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2012 Mercedes-benz Cls-class
Solid pick. The public record on this car is clean for its age. Inspect it, then negotiate with confidence.
24 owner complaints · 0 recalls · data verified July 14, 2026 · source: NHTSA
Why buy?
Complaints are still coming in strong late in this car's life, a chronic-problem pattern, not early teething.
Very few owner complaints for its age and sales volume.
Complaints are overwhelmingly minor: almost none involve crashes, fires, or injuries.
Zero recalls, rare for a car this age.
The math, shown
Full methodology →Complaints filed per year
Fading = early teething worked out. Climbing = problems aging in.
How it crashes
NHTSA’s own crash tests, separate from the reliability score above.
NHTSA crash-tested this model year but didn’t publish an overall star rating for it.
1 open NHTSA defect investigation on file for this model year, separate from the recalls above.
Source: nhtsa.gov/ratings. Star ratings compare vehicles within the same class and size, not across every car on the road.
The road ahead
What breaks on a 2012 Mercedes-benz Cls-class, plotted where owners report it happening.
Also reported (mileage varies): Fuel system (9)
Mileage medians come from owners who mentioned an odometer reading in their NHTSA complaint, a rough guide, not a schedule.
Fuel system
38%9 complaints · 5 in the last 2 years
“There is a strong odor of gasoline coming from the drivers side rear. I conducted a Google search on the issue and there are a lot of instances of the same thing. It a…”
Engine
17%4 complaints
“CAM LINK SENSOR LEAKS OIL ONTO ENGINE HARNESS, FRYING ALL ELECTRIC COMPONENTS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STUTTER WHILE OPERATING”
Brakes
13%3 complaints · 1 in the last 2 years
“Premature rusting on brake and fuel lines which lead to further issues with driveability and saftey. This us caused by the same defects leading to the Premature rust o…”
Electrical system
13%3 complaints
“CAM LINK SENSOR LEAKS OIL ONTO ENGINE HARNESS, FRYING ALL ELECTRIC COMPONENTS, CAUSING VEHICLE TO STUTTER WHILE OPERATING”
Recalls (0)
No recall campaigns on file for this model year.
Before you hand over money
Check the VIN for open recalls
NHTSA’s free lookup shows whether this exact car had its recall remedies completed.
Free NHTSA VIN check ↗Get a pre-purchase inspection
A $150 to $250 independent inspection of this exact 2012 Mercedes-benz CLS-CLASS beats every score on the internet, including ours.
What to ask forNot set on the 2012? See how every Cls-class model year scores →
Cross-shopping? Compare the 2012 Mercedes-benz Cls-class against another car →
What owners say
Real owners of this exact model-year, shown separately from the NHTSA score. If they disagree, that’s worth knowing.