How reliable is the Mercedes-Benz CLK compared with other cars?

We do not publish a comparison for the Mercedes-Benz CLK, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 63.1% across 25,027 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.

What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz CLK?

The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 24.7% of failed Mercedes-Benz CLK tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.

What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz CLK?

The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 32.7% of all Mercedes-Benz CLK tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.

What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz CLK usually have at its MOT?

The average odometer reading recorded at test is 104,263 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.

Are most Mercedes-Benz CLK models petrol or diesel?

Of the Mercedes-Benz CLK cars tested, 81% are petrol, 18% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

Model reliability file

Mercedes-Benz CLK MOT pass rate & common failures

From 25,027 recorded MOT tests of the Mercedes-Benz CLK, published by DVSA.

Data updated 29 July 2026

Quick answer

Across 25,027 MOT tests, 63.1% of Mercedes-Benz CLK tests ended in a pass. This figure is not adjusted for age or mileage, so it is not a reliability ranking: the Mercedes-Benz CLK fleet does not yet cover a wide enough spread of ages and distances to compare it fairly against other models. Its most commonly recorded failure is suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn, which appears in 24.7% of failed tests. Cars of this model average 104,263 miles on the odometer when tested.

At a glance

Recorded pass rate

63.1%unadjusted, not comparable25,027 tests

We are not publishing a ranking for the CLK. The examples tested do not cover a wide enough spread of ages and mileages to compare it fairly, and an unadjusted pass rate mostly sorts models by how recently they were bought rather than how well they were built. The failure and advisory patterns below come from the same 25,027 tests and are worth reading on their own terms.

DVSA recorded wording

Most common failure items

Share of failed Mercedes-Benz CLK tests in which each item was recorded. One failed test often lists several items, so these do not sum to 100%.

1.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn24.7%
1,926 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
2.A spring or spring component fractured or seriously weakened22.5%
1,756 occurrencesRoad spring broken or fractured explained
3.The aim of a headlamp is not within limits laid down in the requirements14.9%
1,164 occurrencesHeadlamp aim incorrect explained
4.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements10.5%
819 occurrencesTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
5.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded10.3%
806 occurrencesBrake pipe corroded explained
6.A suspension joint dust cover missing or no longer prevents the ingress of dirt etc9.0%
703 occurrencesSuspension joint dust cover missing or split explained
7.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn8.8%
684 occurrencesSuspension arm bush worn explained
8.A steering ball joint with excessive wear or free play6.9%
535 occurrencesBall joint worn explained
9.Engine MIL illuminated indicating a malfunction6.8%
530 occurrencesEngine management light on, or not working explained
10.Parking brake efficiency below minimum requirement6.7%
525 occurrencesParking brake efficiency too low explained

Warnings without a failure

Most common advisories

Share of all Mercedes-Benz CLK tests carrying each advisory. The denominator differs from the failure list above because an advisory can be issued on a car that passed.

1.Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded32.7%
8,188 testsBrake pipe corroded explained
2.Tyre tread depth not in accordance with the requirements24.3%
6,082 testsTyre worn close to the legal limit explained
3.Brake disc or drum excessively weakened, insecure or fractured13.3%
3,324 testsBrake disc worn, pitted or scored explained
4.A tyre seriously damaged11.4%
2,858 testsTyre damaged or deteriorated explained
5.A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn10.8%
2,713 testsSuspension arm bush worn explained
6.A flexible brake hose excessively damaged, deteriorated, chafed, twisted or stretched10.0%
2,500 testsBrake hose deteriorated, damaged or chafing explained
7.A wheel bearing with excessive play9.5%
2,388 testsWheel bearing has excessive play or is rough explained
8.Fluid leaking excessively and likely to harm the environment or to pose a safety risk to other road users9.3%
2,331 tests

What gets tested

The CLK fleet

Average mileage recorded at test: 104,263
Fuel mix of tested cars: Petrol81.5%
Diesel18.4%

Trim names grouped into this model (15)

Recorded exactly as DVSA holds them. Trim-level names are rolled up so one model is not split across a dozen thin pages.

CLK 200
CLK 200 KOMP
CLK 200 KOMPRESSOR
CLK 200 SPORT
CLK 220
CLK 220 CDI SPORT AUTO
CLK 230K
CLK 280
CLK 320
CLK 350
CLK 350 ADVANGARDE
CLK 430
CLK 500
CLK AMG
CLK SPORTS

Check a specific Mercedes-Benz CLK

A model average tells you the pattern. Its own MOT record tells you the car.

Compare within the range

Other Mercedes-Benz models

Mercedes-Benz A-Class — 73.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz C-Class — 77.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz E-Class — 78.5% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLA — 82.3% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz Vito — 71.0% adjusted
Mercedes-Benz GLC — 85.9% adjusted
All Mercedes-Benz models

Common questions

How reliable is the Mercedes-Benz CLK compared with other cars?: We do not publish a comparison for the Mercedes-Benz CLK, because the cars of this model that have been tested do not cover a wide enough range of ages and mileages. Its raw pass rate is 63.1% across 25,027 tests, but comparing a raw rate between models mostly ranks them by how new they are rather than how good they are. The failure and advisory patterns further down the page are still drawn from real tests and are worth reading.
What is the most common MOT failure on a Mercedes-Benz CLK?: The item recorded most often is "A suspension pin, bush or joint excessively worn", which appears in 24.7% of failed Mercedes-Benz CLK tests. Because one failed test can list several items, these shares do not add up to 100%.
What do testers most often warn about on a Mercedes-Benz CLK?: The most common advisory is "Brake pipe damaged or excessively corroded", noted on 32.7% of all Mercedes-Benz CLK tests. An advisory is not a failure: it flags something that will likely need attention before the next test.
What mileage does a Mercedes-Benz CLK usually have at its MOT?: The average odometer reading recorded at test is 104,263 miles. This is the mileage across all tested examples of every age, not an annual figure, so treat it as a description of the fleet rather than a target for one car.
Are most Mercedes-Benz CLK models petrol or diesel?: Of the Mercedes-Benz CLK cars tested, 81% are petrol, 18% are diesel. Fuel type affects which items tend to fail, particularly emissions and exhaust components.

How this was worked out

Method and limits

Figures come from the DVSA anonymised MOT testing dataset, published under the Open Government Licence. Only class 4 initial tests are counted: retests are excluded so a car appears once, and abandoned tests are excluded entirely. No adjusted rate is shown because this model's tested examples do not cover enough of the national age and mileage range for standardisation to mean anything.

An MOT measures whether a car met a legal standard on the day. It is not a breakdown record, a service history or a running-cost estimate, and a pass rate is a property of a fleet rather than a prediction about one car.