Home · 2015 Mercedes-benz CLA · Complaints

What 157 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 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 (157)Crash / fire / injury (11)Engine (42)Airbags (21)Transmission & drivetrain (20)Body & structure (19)Electrical system (18)Fuel system (14)Visibility & wipers (12)Brakes (9)Speed control (6)Driver assistance (5)

42 of 157 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 1 of 2

Aug 11, 2025Engine

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle experienced a loss of automotive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had progressed. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P052E71; was retrieved. The local dealer was contacted, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact related the failure to an undisclosed recall; however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11679767

Jul 22, 2025Engine

Check Engine Light - Code P052E71 - Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve Performance. The component failure can lead to increased exhaust gas emission, oil leaks, and internal engine damage resulting in unsafe operation. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent certified service center. This specific vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, but this specific problem has been identified in other similar Mercedes-Benz years, make, and models. MBUSA LLC is only willing to apply the EMISSION EXTENDED WARRANTY to certain models within a certain model year, even though the design and engine components are nearly identical if not the same. My vehicle is the same model year and class, but a different model type and not included in the EMISSION EXTENDED WARRANTY. Repair cost can be in excess of $2,000 if not covered under the added warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11675411

Jun 30, 2025EngineFuel system

Check engine light on my 2015 MB GLA250 4matic came on and the error is "P052E PCV Regulator Valve Performance". There is a recall for other MB vehicle with the same engine. I believe the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 and other models with the same engine should be included in the recall.

NHTSA ODI 11670346

Jun 24, 2025Engine

I have a 2015 Mercedes benz GLA 250 showing code P052E There’s a TSB (MC‑10241531‑0001) and (LI01.20-P-076894 )covering intake‑line assemblies on similar M270‑engine models. Based on these two service bulletin kindly assist with extended emissions warranty

NHTSA ODI 11668794

Nov 26, 2024Engine

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the vehicle starting very rather slowly. The vehicle was diagnosed however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact stated that the vehicle operated normally; however, the following day while driving approximately 50 MPH, the vehicle started to lose automotive power. The contact pulled over to the side of the highway until the vehicle came to a complete stop. The contact attempted to restart the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was inspected by two independent mechanics however, the contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 124,000.

NHTSA ODI 11627476

Oct 2, 2024Engine

There was a recent extended warranty issued by Mercedes-Benz to repair certain vehicle models free of charge that have a check engine light code P052E. Unfortunately my vehicle (2015 CLA 250) was not included in that recall, but the CLA250 models have the same issue and run the same risk of safety being compromised. Now myself, and many others, have to pay a hefty out of pocket price for a malfunction that is strictly the fault of the manufacturer. Please look into this and strongly consider having Mercedes-Benz include the CLA 250 models in this warranty.

NHTSA ODI 11617709

Aug 27, 2024Engine

Today a Check Engine Light turned on my vehicle. I pulled the code via the OBD2 port and looked it up online. It turns out that this issue, code P052E, a defective Crankcase Ventilation Regulator Valve, is a well known problem on in-period MB cars and the manufacturer has issued an extended warranty to other models in their range, but excluded the GLA250, which uses the same parts as several other covered models including the GLC300, a vehicle covered by said extended warranty. If left untreated oil can travel up the electronic lines, ultimately fouling the ECU leading to an extreme hazard. This fault is also extremely expensive to fix, about $2000, as the faulty part (alone about $70) is sold only as a component of a larger kit (about $700), and installing the kit requires removing motor mounts and hoisting the engine. Mercedes should either widen the Extended Warranty to cover all of it's vehicles built with the defective part or issue a recall.

NHTSA ODI 11611263

Aug 23, 2024Engine

The component that malfunctioned is the Crankcase valve. This valve malfunction has caused issues will the car is idle. The issue has been confirmed by the dealership. The issue has been inspected by the manufacturer as the manufacturer has released extended warranties on other models. The malfunction causes the check engine light to come on, however in the past it has gone off before a diagnostic test could be run; the check engine light would come on and go off then go on and go off, the exact amount of time is unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11610561

Aug 22, 2024Transmission & drivetrainEngine

Good Afternoon, the status of my vehicle is simply UNKNOWN. I purchased my vehicle on the 26th last year of January. That same day I drove it back home my car was jerking. So I went back the following day to see if I could get into another vehicle because this one was malfunctioning they didn’t want to do anything for me. I tried so many different options to get out of this car I had a few scares driving this car the week of ownership. About sis times my car cut off completely during traffic and I have some recorded videos. Theirs a leakage somewhere I can fill up my gas tank to full and drive maybe two blocks away from my house and the gas meter is say that I have half a tank. Now my car is overheating, it’s not cranking it just tells me on the dashboard that 4MATIC is unavailable.

NHTSA ODI 11610274

Jun 9, 2024Engine

Engine light come on at about 43000 miles. Code scanner is p052e. Upon research is a common problem with Mercedes and approximately $2000 dealer repair.

NHTSA ODI 11593273

May 19, 2024Engine

Error code P052E, relates to Crankcase Ventilation System, that requires replacement. My vehicle is under 55,000 miles and the part should last the full life of the engine. This is faulty part that the dealership requires over $4,000 to fix.

NHTSA ODI 11589537

May 16, 2024EngineFuel system

I HAVE 2 MECEDES WITH THE SAME ISSUE PER MERCEDES BENZ OF USA INSPECTION CAUSING ENGINE LIGHT TO BE TRIGGERED PER DIAGNOSIS TESTING RAN ON BOTH CARS. 2015 VIN [XXX] GLA 250 4 MATIC 2016 VIN [XXX] CLA 250 MATIC I WAS TOLD BY A MERCEDES SERVICES ADVISOR THAT BOTH CARS HAVE THE SAME ENGINE FOR A 2015GLA AND A 2016 CLA - BOTH Due to both cars stalling in traffic on multiple time when driving I took both to the shop to run further testing to discover both had the same engine light trigger which is the CRANKSHAFT (AKA) OIL SEPERATOR (AKA)INTAKE TUBE DUE TO THIS BOTH CARS HAVE SUFFERED AN ISSUE WHEN TAKING EMMISSION TEST - MERCEDES DIGNOSIS TESTING CODES -P052E71- CRANKSHAFT VENTILATION MALFUNCTION - CAR WILL NOT PASS EMISSION TEST AND THIS PART DEFECTS ALSO CAUSES CAR TO STALL THAT CAN POSSIBLE CAUSE ACCIDENT THIS PART COMPLETE REPAIR COULD COST UP TO $2500-$3000 FOR PARTS AND LABOR PART NUMBER -270-090-07-00 (CRANKSHAFT) THE ENGINE LIGHT ISSUE TRIGGERED BY CRANKSHAFT AND WILL NOT PASS EMMISSION TESTING DUE TO THIS Description of this part below: Crankcase Ventilation is the process of venting or removing blow-by from an engine's crankcase to prevent excessive pressure build-up within the engine. Blow-by gases are mixed with oil mist and other contaminants that can harm an engine's internal components and contaminate the environment. How does the crankshaft ventilation work- When the vehicle is moving, airflow across the open end of the tube creates suction (a "draught" or draft) that pulls gases out of the crankcase. To prevent too much vacuum being created, the blow-by gases are replaced by fresh air using a device called a breather. The breather is often located in the oil cap. the engine misfires, you may have trouble getting your vehicle up to speed. Misfires often happen when your vehicle is under load while accelerating. This can result in slow or sluggish acceleration or a jerking motion while pressing down on the accel INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11589101

May 10, 2024Engine

My 2015 Mercedes Benz GLA check engine light came on for error P052E Positive Crankcase ventilation assembly. This is a $2,000 dollar repair because you need to buy the whole assembly and you can’t just buy the valve like other cars. This part has a recall on other models but not the GLA. For example the metrics uses the same part and is covered by a recall but not the GLA. We need to included in this recall. This design flaw renders my 2015 useless and virtually has no value. Please compel Mercedes to recall this defective part and design flaw that requires 6-8 hours of labor for a simple part that is easily accessible on all other cars.

NHTSA ODI 11588169

Apr 16, 2024Engine

The engine light is one and the related code for the engine light is P052E-71. The valve for Crankcase ventilation has a malfunction. There is recall for the code for other Mercedes Benz car model varies from 2015 to 2019. I believe this code on for GLA 250 is the same manufacture malfunction parts and should be recalled for free replacement for safety reason.

NHTSA ODI 11583328

Mar 8, 2024EngineFuel system

All MB GLA and CLA 2015 cars have a common issue "CRANKCASE VENTILATION VALVE" which should be replaced a few times for the cars. Each service will cost at least $2000.00. Please ask MB to recall their cars and fix this issue.

NHTSA ODI 11576297

Feb 5, 2024Electrical systemEngine

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle sputtered, and the check engine warning light illuminated. In addition, the collision assists warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed with a failed PVC valve. Additionally, the transmission assist needed service due to overheating. The collision assist warning light was reset. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred, and the collision assist, and the check engine warning lights illuminated again. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that the failure occurred four times. The vehicle was repaired twice by the dealer and once by an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 44,000.

NHTSA ODI 11570114

Jan 23, 2024EngineFuel system

When it first started to malfunction, my car would suddenly loose power out of nowhere and pretty much stop wherever. It's done it when I was crossing a busy intersection and it stalled right in the middle of the road causing other cars to have to stop or go around me. It has also stopped while I was driving on the freeway. I didn't even have enough power or momentum to pull off to a safe lane and almost caused an accident and several times while I was driving up a narrow two way road in the mountains. Later down the road my check engine light came on and I got the code p205e, Crankshaft ventilation breather hose is clogged, then my car lost power for good. It has been parked for almost a year now because I can't afford the repair and I am still paying car payments and insurance on it

NHTSA ODI 11567146

Jan 2, 2024Engine

I was getting of the highway when i heard a knocking sound. I pulled off the road and had my vehicle towed to my mechanic. According to my mechanic. I need a new motor because of a weld failure on the crankshaft.

NHTSA ODI 11562966

Jan 2, 2024Engine

Have seen a lot people I know with Mercedes have a code p052e and it cost over 2000 grand to repair. Should be a resall since a lot have been having same problem with the same code. Went off for now but I’ve seen online a lot saying it had check engine light come on again!

NHTSA ODI 11563146

Dec 27, 2023Engine

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated when the vehicle was started, the check engine warning light illuminated, and there were fumes from the exhaust entering the cabin of the vehicle. Additionally, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11562014

Oct 30, 2023Engine

Crankcase Vent Value defect

NHTSA ODI 11552626

Oct 23, 2023Engine

Positive crankcase ventilation regulator valve preformence I know alot people have same problem

NHTSA ODI 11551496

Oct 5, 2023Engine

We own a 2015 Mercedes GLA. There has been a voluntary extended warranty due to a known issue on their end for years with this very expensive fix on low mileage cars. The voluntary extended warranty for this issue is not including the GLA class, when Mercedes has known this is a known issue and defect with their vehicles at the detriment and safety of the owners who unknowingly have to deal with this. I am writing to encourage the NHSTA to have Mercedes be accountable for this issue outside of the complaints related to the C class.

NHTSA ODI 11548401

Mar 23, 2023Transmission & drivetrainEngine

The car had only 71,000 miles on it when it it had a crank no start situation that immobilized it and had to be towed. After diagnostics at two repair shops, it was determined that the exhaust camshaft was the cause. This model year car has a recall (Mercedes campaign 2015100009 and NHTSA campaign 15V662000) for the camshaft but not for the car's VIN. This failure should not occur in a car with this mileage. Had it suddenly stalled while driving, it could have resulted in a potential accident.

NHTSA ODI 11513403

Jan 5, 2023Engine

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated while driving at approximately 25 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled in the middle of the roadway. The contact stated there was an unknown message in RED displayed on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted after several attempts and operated normally. The contact stated that the failure became more frequent. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or independent mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.

NHTSA ODI 11500367

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Working with the data? Download all 157 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 2015 Mercedes-benz CLA verdict →