I bought a 2013 CLS 550 about a year ago with 84K miles. I haven't had any issues with it and I am now at 90K miles with no problems. Currently I have a 92 Porsche 968 - 120k miles, a 2007 Lexus GS 350 -144K miles and a 2002 Toyota Tacoma with 246K miles and all 3 are very reliable. I want to have some degree of confident that if I care for my CLS the way I have cared for my other vehicles, the CLS will have similar longevity. I am well aware that cars break, however some are more prone to break down than others. I would like to know if there are members with > 100k miles on your CLS and have not had major problems.

 

have you checked if the cam magnets and cam shaft position sensors on the front of the engine are leaking oil from the seals ? Can lead to much bigger and more expensive problems with the wiring harness and ECU if not caught early

 

Thanks for the suggestion. I have checked and they are dry. I will order and install the pig tale connectors that are recommended to prevent the oil from traveling through the wiring harness.
I have read lots of negative reviews regarding the M278 engine and common problems. My 2013 CLS 550 has an early M278 engine number that has the silitec valve guide coating that can fail instead of the nanoslide coating and this concerns me. Note: Engines numbers after 30 191844 have the newer coating.

I was hoping to get some positive inputs, but I realize that mostly negative experiences get posted on forums. If you have had good experiences with your CLS 550, please let me know. A short reply is all that is asked for.
SCPO

 

OP: Did not mean to bash the M278 - just that you asked for possible problems and I dealt with that one I described. Not just an M278 problem - my GLK with the M276 V6 had the same issue - not surprising cos the front end engine set up has some similarities. I love my CLS and will try to keep it forever if possible. But that may be because I am the first and only owner and it was European delivery. One other recently heard about issue from one of the SUVs that had an M278 ( maybe GLS ?) - premature camshaft wear, suspected oil starvation. My indie mechanic dealt with that one for an M278 with 70k+ miles on it - he was very shocked. One possible solution is to change the oil more frequently than the maintenance minder tells you ....

 

Turbo oil lines will need replacing at some point. They are fragile plastic when new and very fragile after heat aged after 10 years.

 

OBP, I didn't take it as "bashing" at all . I'm grateful for any advice. This is my first Mercedes Benz and I wanted to know what I can reasonably expect from ownership. Thanks to all that reply and give their inputs.

 

OP - interesting that you are coming from two Toyota products and asking about MB reliability with the CLS 550 as your intro to MB. I did something similar in 2013 when I first bought my CLS - my first MB after owning Toyota and Honda products only for the longest time. My CLS was in the shop a lot first year of ownership for piston misfires and in the fourth/fifth year for transmission fluid weep from the tranny. Both fairly big issues, covered under warranty/extended warranty. Been largely trouble free since then apart from fixing the cam position sensors and magnets I told you about. I was not scared enough of MB so I picked up another two MBs since then - GLK and E63.... But I never got rid of my 2005 Lexus SC430 which now has 105k miles. Interestingly, last two years, the $$ I spent to keep the Lexus going ($3k) was well ahead of what I spent on the two MBs ( the E63 does not count - new addition. Admittedly the MBs are much younger cars with fewer miles ). Most of the money spent on the Lexus was just necessary parts replacement given age ( cat converters, tranny and motor mounts, bushings etc. etc. ) so I am actually OK with it and when the MB's get past 100k miles I can see myself spending at least as much, probably more, to keep them going too .... If you can turn a wrench, all in costs come down quite a bit.

 

Hi, old post, but how is the car holding up? Looking into picking one up myself (hopefully)

 

Thanks for reaching out. I’m pleased to say that I have not had any problems other than a check engine light for the catalytic converter that was resolved by adding a bottle of converter cleaner to the gas. The B7 maintenance came and was completed by a Mercedes Master technician who has his own shop. I did install the sacrificial pigtails to protect the wiring harness.
I have also upgraded the infotainment system to a 10.25 inch Android system that I’m very pleased with. The front grill was upgraded to the 2015 style that has the diamond pattern and I also installed the lighted Mercedes star emblem.
I really enjoy the power and features of this car. It is not a daily driver, and I expect less issues based on my driving style. My concerns about reliability are less and I realize that it is an 11 year old Mercedes. I’m glad I made the purchase.

 

My suspension compressor basically blew up and fried a bunch of wiring and the pre-fuse block a few weeks ago. $1700 and about 8hrs of shop labor to redo the wiring and install the compressor to get back on the road. Luckily all the air struts look OK. Car has 155k.

 

Any assessment as to why the compressor blew up ? Some kind of blockage ?

 

Not sure. Just failed from what I know. Someone else told me the "lifespan" of the compressor is only 150k, so I guess this one was right on cue. There was no warning either, it just worked till it didn't.

 

Mercedes are like a girlfriend.....look after them, and they will look after you.
They require more than just routine servicing, they need regular maintenance and preventative maintenance. (Just like a girlfriend)

 

Hi got my 2012 CLS 550 in 2013 second owner had 6200 miles on it basically new . No repairs until 145,000 miles I took care of it. After 145000 it has been one thing after the other. PS I daily drove it and im glad I did great car

Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 – Complete Repair History (Chronological)

Date

Repair

Amount ($)

Category

2019 O2 sensor (left) $605

12/2022 Oil cooler replacement $900

12/2022 Oil filter housing & gasket $900

12/2022 Timing cover seals $650

12/2022 Coolant hose & system flush $200

2022 Drive belt & A/C belt $200

01/2023 Front air struts (pair) $2,700

01/2023 Rear air springs (pair) $1,600

01/2023 Rear spring seats $178

10/2023 Rear self-leveling valve & sensor $587

2023 Radar / blind-spot sensor & programming $675

11/2024 Main battery $319 (first battery 2018)

11/2025 Auxiliary battery $110

11/2025 Blower motor $175, Blower motor regulator $60 Cabin air filter, $21 -HVAC labor $300

11/2025 Front left wheel bearing & flange- $891-=------------- note did not do right

12/12/2025 All camshaft position sensors (x4) + oil change $1,000 although only 2 were bad
Pending repairs did not do 201,000 miles start leaking oil again - Oil cooler , Oil filter housing & gasket quoted 1100 dollars did not fix still leaking
-also was told front left upper control arm, 2 sway bar links left lower control arm and right lower control arm are going bad still not out quoted 1700 did not fix.

still driving but debating not fixing anymore. here a soft clicking noise when engine is running ignoring it.
Air suspension is original mercedes but I feel it drops after a few days and not level from both sides. never had to replace pump because I changed them as soon as I saw it sagging

 

Hi got my 2012 CLS 550 in 2013 second owner had 6200 miles on it basically new . No repairs until 145,000 miles I took care of it. After 145000 it has been one thing after the other. PS I daily drove it and im glad I did great car

Mercedes-Benz CLS 550 – Complete Repair History (Chronological)--note repairs are cheaper because I take it to a certified Mercedes guy I know but all parts are OE

Date

Repair

Amount ($)

Category

2019 O2 sensor (left) $605

145,000 miles 12/2022 Oil cooler replacement $900

12/2022 Oil filter housing & gasket $900

12/2022 Timing cover seals $650

12/2022 Coolant hose & system flush $200

2022 Drive belt & A/C belt $200

153,0000 01/2023 Front air struts (pair) $2,700

06/2024 Rear air springs (pair) $1,600

06/2024 Rear spring seats $178

10/2023 Rear self-leveling valve & sensor $587

2023 Radar / blind-spot sensor & programming $675

11/2024 Main battery $319 (first battery 2018)

11/2025 Auxiliary battery $110

185,000 03/2025 Blower motor $175, Blower motor regulator $60 Cabin air filter, $21 -HVAC labor $300

195,000 1/2025 Front left wheel bearing & flange- $891-=------------- note did not do right

198,000 12/12/2025 All camshaft position sensors (x4) + oil change $1,000 although only 2 were bad
Pending repairs did not do 201,000 miles start leaking oil again - Oil cooler , Oil filter housing & gasket quoted 1100 dollars did not fix still leaking
-also was told front left upper control arm, 2 sway bar links left lower control arm and right lower control arm are going bad still not out quoted 1700 did not fix.

still driving but debating not fixing anymore. here a soft clicking noise when engine is running ignoring it.
Air suspension is original mercedes but I feel it drops after a few days and not level from both sides. never had to replace pump because I changed them as soon as I saw it sagging

 

Thanks for posting your maintenance and repair history. It looks like your total costs exceeded $20K +. With todays used CLS 550 prices, that would get you a complete car. Carmax offerred me $7000. I laughed! My 2013 CLS 550 has 99630 miles on it and I'm considering keeping it or moving on to a CLS with less than 50K miles. My problem is that I'm so attached to the 2nd generation body style. I think it is the best looking of all three generations. I can totally see why you have kept and invested in your CLS for so long.

I can afford the 2019 - 2022 E 450 and CLS 450 models. The E450 sedan just doesn't do it for me even though I am an older guy. And I'm not willing to go the two door route with the E 450 coupe because of rear seat access for my older family members and friends. That leaves me with the 2021 - 2022 CLS 450. It's an OK car but not with the styling and power of the CLS 550 series. I may keep my CLS 550 if I sell my 92 Porsche 968 and my Lexus GS 350. I only have inside garage space for three cars and I refuse to let my cars stay outside in the elements.

I wish you luck on maintaining your car and hope that expensive repair needs are few.

 

yep so my repairs probably cost 12 to 13,000 over a 4 year period. There are less than what I have above because the mechanic is my friend and he discounted everything for me significantly.
Carmax basically offered Mesirow so I figured it might as well drive it with inflated car prices
Your GX will never give you any problems and I would not get rid of a Porsche for the CLS. Realistically the CLS is so reliable. You probably will not have any problems until 140,000 the air suspension will definitely go out at some point and that’s the biggest issue I feel it’s never the same after the repair. My cousin and my friend have a CLS and they have had the same issue at the same mileage even though some people report them going out at about 100,000.

they should have kept the CLS by 50 body 2012 to 2019 for a longer time. But from my experience and my dad’s experience with these cars once one thing starts going wrong it’s just one thing after the other. And unfortunately, the value is not there like a Porsche 911