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Mercedes-Benz CL, Buying guide, MOT record, UK numbers and recalls

2,042 Mercedes-Benz CLs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 78.9% of initial MOT tests, 6.6 points above the 72.3% UK average.

Looking at a specific CL? Check its finance, write-off, stolen, mileage and keeper history. £15, no account needed.

Mercedes-Benz CL at the MOT

78.9% of 2,866 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the CL 214th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mercedes-Benz CL78.9%
  • All Mercedes-Benz modelsThe CL is 1.8 pts ahead77.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Where CLs fail

Share of all failure items recorded on Mercedes-Benz CL tests in 2025.

  • Brakes23.7%
  • Suspension22.4%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment18.9%
  • Tyres11%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks6.7%

The items testers recorded most often were ball joint excessively worn (8%), rigid brake pipes excessively corroded (4.2%) and tread depth below requirements of 1.6mm (4.2%).

The MOT page lists every common CL MOT failure. For one car's own results and advisories, run a free MOT history check.

Full Mercedes-Benz CL MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

The CL's most common failure areas, and what a tester checks in each.

  1. Brakes

    Make sure the pedal feels firm, the car stops in a straight line, the handbrake holds on a slope and no brake warning light is showing.23.7% of CL failure items

  2. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.22.4% of CL failure items

  3. Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment

    Walk round with every light on: headlights, brake lights, indicators, fog lights and the number plate lamp. Check no warning lights stay on after starting.18.9% of CL failure items

Mercedes-Benz CLs in the UK

2,042 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 57% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−57%from 4,725 licensed
Typical year of first use
2007half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2007 or earlier
Declared off the road
1,83347% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mercedes-Benz CLs since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 20144,725
End of 20154,498
End of 20164,252
End of 20174,016
End of 20183,711
End of 20193,482
End of 20203,233
End of 20213,074
End of 20222,784
End of 20232,570
End of 20242,241
End of 20252,085
End of June 20262,042

How old they are

Licensed Mercedes-Benz CLs by year of first use.

A further 9 were first used before 1997.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
201477
201394
201284
201187
2010132
2009159
2008166
2007308
200631
2005105
2004157
2003174
2002198
2001104
200071
19994
199826
199726

CL engine sizes

5.0 litre engines made up 55% of Mercedes-Benz CL MOT tests in 2025, followed by 5.5 litre at 12%. Petrol accounts for 100% of licensed CLs.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 2,865 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 5.0 litre55.1%
  • 5.5 litre11.7%
  • 5.4 litre9.5%
  • 4.7 litre8.1%
  • 6.2 litre7.5%

Mercedes-Benz CL recalls

8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz CL. Each covers vehicles built in a set period, so a recall does not mean every CL is affected.

  1. Apr 2017 R/2017/124

    Faulty control unit may cause vehicle to perform outside specification

    CLs built Jan 2004 to Mar 2017 · 42 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Where a control unit coding was updated in a workshop between 3 December 2016 and 5 December 2016 the coding may not correspond to the specification and may trigger unplanned action in the vehicle. The safety and emissions systems may not react as design intent.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and update the software in the corresponding control units.

  2. Mar 2013 R/2013/031

    Fuel may leak

    806 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The flange of the fuel filter may leak due to a non-compliance in the supplier's production process. Should this occur a fuel odour may arise or fuel escape.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the fuel filter.

  3. Nov 2008 R/2008/148

    Front lights / indicators and console lights may fail

    CLs built Jan 2007 to Dec 2007 · 204 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The SAM unit may become unreliable due to moisture in a transistor due to incorrect storage. In extreme cases various electrical functions may be affected such as front lights indicators wipers steering column adjustment and centre console lights
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and replace front SAM control unit

  4. Nov 2007 R/2008/020

    Potential leak of brake line

    CLs built Jan 1999 to Dec 2003 · 2,987 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Corrosion may occur in the brake line to the front/rear axle distibuter. If left unattended this could result in brake fluid leakage and loss of brake efficiency.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected to replace the brake pipe with one of a modified design.

  5. Dec 2006 R/2006/141

    Instrument cluster may not illuminate

    CLs built Jan 2005 to Dec 2005 · 5,940 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Instrument cluster may not illuminate at all times.
    Remedy
    Recall vehicles and check the function of the instrument panel. If found to be faulty the instrument panel will be changed.

  6. Jul 2005 R/2005/056

    Brake pedal may require more effort than expected

    CLs built Jan 2001 to Dec 2005 · 58,022 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    In isolated cases it is possible for vibrations within the vehicle to in turn vibrate the wiring harness connected to the Sensotronic Brake Control unit. This causes the internal contacts within the unit to suffer abrasion and subsequent resistance increase. The resultant affect is that more effort will be required on the brake pedal to stop the vehicle.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and mount an additional bracket to the electrical harness to prevent relative movement.

  7. Feb 2005 R/2005/003

    The blower regulator may fail

    CLs built Jan 2000 · 7,734 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The possibility exists that the heater blower regulator may fail resulting in an increase in temperature and the possibility of a fire.
    Remedy
    Recalled vehicles will be retro-fitted with a wiring harness which incorporates a fuse holder.

  8. Feb 2005 R/2005/004

    A hydraulic line in the braking system may leak

    CLs built Jan 2001 · 925 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and fit a modified brake pipe
How to check a specific CL for recalls

Other Mercedes-Benz models

The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the CL's 78.9% MOT pass rate.

All 35 Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz CL FAQs

How many Mercedes-Benz CLs are there in the UK?

2,042 Mercedes-Benz CLs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 1,833 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mercedes-Benz CL reliable?

MOT data does not measure reliability. It records whether a car met the roadworthiness standard on the day of its test. What it does show is a 78.9% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz CL across 2,866 tests in 2025, above the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Mercedes-Benz CL had any recalls?

8 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz CL. The most recent was published in April 2017. A recall applies to vehicles built in a set period, so check a specific car on the GOV.UK vehicle recall checker.

What should I check before buying a used Mercedes-Benz CL?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: brakes, suspension and lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment. Then check the individual car's own records. Outstanding finance, insurance write-offs and police stolen markers are not part of the MOT record, so they take a history check.

How do I check a Mercedes-Benz CL's history?

Enter the registration of the specific car. A Carpeep car history check reports outstanding finance, write-off category, stolen markers, mileage history, previous keepers, MOT and tax status, import and export markers and scrapped status in one £15 report.

Already found a CL?

Check its finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.

Across the 1,548 vehicles of every make Carpeep has checked since November 2025, 19% had outstanding finance recorded and 13% an insurance write-off. More on the Mercedes-Benz history check. To confirm a car's identity, see the Mercedes-Benz VIN check.

  • Outstanding finance
  • Write-off records
  • Stolen markers
  • Mileage history
  • Previous keepers

MOT figures are aggregated from the DVSA MOT Anonymised data set for 2025 (class 4 initial tests, retests excluded), which also gives the engine sizes. Licensed, SORN, fuel and registration figures are from the Department for Transport vehicle licensing statistics (VEH0120, VEH0124, VEH0160). Recalls are from the DVSA vehicle recalls data, with recalls launched up to October 2026. Government data is used under the Open Government Licence v3.0. MOT results describe roadworthiness at test, not mechanical reliability. History-check findings are anonymous counts from reports bought on Carpeep, each vehicle counted once, and are published only where at least 100 vehicles returned an answer.