2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA

Typical pattern

20.4% of complaints about the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2014 vehicle — around the middle of the 195 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 2.6 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine (66 complaints), typically at 1.9 yr or about 14,000 miles.

Covers 1 variant: CLA250 (280)

Complaints: 280
Median age at failure: 2.6 yr
Median mileage: 15,000 n=218
Crash / fire / tow: 7.5% of reports
Safety recalls: 6

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine

66 reports · 14,000 mi

1.9 yr

Electrical system

44 reports · 15,000 mi

2.6 yr

6.8%

Speed control

36 reports · 16,000 mi

1.6 yr

2.8%

Other

21 reports · 49,200 mi

6.8 yr

9.5%

Electronic stability control (esc)

20 reports · 13,334 mi

2.3 yr

Power train

20 reports · 15,200 mi

3.4 yr

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

23V854000 2023-12-15

Structure:body:roof and pillars

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2014-2020 C-Class, CLA, GLA, S-Class, GLC, and GLE vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle details. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof may not have been bonded correctly to the vehicle during a prior repair, allowing the front panel to detach from the vehicle.

A detached roof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

21V197000 2021-03-19

Structure:body:roof and pillars

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2020 C300 Coupe, C43 Coupe AMG, C43 AMG, 2015-2020 C300, GLA250, 2016-2018 C350e, CLA45 Coupe AMG, 2015 C400, S65 AMG, 2015-2019 C63 AMG, 2016 C450, 2015-2016 GLA45 AMG, S600, 2016-2020 GLC300, 2017-2019 GLC43 AMG, GLE43 Coupe AMG, 2014-2019 CLA250 Coupe, 2014-2015 CLA45 AMG, 2018 GLC63 AMG, 2014-2017 S550, 2018-2020 S450, 2016-2019 GLE63 Coupe AMG, 2016 GLE450 Coupe, 2014-2020 S63 AMG, 2018-2019 S560, and 2019 GLC350e vehicles equipped with a panoramic sunroof. The front roof panel located between the windshield and the panoramic sunro

The adhesive bonding of the front panel might deteriorate, possibly causing the front panel to detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.

19V787000 2019-11-01

Communication

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2013-2017 vehicles due to a software fault that may cause the date and time for the emergency call system (eCall) to differ from the actual date and time, potentially relaying an inaccurate vehicle location. For a full list of the affected models visit: https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/rcl/2019/RMISC-19V787-4620.pdf

An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.

17V627000 2017-10-06

Air bags:frontal

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling these vehicles: 2014-2018 CLA250, CLA250 4Matic, CLA45 AMG 4Matic, 2015-2018 GLA250, GLA250 4Matic, GLA45 AMG 4Matic, C300 4Matic, C63S AMG, 2012-2014 C250, C350, C300 4Matic, E550 4Matic, 2013-2014 C63 AMG, 2012-2015 C250 Coupe, C350 Coupe, C63 AMG Coupe, 2013-2015 C350 4Matic Coupe, GLK250 4Matic BlueTec, GLK350, GLK350 4Matic, 2016-2017 C350e, C43 AMG, 2015 C400 4Matic, 2016-2018 C63 AMG, GLC300, GLC300 4Matic, 2017-2018 C300 Coupe, C300 4Matic Coupe, C43 AMG, C63 AMG Coupe, C63S AMG Coupe, C300 Cabriolet, C300 4Matic Cabriolet, C43 AMG Cabriolet

If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.

16V901000 2016-12-14

Service brakes, hydraulic:power assist:vacuum:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2014 CLA250 vehicles manufactured December 14, 2012, to April 24, 2013 equipped with gasoline engines. The affected vehicles have a fitting that connects the vacuum line to the brake booster which may break causing increased forced to be needed to apply the brakes.

If the vehicles unexpectedly need increased pressure on the brake pedal to apply the brakes, there would be an increased risk of a crash.

15V426000 2015-07-06

Visibility / wipers

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain model year 2014 CLA 250C vehicles manufactured September 10, 2014, to September 11, 2014, 2014 CLA 250C 4Matic vehicles manufactured September 13, 2014, to September 25, 2014, and 2014 CLA 45 AMG 4Matic vehicles manufactured September 10, 2014, to September 25, 2014. The affected vehicles have fuses that may have been incorrectly installed in the passenger side interior fuse boxes.

If the fuses were not properly installed, they may lose electrical contact. In the event of a loss of electrical contact, certain systems may be impacted, including the function of the front passenger seat occupancy recognition system, the passenger side air bag indicator lamp, the instrument cluster and the windshield wipers. Should the function of the front passenger seat occupancy recognition

In owners’ own words

Electronic stability control (esc) 2,500 mi 6 mo in service

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE PRE-SAFE FUNCTIONS LIMITED INOPERATIVE, THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL, THE ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM, AND THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 2,500. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

Electronic stability control (esc) 4,200 mi 8 mo in service

CAR COMPLETELY SHUTOFF TONIGHT ON THE HIGHWAY AND LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO GET PULLED OVER WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD NUMEROUS MESSAGES ON THE DISPLAY, INCLUDING "SERVICE REQUIRED, DO NOT SHIFT GEARS, VISIT DEALER" AND "ESP INOPERABLE, SEE OPERATOR'S MANUAL". THE CAR WOULD NOT DO ANYTHING ONCE I PULLED OVER, NOTHING HAPPENED WHEN I TURNED THE KEY, NO NOISES, NOTHING. MB ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE CAME AND TRIED TO JUMP START AND DISCONNECT THE BATTERY TO NO AVAIL. SO, OFF ON THE TOW TRUCK IT WENT. *TR

Electronic stability control (esc) 13,334 mi 1.3 yr in service

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2014 MERCEDES BENZ CLA 250. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, THE ESP AND PRE-SAFE FUNCTION WARNING LIGHTS ILLUMINATED AS THE VEHICLE DECELERATED. THE ACCELERATOR FAILED TO RESPOND. THE CONTACT HAD TO MANEUVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND AFTER APPROXIMATELY 10 MINUTES THE VEHICLE RESTARTED NORMALLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER. THE TECHNICIAN DIAGNOSED THAT THE FRONT RADAR SENSOR WAS DAMAGED AND NEEDED REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,334.

Engine 3,000 mi 4 mo in service

THIS HAS HAPPENED MULTIPLE TIMES STARTING IN JAN. 2014 AND MOST RECENTLY APRIL 15, 2014: COME TO A STOP AT RED LIGHT (OR STOP SIGN) AND WHEN I STEP ON GAS TO GO WHEN LIGHT TURNS GREEN, ETC., NO POWER OR, AT MOST, CAR BARELY COASTS TO SHOULDER OF ROAD. IT DOES NOT SOUND LIKE THE ENGINE ENGAGES. I TURN THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN AND THE CAR RUNS. THIS HAPPENS WHEN ECO STOP/START FUNCTION IS ON AND ALSO HAPPENS WHEN IT IS OFF. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE THE CAR BECAUSE THIS HAPPENS WITHOUT WARNING. I COULD BE DRIVING THE CAR FOR A WEEK WITH NO PROBLEM AND THEN IT HAPPENS.

Other CLA model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.