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What 7 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Mercedes-benz CLA 250

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (7)Crash / fire / injury (1)Airbags (3)Engine (3)Electrical system (2)Fuel system (1)

Newest first · 7 complaints

Jun 6, 2020Electrical system

ELECTRICAL IGNITION LOCK, REPARKED CAR ONE DAY, NEXT DAY ENGINE WOULD NOT CRANK. VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY IN DRIVEWAY. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11327504

Feb 23, 2020EngineFuel system

WHEN ATTEMPTING TO PASS OR PULLING OUT ONTO ROAD WAY THE CAR WILL SUDDENLY LOSE POWER, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON. THIS LEAVES THE DRIVERS IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WITH ON-COMING TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ODI 11310832

Feb 6, 2020Electrical systemEngine

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES BENZ CLS 550. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNKNOWN SPEED, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO MERCEDES-BENZ OF ALEXANDRIA (200 S PICKETT ST, ALEXANDRIA, VA 22304) WHERE THE VEHICLE WAS DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT AN OIL LEAK HAD CAUSED DAMAGE TO A WIRING HARNESS, THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE AND SEVERAL OTHER UNSTATED ELECTRICAL FAILURES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THERE WAS NO ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE PROVIDED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 610,708.

NHTSA ODI 11307528

Jan 23, 2020Engine

THE CAM SHAFT INTAKE AND EXHAUST ADJUSTERS NEED TO BE REPLACED AT 77K MI, THIS IS A $5K REPAIR. I INITIALLY REPLACED THE CAM SHAFT POSITION SENORS AT 65K MI AND THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN REGULARLY SERVICED. CONSISTENT WITH REPORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THIS CAM SHAFT COMPONENT WILL FAIL AROUND 50K-80K MILES AND AT THAT POINT THE REPAIR IS 2/3 THE VALUE OF THE CAR IF IT WAS IN GOOD WORKING ORDER. NO ENGINE SHOULD GIVE OUT AFTER 75K MILES, THIS COMPONENT NEEDS TO BE RECALLED.

NHTSA ODI 11301361

Dec 28, 2019AirbagsCrash1 injury

WAS NOTIFIED BY MERCEDES BENZ THAT MY VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN THE TAKATA AIRBAG RECALL AND THAT REPLACEMENT PARTS WOULD NOT BE AVAILABLE UNTIL DEC 2018. SINCE IT WAS THE ONLY VEHICLE I OWNED AND I HAD TO CONTINUE WORK I DROVE THE VEHICLE WITH DEFECTIVE PARTS UNTIL I WAS INVOLVED IN AN AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENT IN JULY 2018. I AM NOW DISABLED AFTER A LENGTHY HOSPITAL & REHAB STAY AND HAD TO SEVERAL SURGERIES IN ORDER TO WALK/LIMP AGAIN IN 2019. I WAS HIT ALMOST HEAD ON AND WAS OKAY UNTIL THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED AND I FELT A SHARP BURNING SENSATION IN MY LOWER EXTREMITIES AND COULD NOT MOVE AFTERWARDS. EMS PULLED ME OUT OF MY CAR AND I WAS ADMITTED TO HOSPITALICU. I AM UNABLE TO FULLY FUNCTION WITH MY MOBILITY, LOST MY JOB, CANNOT DRIVE DUE TO NERVE DAMAGE TO MY ANKLE, LEG AND HIP AND CURRENTLY RECEIVING DISABILITY PAY. THE COMPANY THAT TOWED MY TOTALED MERCEDES BENZ NOTED THAT THE AIRBAG WAS IN "POOR CONDITION". I JUST REALIZED AFTER MANY MONTHS OF MEDICATION AND PAIN THAT I HAVE NOT HEARD ANYTHING ELSE FROM MERCEDES BENZ IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER AND WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ANY CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT THAT IS AVAILABLE IN REGARDS TO THIS MATTER, AS I SHOULD HAVE NEVER BEEN SOLD THIS VEHICLE IN 2016 WITHOUT THIS MATTER BEING DISCLOSED!!!*DT *TR

NHTSA ODI 11291815

Aug 5, 2019Airbags

TL* TAKATA RECALL. THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA250. THE CONTACT RECEIVED A RECALL NOTIFICATION FOR NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 16V081000 (AIR BAGS). THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MANUFACTURER EXCEEDED A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE CONTACT HAD NOT EXPERIENCED A FAILURE. THE VIN WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11241872

Nov 6, 2017Airbags

TAKATA RECALL. THE CAR HAS BEEN PARKED FOR SOME TIME DUE TO INABILITY TO HAVE THE RECALL REPAIR DONE. IS THERE A REMEDY? 1

NHTSA ODI 11043691

Working with the data? Download all 7 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 20, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Mercedes-benz CLA 250 verdict →