Reliability Report · Multi-Source Data

Mercedes-Benz Cl 500 Reliability

The Mercedes-Benz Cl 500 (current generation) scores 90/100 on our composite reliability index — excellent territory — drawn from DVSA, NHTSA data.

Composite Score
90
/ 100
Excellent
Sources: DVSA · NHTSA · latest 2026
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Buying a Mercedes-Benz Cl 500? Check its VIN history first

Reliability data covers the model. A VIN history report covers the exact Mercedes-Benz Cl 500 you're looking at — accident and write-off records, mileage rollback, outstanding finance and theft checks.

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Reliability by Source

Each independent organization measures reliability differently. TÜV reports inspection defect rates by age band. ADAC reports pan-European breakdowns per 1,000 vehicles. NHTSA aggregates US consumer complaints. DVSA MOT data is the UK fleet's annual safety inspection — every car 3+ years old. Lower variance across sources = higher confidence in the composite.

NHTSA (US Complaints)
Model years 2003–2013 · 2026 report · n=46
46 complaints across 5 sampled year(s); resolved model="CL-CLASS"
View source ↗
89
/ 100
DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2004–2014 · 2024 report · n=2019
2,019 UK MOT tests · overall 15.7% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
94
/ 100
DVSA MOT (UK Inspections)
Model years 2003–2013 · 2023 report · n=1262
1,262 UK MOT tests · overall 20.0% fail rate vs UK fleet baseline
View source ↗
88
/ 100

UK MOT Reliability Detail

Based on 2,019 MOT tests in the UK during the 2024 reporting period. Score for each age band reflects this model's fail rate vs the UK-fleet baseline fail rate at the same age — a generation-aware metric.

Age 1014 yrs
92
14.5% fail vs 32.1% fleet
401 tests
Age 1520 yrs
94
16.0% fail vs 38.8% fleet
1,618 tests

Most Common MOT Failure Categories

#1
Ball joint dust cover
996
42.5%
#2
Windscreen
638
27.2%
#3
Position lamp
310
13.2%
#4
Ball joint
212
9.1%
#5
Condition
186
7.9%

Categories ranked across all MOT tests of this model in the UK during the 2024 period. "Condition" covers cosmetic / wear issues; suspension and braking dominate the rest.

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