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

19,103 Mercedes-Benz CLKs are licensed in the UK. In 2025 they passed 63.1% of initial MOT tests, 9.2 points below the 72.3% UK average.

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

Mercedes-Benz CLK at the MOT

63.1% of 25,046 initial tests passed in 2025, ranking the CLK 457th of 575 models.

First-time pass rate, 2025

Share of initial tests passed, retests excluded.

  • Mercedes-Benz CLK63.1%
  • All Mercedes-Benz modelsThe CLK is 14 pts behind77.1%
  • All cars72.3%

Where CLKs fail

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

  • Suspension28.7%
  • Lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment22.3%
  • Brakes16.1%
  • Tyres9.5%
  • Noise, emissions and leaks6.2%

The items testers recorded most often were ball joint excessively worn (7.9%), coil spring fractured or broken (6.6%) and headlamp aim projected beam image is obviously incorrect (4.9%).

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

Full Mercedes-Benz CLK MOT record

What to look at on a viewing

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

  1. Suspension

    Listen for knocks over bumps, check the car sits level, and look for leaking shock absorbers and split rubber gaiters.28.7% of CLK failure items

  2. 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.22.3% of CLK failure items

  3. 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.16.1% of CLK failure items

Mercedes-Benz CLKs in the UK

19,103 were licensed at the end of June 2026. The number licensed has fallen 68% since the end of 2014.

Change since 2014
−68%from 59,499 licensed
Typical year of first use
2005half of those licensed at the end of 2025 were first used in 2005 or earlier
Declared off the road
11,15837% of those registered, under SORN

Licensed Mercedes-Benz CLKs since 2014

Licensed at each year end and in the latest quarter.

Show the figures
DateLicensed
End of 201459,499
End of 201556,191
End of 201652,711
End of 201748,544
End of 201844,356
End of 201940,197
End of 202036,329
End of 202133,038
End of 202229,744
End of 202326,398
End of 202422,808
End of 202519,861
End of June 202619,103

How old they are

Licensed Mercedes-Benz CLKs by year of first use.

A further 142 were first used before 1999.

Show the figures
First usedLicensed, end 2025
20092,396
20082,024
20072,820
20062,331
20052,742
20042,664
20031,859
2002948
2001685
2000507
1999408

CLK engines and fuel

1.8 litre engines made up 25% of Mercedes-Benz CLK MOT tests in 2025, followed by 3.2 litre at 19%. Petrol accounts for 81% of licensed CLKs and diesel for 19%.

Engine size at MOT, 2025

Share of 25,026 initial MOT tests in 2025.

  • 1.8 litre25.1%
  • 3.2 litre18.7%
  • 3.0 litre14.4%
  • 2.1 litre11.7%
  • 2.6 litre8%

Fuel type, licensed CLKs

DfT licensing statistics, June 2026.

FuelLicensedShare
Petrol15,50381%
Diesel3,57719%
Gas230.1%

Mercedes-Benz CLK recalls

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

  1. Feb 2023 R/2023/020

    The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications

    CLKs built Mar 2002 to Oct 2008 · 3,267 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    On affected vehicles the bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications. In consequence a separation of the glass panel from the vehicle cannot be excluded.
    Remedy
    Check the glass panel and replace the sliding roof if necessary.

  2. May 2021 R/2021/145

    The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications

    CLKs built Dec 2005 to Sep 2006 · 310 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Remedy
    Check the glass panel bonding on the affected vehicles and replace the sliding roof if necessary.

  3. May 2020 R/2019/458

    The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame may not meet specifications

    CLKs built Mar 2000 to Jul 2010 · 18,132 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The bonding between the glass panel and the sliding roof frame might not meet specifications
    Remedy
    Check the glass panel bonding on the affected vehicles and replace the sliding roof if necessary

  4. Nov 2008 R/2008/149

    Engine could lose power

    CLKs built Jan 2006 to Dec 2007 · 19,331 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    The electrical connection in the interior of the crankshaft sensor's chip housing may be interrupted which may result in loss of power and the inability to restart engine
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and replace crankshaft sensor

  5. Nov 2008 R/2008/147

    Engine emergency shut off on board diagnosis or tank/speedo signal may be affected

    CLKs built Jan 2004 to Oct 2008 · 72 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Possibility of transfer of incorrect control unit software which could affect engine shut off control in an emergency situation or the on board diagnosis system or tank/speedometer signal
    Remedy
    Recall affected vehicles and replace SAM control unit

  6. Feb 2005 R/2005/002

    Side airbags may deploy inadvertently

    4,211 vehicles across the whole recall

    Defect and remedy
    Defect
    Due to incorrect wiring there is a possibility that the side airbags could deploy without warning.
    Remedy
    Recall the vehicles that are likely to be affected and check the wiring. Incorrect wiring will be modified to correct setting.
How to check a specific CLK for recalls

Other Mercedes-Benz models

The most-tested Mercedes-Benz models in 2025, against the CLK's 63.1% MOT pass rate.

All 35 Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz CLK FAQs

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

19,103 Mercedes-Benz CLKs were licensed in the UK at the end of June 2026, with a further 11,158 declared off the road (SORN), according to DfT vehicle licensing statistics.

Is the Mercedes-Benz CLK 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 63.1% first-time pass rate for the Mercedes-Benz CLK across 25,046 tests in 2025, below the 72.3% average for all cars.

Has the Mercedes-Benz CLK had any recalls?

6 DVSA safety recalls launched from 1992 to October 2026 name the Mercedes-Benz CLK. The most recent was published in February 2023. 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 CLK?

On the car itself, start with the areas it most often fails on: suspension, lamps, reflectors and electrical equipment and brakes. 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 CLK'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 CLK?

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.