ACTIVE BODY CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE RESULTING IN CAR SCRAPING ON THE GROUND. SYSTEM LEAKING. *TT
2003 Mercedes Benz CL600
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Limited comparison data
There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all CL600 years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
Limited mileage data: 2 of 2 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Suspension. Review the 2 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
What owners actually said
2 reportsDT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER HITTING A BUMP AT 50 MPH, THE SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN 5 INCHES AND A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN OPERATED ROUGHLY AND WAS DRIVEN TO A RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND FLUID ON THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE, THE HYDRAULIC HOSE A…
Read full complaint
DT*: THE CONTACT STATED AFTER HITTING A BUMP AT 50 MPH, THE SUSPENSION DROPPED DOWN 5 INCHES AND A WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN OPERATED ROUGHLY AND WAS DRIVEN TO A RESIDENCE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED UNDER THE HOOD AND FOUND FLUID ON THE ENGINE. THE VEHICLE WAS DRIVEN TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE, THE HYDRAULIC HOSE AND ACTIVE BODY CONTROL PUMP WERE REPLACED. A NHTSA RECALL, #04V228000 WAS PERFORMED ON THE VEHICLE CONCERNING, THE SUSPENSION HOWEVER, THE RECALL DID NOT REMEDY THE PROBLEM. THE DEALERSHIP WOULD NOT OFFER A SECOND REPAIR UNDER THE RECALL.
Official recalls
104V228000 · Suspension
May 13, 2004
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, CORROSION MAY OCCUR IN THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE ACTIVE BODY CONTROL'S (ABC) HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSE DUE TO EXTENSIVE EXPOSURE TO HEAT AND HUMIDITY. OVER TIME, CORROSION MAY DETERIORATE THE INNER STEEL PORTIONS OF THE HOSE.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: THIS MAY RESULT IN ABC HYDRAULIC FLUID LEAKAGE. UNDER SOME CIRCUMSTANCES, LEAKING HYDRAULIC FLUID MAY COME IN CONTACT WITH HOT ENGINE COMPONENTS AND LEAD TO A POSSIBILITY OF FIRE.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL NEW, CORROSION RESISTANT ABC HIGH-PRESSURE DISTRIBUTION HOSES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 31, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT MERCEDES-BENZ AT 1-800-367-6372.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
0No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.
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