There are 2 stored owner reports matching the brakes leading-label group for the 2002 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 2 of 2 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)WE HAD A BRAKE BOOSTER VACUUM LINE THAT CONNECTS TO THE ALUMINUM INTAKE WITH A PLASTIC FITTING ON A 2002 MERCEDES CLK320 (173K MILES) THAT GOT BRITTLE AND BROKE. THANKFULLY NO ONE WAS INJURED OR KILLED. I'M AN EX-MECHANIC AND HAVE NEVER SEEN PLASTIC FITTING USED FOR THE VACUUM LINE TO THE BRAKE BOOSTER ON THE ENGINE. OVER TIME THIS WILL GET BRITTLE AND BREAK. THIS VACUUM LINE DOES 2 THINGS, #1 IT KEEPS THE CAR RUNNING WITH NORMAL POWER, #2 ALLOWS YOU TO HAVE BRAKES THAT OPERATE NORMALLY. I HAVE DONE A QUICK SEARCH AND IT'S NOT JUST MERCEDES, OTHER MANUFACTURERS DO THIS IN SOME AND/ OR ALL MODELS OF THEIR CARS. THIS WAS A WAKE UP CALL FOR ME ESPECIALLY BEING A MECHANIC. IF I SAW THIS AS A MECHANIC IT WOULD HAVE BEEN REPORTED. THIS IS A MAJOR CATASTROPHE WAITING TO HAPPEN. PEOPLE ARE KEEPING CARS LONGER AND IF THIS PLASTIC GETS BRITTLE AND BREAKS WHILE OUT ON THE HIGHWAY THE PERSON COULD LOSE ENGINE POWER AND/ OR BRAKING POWER. THIS NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO LIGHT AND I WANT TO DO THIS NOT JUST FOR ME BUT THE OTHER MILLIONS OF PEOPLE THAT COULD HAVE THIS HAPPEN TO THEM.
MY MAJOR CONCERN IS WITH REGARD TO THE FAILURE OF ABS AND TRACTION CONTROL WHILE DRIVING IN THE SNOW DURING THE SNOW STORM ON DEC 5TH. THESE SYSTEMS ARE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE A LAYER OF SAFETY IN THESE CONDITIONS. WHEN I CONTACTED MERCEDES ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE, THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE SENSORS MUST HAVE GOTTEN WET AND THEREFORE MADE THE SYSTEM INOPERABLE. THEN DOES THIS MEAN THAT THERE IS AN INHERRENT DESIGN PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE. I HOPE YOU WILL TAKE A LOOK INTO THIS PROBLEM, BEFORE ANYONE ELSE HAS TO GO THROUGH A NIGHTMARE DRIVING SITUATION AS I HAD TO. THAT I DID NOT GET INTO AN ACCIDENT IS A MIRACLE. HOWEVER SOMEONE ELSE MAY NOT BE SO LUCKY. DT
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Aug 31, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.