Home · 2014 Mercedes-benz CLA · Complaints

What 193 owners told NHTSA about the 2014 Mercedes-benz CLA

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 (193)Crash / fire / injury (10)Engine (68)Electrical system (47)Speed control (36)Transmission & drivetrain (23)Electronic Stability Control (esc) (20)Airbags (14)Body & structure (14)Fuel system (13)Visibility & wipers (11)Steering (8)

Newest first · 193 complaints · page 1 of 8

Jun 30, 2026Airbags

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal snapping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a code reader retrieved information that there was a fault with the SRS sensor. The contact was charged for a diagnostic test and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11747420

Mar 21, 2026Electrical system

The shifter randomly stops working so I could have the car in reverse and not be able to put it in drive and be stuck in traffic or vice versa. I can have the car and drive and not be able to put it in reverse. I'd be stuck in traffic very dangerous.

NHTSA ODI 11726006

Mar 10, 2026AirbagsBody & structureEngineFire

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class. The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, she discovered that the driver's side window was shattered. The sunroof was brown, and there was a hole in the dashboard showing the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle had caught fire; however, the fire extinguished on its own. There were no prior warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries, air bag deployment, or police report filed. The fire department responded and was present at the scene, and disconnected several wires. The local dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11723215

Nov 17, 2025Engine

I own a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 with the 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder M270 engine. The check-engine light came on and an OBD-II scan showed fault code P052E / P052E71, which indicates that the valve for crankcase ventilation (PCV / crankcase ventilation valve integrated into the valve cover) has a malfunction and the actuator is blocked. The vehicle is available for inspection and, if the repair is performed, the failed part can be retained. This appears to be the same failure that has been documented by other owners and by Mercedes-Benz on the related M274 engine used in other models (same 2.0L turbo engine family and PCV / crankcase ventilation design, but in a longitudinal layout). For those vehicles, Mercedes has issued technical service bulletins and extended emissions-related warranty coverage for the crankcase ventilation / PCV system, but vehicles like my CLA with the M270 engine are excluded even though they show the same DTCs and failure. In my case, the problem has so far shown up as a check-engine light and stored fault codes, without obvious drivability symptoms yet. However, a blocked or failed crankcase ventilation valve can increase crankcase pressure, cause oil leaks, fuel vapor or oil smells, and potential turbocharger or drivability issues, which may create a safety risk if the problem worsens (loss of power or stalling). The problem has been reproduced multiple times with different OBD-II scan tools. I contacted Mercedes-Benz and was told there are no recalls or warranty coverage for this issue on my vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11699978

Oct 29, 2025EngineFuel system

P052e common crankcase ventilator issue mercedez extended warranty for later models for this same consistent issue in all the cars excluding 2014 starting at 2015 vehicles making us pay over $2000 for a fix supposed to be free being that it's all mercedes even the year before Should be a recall along with the hundreds of thousands of people with same issue online same car.

NHTSA ODI 11696266

Sep 15, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz AMG CLA45. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the glass panel between the front windshield and the sunroof suddenly detached. The contact inspected the vehicle and found information on NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V854000 (Structure). The dealer was contacted and informed the contact the VIN was not included in the recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and confirmed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11687280

Apr 1, 2025Visibility & wipers

The ‘Sunroof shade’ malfunctioned. Just randomly came off-track. Yes, it is still available to inspect. Shade now hangs down and rises a safety concern for visibility. Not inspected by a dealer or other representative yet. No warning lights or failure notices are present.

NHTSA ODI 11651944

Feb 25, 2025Body & structure

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the contact briefly lost control of the vehicle, prompting the contact to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway. After a visual inspection, the contact observed excessive rust underneath the rear subframe. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to Extended Warranty–Rear Subframe Damage Code: 35441 47. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11644909

Feb 24, 2025

my rear subframe rusted from the inside out and due to the rust my control arm broke off

NHTSA ODI 11644583

Jan 28, 2025EngineFuel system

Check engine code p052e - PCV valve replacement (Crankcase Ventilation valve) - common issue on car and known recall for other models

NHTSA ODI 11639110

Dec 13, 2024Visibility & wipers

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the sunroof was inoperable. The contact stated that the glass panel had detached, and the contact became aware of a crack on the glass panel. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 89,000.

NHTSA ODI 11630599

Oct 29, 2024

I was driving down the highway without any vehicles in front of me at around 65mph when all of a sudden my panoramic roof exploded out of nowhere, it sounded like a gunshot going off inside the car and I nearly crashed my vehicle from the sudden explosion, I luckily had the glass shade cover up and glass did not fall in my face, I had my [XXX] daughter and [XXX] son in the backseat and they are now terrified to get back into any vehicle. This is extremely dangerous situation and will cause a serious accident in the future if not fixed. Nothing hit my roof and I wasn’t even using it at the time no one touched the thing, it just exploded out of nowhere. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11622502

Oct 1, 2024Electrical systemBody & structureEngine

I purchased my vehicle early March from Carmax. They offer a 90 day guarantee on anything that will go wrong with the vehicle full coverage. My daughter was having my grandchild so what a great opportunity but to drive my new vehicle from Chicago to Florida to give it a good run when I arrived I was having problems with the Eco drive, which is the start stop enabler. The car would die out. Also, there were a few alarms as far as the temperature of the vehicle and the service mechanism being that I had left at the dealership at 9:30 PM at night and hit the road immediately I had to notice until the morning, but there was some cracking on the exterior of the driver side tire. Upon arriving to Florida. I brought the car directly to Mercedes at the Daytona auto Mall soon as I walked in they service representative stated we don’t deal with Carmax and I said well they said the car is covered under warranty to go ahead and bring it into you guys and they will take care of the bill. They made a big fuss about it saying that it needed to go to Carmax then Carmax needed to bring them the vehicle even though I had all of my stuff located in the vehicle for traveling then they proceeded to tell me that they would not give me a loaner car during the time of my service. The Carmax representative that I spoke with in service his name was Al when I had addressed all of my concerns he had mentioned due to the tire issue. They would be replacing all four tires and that they would address the issues with the Start stop control the computer reacting and then disappearing, and also a safety recall that I had noticed about the airbags because the passenger side airbag kept displaying a blinking needless to say, after being totally inconvenienced, they have my vehicle for over a week. The second I went to pick up the car. I had to pick it up in the afternoon due to having to work in the evening they had it ready in the express. There was multiple damages to the vehicle, physical eng tire

NHTSA ODI 11617403

Oct 1, 2024Electrical systemEngineFuel system

.I PURCHASED BRAND NEW VEHICLE FROM CARMAX OF OAKLAWN , WHO IMPORTED THE VEHICLE FROM NAPERVILLE IL IT CAME WITH 90 DAY GAURANTEE OR MONEY BACK.I THEN DROVE TO FLORIDA 2 WEEKS AFTER PURCHASE OF THE VEHICLE OF WHICH MY BOYFRIEND [XXX] AT THE TIME CAN ATTEST THE VEHICLE DROVE AMAZING.UPON MY ARRIVAL I WAS HAVING ELECTRICAL ISSUES WITH THE ECO DRIVE AND THE COMPUTER CODED AND DISAPPEARED 3 TIMES. I CONTACTED CARMAX 800 NUMBER THEY ADVISED ME TO BRING IT TO THE DAYTONA BEACH AUTOMALL CARMAX WHO THEN REF ME TO THE DAYTONA AUTOMALL MERCEDES BENZ DEALER TO BE SERVICED. MERCEDES SERV REP "SAID WE DONT DEAL WITH CARMAX" AND SENT ME BACK TO CARMAX AFTER MY SERV REP INSTRUCTED ME TO BRING THE VEHICLE THERE. SO THEN I WENT TO CARMAX WHO THEN DELIVERED THE VEHICLE TO MERCEDES BENZ OF DAYTONA. I WAS GIVEN A LOANER VEHICLE OF WHICH MY PERSONAL ITEMS DISAPEARED FROM "CONVIENTLY LEGAL DOCUMENTS AND FILES" THEY REPLACED BOTH BATTERIES IN THE VEHICLE AND (4)TIRES CLAIMING IT WOULD FIX THE PROB . SOON AS I PICKED UP THE VEHICLE I INFORMED THEM THAT IT WAS NOT RIGHT AND NEEDED THE ADVISOR TO CONTACT ME ASAP. I CONTINUED TO HAVE MULTIPLE ELECTRICAL, FUEL AND COMPUTER INDICATIONS. THE VEHICLE IS NOT THE SAME CAR. I ALSO COMPARED MY VIN NUMBER THROUGH MERCEDES AND EXPRESSED A DIFFERENT MODEL OF VEHICLE. THEY CLAIMED THAT IT WAS DO TO SYSTEM BEING OUTDATED AND THAT THERE IS NO UPDATE FOR IT. SO WHY DO MY EMERGENCY SAFETY ITEMS SHOW AN ELECTRIC CAR ? DIFFERENT MODEL THE CAR STATES ITS A CLA 45 AMG. FUEL BURNS VERY QUICKLY ENGINE IS LOUDER AND I AM NOTICING A GRAYING IN MY HANDS AFTER EXCESS DRIVING ALMOST LIKE BLISTERING , THE ENGINE SOUND IS NOT CORRECT AND THE COMPUTER KEEPS JUMPING HUNDREDS OF MILES SAYING ITS OVER THE PACKAGE IN AN EXCESS OF 200 MILES PER DAY AT TIMES . TPM SYSTEM IS NOT WORKING CORRECTLY. MILEAGE IS NOT RECORDING ACCURATELY, PASS AIR BAG SAFETY GOES OFF, OF WHICH I ADDRESED THE POSS RECALL I FOUND. THEY REFUSED TO SPEAK WITH ME OR RETURN CALLS. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11617435

Oct 1, 2024Electrical systemFuel system

VEHICLE APPEARS TO BE A DIFFERENT VEHICLE OR POSSIBLY A CLONED VEHICLE ACCORDING TO FBI RECORDS . SAFETY DOES NOT MATCH UP NOR SPECS WITH THE VEHICLES VIN REPORT OR CARFAX . POSSIBLY A DUPED VEHICLE. CLAIMS REAR CAM NO CAMERA SPECS SHOW VEHICLE TO BE ELECTRIC OR BLUE LIQUID PROPELED . APP DO NOT WORK SAT SAYS ITS CONNECTED TO THE VEHICLE BUT NOT THIS ONE.

NHTSA ODI 11617443

Oct 1, 2024Tires

TIRE TREAD TORE FROM THE INSEAM OF TIRE CAUSING ME TO BE STRANDED OUT OF STATE FOR 2 DAYS WAITING ON MEANS OF A NEW TIRE . THE VEHICLE PULLS AND NOW HAS NEEDED A SECOND TIRE REPLACEMNT ON SAME SIDE. CONSISTANT WARNING FROM TPM RIM BENT CAUSING RIM LEAK ON CURRENT TIRE. YES A TIRE SERVICE CENTER REPLACED THE TIRE COMPLETELY FAILED TO ACKNOWLEDGE BENT RIM .

NHTSA ODI 11617423

Oct 1, 2024Tires

NEW TIRE REPLACEMENT AFTER A FAULTY TIRE. TPMS NOT REGISTERING CORRECTLY, RIM LEAK FROM IMPORPER SEALING AND NOW TIRE HAD A SMALL TEAR HAD TO BE PLUGGLED

NHTSA ODI 11617437

Sep 26, 2024Electrical systemEngine

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated while driving at approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that when the vehicle stalled, an audible chime sounded, and the air bag warning light illuminated, and a RED triangle symbol flashed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the instrument cluster went blank, and the vehicle lost power steering assist. Additionally, the brake pedal was very difficult to depress. The contact was able to restart the vehicle after several attempts, and the vehicle returned to normal functionality. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred. The contact drove the vehicle to a dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the battery needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred and the vehicle had not taken back to the dealer. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 76,850.

NHTSA ODI 11616572

Mar 21, 2024Speed controlEngine

Apparently the TPS (Throttle Position Sensor) which is built into the gas pedal on this 2014 MB CLA250 only lasts so long before it becomes defective under highway conditions and causes the vehicle to go into LIMP MODE. When full acceleration is necessary, the unit will work for perhaps a few months or less, and then continue to fail worse and more frequently with each attempt at full acceleration. At highway speeds, this is an essential feature in a 4-cylinder vehicle such as this one and without the necessary acceleration capability, can expose the driver to serious risk of collision with other on-coming vehicles traveling at highway speeds. This "Limp Mode" features is extremely dangerous and hazardous to not only the driver of their vehicle, but to other drivers around them since they are left in a devastating position of being unable to accelerate normally and as necessary and as one would expect in any vehicle, let alone a Mercedes Benz. Never before have I driven a car that falls out of full acceleration mode only to subject the driver to serious collision circumstances. Whoever the imbecile is at MB engineering who incorporated this Limp Mode Feature should be fired!!! To make matters worse, this cheaply built TPS, which is the cause of the problem in my vehicle specifically, was only warrantied twice by the dealer and now they will not replace it under warranty which is a two-year period. I've only had the part 5 months before it failed again due to poor manufacturing and I had to pay all over again for a new one despite my warranty validity. There have been many other MB owners who have the same complaint for Limp Mode, which tells me that it's definitely not me, but rather the poorly built or engineered vehicle, as a matter of fact. MB has denied having these complaints to me, which of course, is a lie. That's misleading and deceptive business practices in my State and MB needs to live up to its warranty provisions and respect its customers.

NHTSA ODI 11578613

Feb 11, 2024WheelsCrash

I was driving my 2014 Mercedes CLA 250 on [XXX] traveling away from Fairfax County and towards Prince William County on Christmas morning right before [XXX]. The front right passenger side wheel started shaking and then flew off. I brought the car to a stop on the left hand shoulder of the road on three wheels. My wheel hit the metal fence and then ricocheted back across to the left crossing both sides of traffic (four lanes), hitting a concrete wall and becoming airborne before landing in the stream below. It was sunny and there was no rain. Speed was 45 mph. Witnesses observed the incident and I have their contact information. A police report was filed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11571315

Jan 15, 2024Electrical system

As I was driving yesterday afternoon, I heard a noise and normally we don't hear any type of noise or air coming into the car. I decided to open the sunroof to see if there was something wrong with it like if it was stuck open or if something was stuck in it, and the whole sunroof almost flew off the car. I had to pull over as fast as I could into the break down lane and it took me a while to close it and it still seems to be open, I didn't see anything stuck in the guide rails or in the area when closing it. I was very scared for the safety of my children and myself and for the other drivers on the highway. I have made an appointment so the shop and check the car out and run some diagnostics. There are no warning lights or messages prior to the sunroof almost flying off the car.

NHTSA ODI 11565567

Jan 5, 2024Airbags

Component failure was steering column module. Safety issue was air bag could inadvertently deploy while driving. Recall NHTSA # 17V627 was issued. Vehicle inspected by Stargate Garage, Caliber Collision and Mercedes of Pompano Beach FL. Message displayed was front left malfunction and red warning light for SRS system. Warning message and red light appeared 18 months after dealer supposedly repaired this recalled item. Vehicle was returned to dealer to make proper repair on this recalled item and they refused to replace it. Steering column module was replace by Stargate Garage and the message left front malfunction and red light warning SRS no longer appears on instrument panel. Stargate Garage was paid $685 to make this repair which should have been the dealer's responsibility. Therefor I am requesting that the dealer reimburse me my out of pocket expense of $685.00 since it was there responsibility to make this repair under the recall that was issued. I was unable to upload my documentation so I will also be sending this information in the mail.

NHTSA ODI 11563709

Dec 19, 2023Engine

Common issue with this make and model and many others Check engine code P052E

NHTSA ODI 11560875

Oct 26, 2023Engine

My engine light is and as per mechanics I have seen it is a very common problem with mercedes benz around crankcase ventilation actuator. As per mechanics its faulty part and mercedes have changed it for new models but there is no recall on the older models. Cost to repair the part is around $3500. Issue with the part if causing environment problem as mileages is reduced and more fuel burning. This eventually impacts the engine and car.

NHTSA ODI 11552114

Oct 18, 2023Body & structure

The contact owns a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that the front panel around the panoramic roof was separating. The contact called a dealer and was informed that there was a recall for the panel separation, however, the VIN was not included. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (Structure). The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11550618

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Working with the data? Download all 193 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 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 2014 Mercedes-benz CLA verdict →