What breaks most · 2012 to 2017 model years
Mercedes-Benz CLA250 problems by year
Owners have filed 164 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Mercedes-Benz CLA250 across model years 2012 to 2017. One year stands out: 2014 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2012, 2013 and 2015.
- Years to check closely: 2014
- Fewest complaints: 2012, 2013, 2015
- Complaints on file
- 1642012 to 2017, all trims
- Worst year
- 2014116 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 60 fires · 7 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 16kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 31Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Air bags (1) | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | Stability control (1) | |
| 116 | 1 | 6 | Engine (44) | |
| 16 | 2 | 7 | Engine (5) | |
| 19 | 3 | 8 | Air bags (7) | |
| 11 | 0 | 10 | Air bags (3) |
What fails on the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 38% |
44 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 28% |
33 | 1 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 26% |
30 | 1 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 |
| Stability controlABS and wheel speed sensors | 16% |
18 | 1 | Shop stability control parts for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 12% |
14 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 9% |
10 | 0 | — |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 5% |
6 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Wheels | 5% |
6 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Bought brand new cla250 a year ago and driving last week on the high way and "inoperative mode" went on and you lose all acceleration power. After i pulled over finally restarting the car a few times i regained acceleration. Currently at dealer being assessed
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Mercedes-Benz CLA250 years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2014 carries the most filings on the Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The 2014 alone has 116 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Mercedes-Benz CLA250 problem?
On the 2014 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 44 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Mercedes-Benz CLA250 problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Mercedes-Benz CLA250 complaints that include mileage is about 16,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.