What 157 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Mercedes-benz CLA

In November 2024, while at a stop, the car shut off. A few weeks later, while driving the car over speed tables/humps, the car shifted from drive into neutral. No warning or error lights appeared on the dashboard. It just showed that the car was now in neutral. I was able to shift back into drive and continue. Fortunately, I was in a residential neighborhood, going about 10 miles per hour and had only one car behind me. This happened again in December, with the same scenario and on the same road, so I took the car to the dealer. They did a diagnostic and was not able to duplicate the problem, but said there were some error codes and it could possibly be the starter, auxiliary battery or transmisson service, since I had not done one. They also stated there was a Coolant Thermostat electrical fault code. They scheduled me to come back in January 2025 since I needed a loaner car. They kept my car for a couple of days to do a more detailed diagnostic. In the end they replaced the auxiliary battery and did a transmission service because they could not replicate the problem. Said that there was nothing in the transmission fluid of concern and, the starter code had not returned. Stated that it could have been an electrical fluke. No other codes were showing. They did say that some time in the future I would need a coolant thermostat. Car ran well for a few weeks and then in February 2025, going over the same road with speed humps, the car went into neutral. The car has been in the shop for the last 7 days and they are trying to figure out what is happening. I am submitting this because I found many other people posting on forums about having the same issue. My concern is what will happen if my car moves into neutral while I am going at a high speed. It puts me, my family and others lives in danger if my car stops suddenly.

NHTSA ODI 11643769

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated while attempting to accelerate, the vehicle hesitated before accelerating. While driving at various speeds, the vehicle was lagging with a loud rumbling sound coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal excessively to stop the vehicle from hesitating. The failure had become more persistent. The contact stated that the sunroof failed to open, as well. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer. The vehicle had not been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 133,277.

NHTSA ODI 11615183

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

there is a known issue with the mercedes benz GLA 250 rear differential. it is defective and need to be replaced many times during the life of the vehicle. i have not had an accident that i can relate to this defect but i feel it need to be reported and investigated by your office. the cost of the repair is over $6000. you can read more about this issue in this forum [XXX] i started reporting the issue before the warranty expired, the dealer was never able to find the problem, after the warranty expires they "discovered" what the issue is, the rear differential need to be replaced. of course they deny any wrongdoing but this is a well documented manufacturing defect that should be addressed. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11608450

Rear differential has failed/malfunctioned. The vehicle is available upon request. It is a road safety issue as it will stall/ hesitate when accelerating and has a jerking effect. It has been confirmed by an independent service center. It had not been inspected by anyone, other than an independent service center mechanic. There were no warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure.

NHTSA ODI 11594191

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and stalled. The vehicle was eventually restarted and driven to the local dealer who diagnosed that the transmission valve body and conductor plate had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 47,749.

NHTSA ODI 11592418

The head unit for the sound system begins a reset loop when navigating radio station and/or connecting bluetooth device. Seems to be a glitch in the head unit software. This is preventing use of navigation/GPS screen, backup camera, and Bluetooth connection.

NHTSA ODI 11585060

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated while attempting to drive from a complete stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond. The message "Take Vehicle to Your Dealer" was displayed. The contact noticed that the gear shift indicator light was in neutral (N) while the gear shifter was in drive (D). The contact stated that she shifted out of drive (D) and back into drive (D), and the vehicle responded as needed. The contact stated that the failure occurred on two occasions. The contact stated that she had stopped driving the vehicle. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 117,100.

NHTSA ODI 11550643

Car randomly shifts to neutral, displays message : "reverse not available" or "transmission malfunction". Car rapidly slows down causing cars behind to make avoidance maneuvers. Scanned fault codes: P079200 (transmission rpm sensor 1 malfunction) P274600 (transmission rpm sensor 2 malfunction)

NHTSA ODI 11549868

The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would independently shift into neutral(N). The contact also stated that the check engine warning light flashed on the instrument panel after the second failure. The contact called the dealer and scheduled an appointment with the dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,000.

NHTSA ODI 11524845

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

Upon start, got a "reverse not possible" warning. Tried to drive home, but shifting was very erratic and car slowed dramatically between shifts. On several occasions, cars behind me had to swerve to avoid me. And, if I would have had to reverse out of danger, I would have been in serious trouble. After too many close calls, I stopped to arrange a tow. When I returned to the car to move it, the problem went away. I am afraid to put my family in this car.

NHTSA ODI 11482597

THE VEHICLE SLIPS INTO NEUTRAL AND SAYS 4 MATIC NOT AVAILABLE. I HAVE TO COAST TO A STOP AND THEN SHUTOFF THE VEHICLE, TURN IT OFF AND THEN RESTART IT. ALSO THE FORWARD COLLISION WARNING ALERTS WHEN I PASS UNDERNEATH A LARGE METAL FREEWAY SIGNAGE.

NHTSA ODI 11416606

THE VEHICLE AFTER STARTING WOULD NOT GO INTO GEAR FROM PARK. THE MESSAGE ON THE DASH READ "SERVICE REQUIRED DO NOT SHIFT GEARS VISIT DEALER". THE VEHICLE WAS UNABLE TO BE PUT IN GEAR TO DRIVE OR NEUTRAL ONLY PARK..

NHTSA ODI 11416514

IT APPEARS THAT WHEN THE TURBOCHARGER IS ENGAGED, COOLANT LEAVING THE TURBOCHARGER IS SPRAYING FROM WHERE A PRESUMABLY NOW MISSING CLAMP WOULD OTHERWISE FORM A TIGHT FIT AROUND THE TUBING, WHICH IS NORMALLY HOUSED BENEATH HEAT SHIELDING. THE HEAT SHIELDING HAS BEEN DISPLACED BY THE HIGH PRESSURE PRODUCED BY THE HOT LIQUID. THE LIQUID IS SO HOT LEAVING THE TURBOCHARGER THAT AS IT SPRAYS OUT ONTO THE SURROUNDING AREAS IT HAS MELTED THE AIR INTAKE SYSTEM.

NHTSA ODI 11363083

ML 250 BLU TECH DIESEL. 55,000 MILES. VEHICLE HAD BEEN PREVIOUSLY MAINTAINED ONLY BY MERCEDES BENZ AND EVERY RECOMMENDED SERVICE HAD BEEN COMPLETED TIMELY BY ONLY MERCEDES BENZ. 1 MONTH OUT OF WARRANTY AND THE CAR WAS INSPECTED BY MERCEDES 30 DAYS PRIOR AND GIVEN A CLEAN BILL OF HEALTH. NO WARNING LIGHTS EVER CAME ON PRIOR TO OR DURING THE INCIDENT. THIS COMPLAINT IS VERY SIMILAR TO ANOTHER ON YOUR WEBSITE ALSO INVOLVING THE SAME PARTS. VEHICLE WAS COMPLETELY STOPPED AT A MAJOR 4 WAY INTERSECTION. WHEN I TRIED TO MAKE A LEFT TURN A HORRIBLE LOUD GRINDING NOISE WAS HEARD FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE JUST SEIZED. WHEN I TRIED TO GO SHIFT INTO PARK, THE BRAKES FAILED TO WORK, STEERING WAS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT. THE CAR HAD TO BE PUSHED OFF THE HIGHWAY AND TOWED TO MERCEDES. DIAGNOSES WAS FRONT DRIVE SHAFT BROKEN AND 2 REAR COIL SPRINGS BROKEN SIMULTANEOUSLY. I HAVE HAD MANY VEHICLES NEVER HAD I HEARD OF A DRIVE SHAFT BREAKING AT 55,000 AND CERTAINLY NEVER SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH REAR COIL SPRINGS. THE CAR IS DRIVEN UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, NO TOWING NO EXCESSIVE WEIGHT, ETC. MERCEDES WAS CONTACTED, THE OFFERED A 5% DISCOUNT AS A "GOOD WILL" GESTURE BUT REFUSED TO STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT AND ADVISED THIS WAS NOT PART OF A PRIOR RECALL. THEY FURTHER STATED WHEN THE CAR WAS CHECKED 30 DAYS PRIOR THE DRIVE SHAFT AND COIL SPRINGS ARE NOT DISCOVER-ABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11343136

A1 INCOMING EMAIL REQUEST: EMAIL FROM CONSUMER RE 2015 MERCEDES BENZ CLA250 4MATIC TRANSMISSION ISSUES, MERCEDES BENZ WILL NOT ADDRESSED THE ISSUE. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE VEHICLE JERKED VIOLENTLY WHEN DOWN SHIFTING FROM 1ST THROUGH 4TH GEAR IN BOTH DRIVE AND REVERSE. ADDITIONALLY, THE VEHICLE WOULD GET STUCK IN 2ND GEAR AND WOULD NOT SHIFT UP OR DOWN. THE PROBLEM WAS SPORADIC. MERCEDES BENZ INFORMED THE CONSUMER, IF THEY COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE ISSUE, THEY COULD NOT FIX IT.*JB UPDATED 01/03/17.*JB

NHTSA ODI 10926920

I HAD TWO MVA ACCIDENTS (FEBRUARY 1 AND MARCH 16, 2016) IN THIS VEHICLE WITHIN~ 3 MONTHS OF OWNERSHIP. THE ACCIDENTS OCCURRED WHEN I SLOWED DOWN THIS VEHICLE UNDER 10-15MPH. UPON PURCHASE, I NOTICED UNLIKE OTHER CARS I HAVE OWNED, AT A STOP THIS MBGLA 250 VEHICLE ENGINE WOULD CUT OFF COMPLETELY AND START BACK WHEN THE GAS PEDAL WAS PRESSED. I WAS TOLD BY THE DEALERSHIP THIS WAS NORMAL. HOWEVER, I NOTICED WHEN I RECEIVED THE CAR BACK FROM PARK PLACE BODYWERKS IN MARCH, 2016, (AFTER ~ 5 WEEK REPAIR PERIOD FROM THE FIRST ACCIDENT THAT OCCURRED IN FEBRUARY 2016) THE ENGINE GEARS WOULD JUMP FROM 1ST TO 4TH AFTER SLOWING DOWN ON THE BRAKE FOLLOWED BY STEPPING ON THE GAS PEDAL, IT FELT LIKE THE CAR WAS JUMPING BETWEEN GEARS, I WAS NOT ABLE TO CONTROL THIS. THE CURRENT CAR ACCIDENT HAPPENED ON MARCH 16, 2016, WITHIN 1 WEEK POST REPAIR FROM PARK PLACE BODYWERKS, AFTER I STOPPED AT A STOPPED LIGHT I HIT THE LIGHT POLE, RESULTING IN FRONT END DAMAGE AND NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT. DURING THIS CONTINUOUS ADDITIONAL 3 MONTH REPAIR PERIOD, I WAS NOTIFIED IN MAY, 2016 BY MY GEICO ADJUSTER THAT THE TRANSMISSION HAD THE WRONG FLUID IN IT AND THE CLAIM WOULD BE ESCALATED. IN THE DAYS THAT FOLLOW, I WAS CONTACTED BY A PARK PLACE BODYWERKS AGENT AND ASKED "DID YOU CHANGE THE FLUIDS IN THE TRANSMISSION.." I WAS EXTREMELY OFFENDED AND INFORMED HIM "I DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO OPEN THE HOOD..." AS OF TODAY, 6/13/16, GEICO HAS PAID PARK PLACE BODYWERKS ON BEHALF OF MY POLICY $28,831.30 FOR A VEHICLE I HAVE ONLY OWNED SINCE NOVEMBER 2015, DRIVEN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS, BOUGHT CERTIFIED PRE-OWNED FROM PARK PLACE BODYWERKS WITH LESS THAN 8000 MILES, CONTAINED THE WRONG TRANSMISSION FLUID FROM THE DEALERSHIP, HAD TWO LOW SPEED ACCIDENTS EACH WITH NO AIR BAG DEPLOYMENT, A HOSPITALIZATION FOR THE OWNER AND NEVER HAD A DRIVING HISTORY LIKE THIS OF MULTIPLE ACCIDENTS.

NHTSA ODI 10874019

TRANSMISSION VIOLENTLY ENGAGE IN REVERSE: SO FAR I HAVE ONLY EXPERIENCED THIS (TWICE) DURING COLD-STARTS. STARTED THE ENGINE, SHIFT CAR IN TO REVERSE GEAR, DISENGAGE PARKING BREAK. IN NORMAL SITUATION, THE CAR WOULD REVERSE SLOWLY WITHOUT APPLYING THROTTLE. IN THE TWO TIMES I EXPERINCED THE PROBLEM, THE CAR WOULD STILL BE IDLE, EVEN AFTER GENTLY APPLYING THROTTLE. AFTER ABOUT 5 SECONDS OR SO, THE CAR WOULD VIOLENTLY JERK AND THE TRANSMISSION FINALLY ENGAGED IN REVERSE. THE LOCAL MB SERVICE CENTER WAS NOT ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE ISSUE. SOME GLA OWNERS ALSO EXPERINCED THE SAME ISSUE, WHICH CAN BE FOUND IN THIS DISCUSSION: HTTP://WWW.GLAOWNERS.COM/FORUM/ENGINE-TECHNICAL-DISCUSSION/8297-TRANSMISSION-WOES.HTML HERE IS THE VIDEO THAT ILLUSTRATES MY EXPERIENCE, FROM ANOTHER GLA OWNER: HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/GLN7KPGXYB4

NHTSA ODI 10860609

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2015 MERCEDES BENZ GLA250. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER AND REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE CHECK ENGINE WARING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT GO INTO REVERSE. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS IN PARK, IT JERKED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER AGAIN WHERE THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10811450