is pretty obvious. Just read the reviews! I have previously owned a similar aged Audi S8 and can say for sure that the CL500 is not in the same league.

Build quality is the first and most obvious thing that hits you. The Merc has countless little annoying loose bits of trim, and some things that are just clearly not designed well. The door mirror hits the passangers door when folded in! Plus you have to hold the button for the entire ten seconds or so to make it fold in the first place! Annoying.

They are rife with rust problems. Check out other reviews or Google for Mercedes CL rust if you are in doubt. I can assure you my all aluminium Audi had no such problems ;-)

Yes there are good points. This car is very fast in a straight line and handles well for it's size etc. Given the cost involved though it will not leave you with a feeling of value for money.

The issues that occur commonly are NOT minor servicing or repairs. MB will charge you £120 per hour labour! Nothing is cheap, including these "little" problems.

Buy a BMW, buy an Audi, buy a Porsche, buy a Lexus, but buy a Merc at this cost and you will be wishing you had taken this review seriously before too long!

"Buy a BMW, buy an Audi, buy a Porsche, buy a Lexus, but buy a Merc at this cost and you will be wishing you had taken this review seriously before too long!"

My family has had 2 C-class Mercs. Very solidly built, but just not worth the money. Not as reliable as my wife's Ford Fusion and maintenance costs are purely and simply ludicrous. That is why most ratings services (such as Consumer Reports) give these cars a "Much worse than average" cost-to-own factor. They just aren't worth it. If your ego can handle it, you are better off with a Ford. They're rated HIGHER in reliability.

"That is why most ratings services (such as Consumer Reports) give these cars a "Much worse than average" cost-to-own factor."

This should be obvious, because a premium auto like a Mercedes-Benz costs more than an average car to begin with.

"They just aren't worth it. If your ego can handle it, you are better off with a Ford. They're rated HIGHER in reliability."

IMO Ford Fusions rate LOWER in desirability and that is what ego is, the self especially as contrasted with another.

"Build quality is the first and most obvious thing that hits you. The Merc has countless little annoying loose bits of trim, and some things that are just clearly not designed well. The door mirror hits the passengers door when folded in! Plus you have to hold the button for the entire ten seconds or so to make it fold in the first place! Annoying."

Is that all they have to base a complaint upon!?!

Someone had to hold a button for... 10 SECONDS... the poor thing!

Would they have preferred if the mirror were broken or knocked off by something instead of having a folding feature?

How did they feel about having to manually open the door to enter the car? Turning the ignition key could have been stressful too I bet, but thank God for Keyless Go... It must have pained them more than most to have to pump their own gas... But wait...now you can stay in the car 'honey' because they have stations and attendants that pump gas for you!

What is really funny is that people like this buy these cars and then find fault and sell them at a deep discount because they couldn't cope with the most minor 'annoyance'.

MBZ cars are GREAT deals, especially when used, because some folks will take the depreciation hit for the most trivial of reasons!

Thank YOU for the bargains! :)

I owned a 2000 CLK for 3 years and it was undoubtedly the most shoddily built unreliable heap of junk I have ever owned. The list of failures and faults included rear suspension, air conditioning, heater blower, instrument binnacle and electric hood. It took over a year to get the car into a condition where I could sell it!

As soon as the warranty expired, I very quickly found an independent MB specialist as the local dealer was hugely expensive arrogant and didn't seem to feel they had to cure a problem to be paid.

Bought in 2003 with 20000 miles and sold in 2006 with 42000 miles.

I have now returned to Audi, which seem to be screwed together properly.

To the aug 30 comment... CLKs don't have electric hoods! Servicing the car would have solved some of the problems, but some people buy these cars and are too cheap to have them serviced properly. Although, it is funny to hear them describe "Audi" and "screwed" together! LOL.