What 100 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Mercedes-benz GLA

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

Mercedes no longer supports the sos ( tel-aid) system, so this system no longer works...each time you start the car, the sos inoperative warning light is on, and it blocks other safety features ( speedometer etc..). You have to reset the light each time you get in the car. Without the support of the system there is no emergency alert theft tracking ,airbag deployment sent to MB etc etc. Mercedes no longer services this feature, and this is one of the reasons we bought this car. It's a tremendous safety concern. Even though there are dealer bulletins about this, there is no fix. All these cars should be purchased back by MB. I'm uncomfortable driving a car that could be involved in a collision, and the car not notifying MB, or the police

NHTSA ODI 11500892

A driver in my household was driving at normal speeds and smelled smoke in the cabin. She pulled over immediately to the nearest gas station. In that short time, there were FLAMES coming from the center console area. She ran inside to get employees with fire extinguisher. The fire was put out and police/fire department were called. The car was un-drivable, and my insurance declared it as a total loss (it would cost more to repair than the current blue book value). I had a similar problem previously with a Mercedes 2014 CLA250. That was a smaller fire, but melted the console area. I will be submitting a report for that one as well, even though it happened several years ago. After that incident we went back and forth with MB corporate and ultimately took it to dealer and ended up trading in for this one. Both fires were electrical fires from wires underneath the center console.

NHTSA ODI 11492588

When I went to start my vehicle it did not turn on. The lights weren’t on and we had the battery and alternator checked out and they were fine.

NHTSA ODI 11487464

I was driving and my car randomly changed to neutral on the highway in traffic. I could not changed the gear and was almost hit by several cars that swirved around me. There is a recall for the 2019 version of the car for this very same issue but it exists in all years prior and Mercedes has not addressed it. This is happening to many of us and is being reported at glaowners.com

NHTSA ODI 11430060

CHECK ENGINE APPEARED ON OUR DASH BOARD AT 56,000 MILEAGE AND DIAGNOSED WITH A PROBLEM OF THE AUXILLARY ELECTRICAL OIL PUMP. THIS IS THE SECOND TIME WE HAVE CHECK ENGINE AFTER WE ARE OFF WARRANTY. I CAN ALSO SMELL GAS INSIDE THE CABIN WHEN I TURNED ON THE ENGINE

NHTSA ODI 11258021

WE PURCHASED THIS CAR AS CERTIFY PRE-OWNED; IT HAS ENCOUNTER NUMEROUS ISSUES. ONE ISSUE I DID NOT MENTION ON THE PREVIOUS COMPLAINT IS THE ISSUE WITH "KEY LESS" REMOTE. THE CAR SOME TIME DOES NOT DETECT KEY LESS REMOTE DURING DRIVING SAYING "KEY NOT DETECTED" EVEN AFTER REPLACING BATTERY AND VISITED DEALER (HOUSE OF IMPORT) FOR SOFTWARE UPDATE. IT HAS BEEN SEVERAL OCCASION CAR FAIL TO RESTART WAITING ON THE TRAFFIC LIGHT AFTER SEVERAL ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE CAR IT KEPT SAYING KEY NOT DETECTED (THIS CAK HAS AUTO START/STOP FEATURE) THAT MAKE IT VERY DANGEROUS POSSIBLE CAN BE REAR ENDED BY OTHER CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11190192

WE HAVE HAD THIS CAR ABOUT A YEAR, WE ENCOUNTER NUMEROUS OCCASION THE THE "COLLISION ASSIST PLUS" HAS ENGAGED INTERMITTENTLY W/O ANY REASONABLE OBSTACLE IN FRONT OF THE CAR WHEN IT IS IN MOTION. ABOUT A MONTH AGO, THE CAR GAVE MESSAGE "COLLISION ASSIST INOPERATIVE" AND I CAN EVEN GET THE CAR IN GEAR NOT WITH MULTIPLE RESTART. LAST WEEK I WENT OUT WITH MY WIFE AND THE CAR STOP ON THE BUSY STREET ON THE STOP AND GO TRAFFIC AND THE CAR DID "AUTO START STOP" WAS UNABLE TO RESTART AND IT DISENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION AND I HAD TO RESTART THE CAR MANUALLY AND REENGAGE THE TRANSMISSION. I HAD FILE COMPLAINT ABOUT INTERMITTENT "COLLISION ASSIST " CONDITION TO THE DEALER (HOUSE OF IMPORT, BUANA PARK, CA), THE SERVICE ADVISER SAID IT IS NORMAL FOR THE COLLISION ASSIST ACTING UP SOME TIME. I BELIEVE THERE ARE SOME SOFTWARE GREMLIN OR SOME OTHER ECU ISSUE NEED TO BE ADDRESS. IT S A SAFETY CONCERN TO KEEP DRIVING THIS CAN W/O ANY SOLUTION, I DID CONTACTED MBZ USA, THEY OFFER NO HELP NOR SOLUTION AT ALL.

NHTSA ODI 11190094

I WAS DRIVING MY 2015 MB GLA250 4MATIC [XXX] AND SUDDENLY 5 WARNING ALERTS POPPED ON THE DISPLAY AND THE RESPECTIVE SIGNALS TURNED ON THE DASHBOARD. THE 5 WARNINGS WERE: 4MATIC CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE, INOPERATIVE ABS, PARKING BREAK, COLLISION PREVENTION ASSIST PLUS INOPERATIVE AND CHECK ENGINE. IN ADDITION, THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HEAVY AT THE SAME TIME. I TURNED OFF THE CAR AND TURNED IT ON AGAIN AND AT THAT TIME ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE SIGNAL WAS ON. AS SOON AS I ACCELERATED THE CAR AND THE CAR CHANGED TO 2ND, ALL THE ORIGINAL LIGHTS AND WARNING TURNED ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME HEAVY. I AM SHARING THIS INFORMATION BECAUSE I'VE READ MULTIPLE SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ONLINE. THE WARRANTY OF THE CAR EXPIRED IN DECEMBER 2018 (3 MONTHS AGO) AND BACK IN NOVEMBER MY VEHICLE STAYED A COUPLE WEEKS IN GARAGE ISLA VERDE (PUERTO RICO) DUE TO PROBLEMS WITH TRANSMISSION. MY CAR HAS 18,000 MILES AND I FIND THESE TYPES OF ERRORS UNBEALIVABLE SINCE IT'S AN ALMOST NEW UNIT. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TT

NHTSA ODI 11187329

I STARTED THE CAR AND I GOT A MESSAGE STATING THE RIGHT FRONT AIR BAG MALFUNCTIONED. THERE IS A SHORT. I TOOK THE CAR IN FOR REPAIR, THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL RECALLS ON THIS MODEL FOR THE AIR BAG, MINE IS NOT INCLUDED. THE AIR BAG HAS SHORTED OUT. THIS IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11162549

WHEN VEHICLE IS PARKED IN A SPACE UNDER POWER LINES THE VEHICLE LOCKING SYSTEM DEACTIVATES AND THE VEHICLE WILL NOT LOCK. THE VEHICLE MUST BE MOVED TO A SPACE WHERE THERE NO POWER LINES ABOVE THE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ODI 11098340

DRIVING AT APPROX. 30MPH AND SUDDENLY THE ENTIRE DASH LIT UP, ALL RED AND YELLOW SYMBOLS ALONG WITH A MSG IN THE DISPLAY TO THE EFFECT OF COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM INOPERATIVE, STOP IMMEDIATELY. THIS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE EXACT MSG. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAR DECELERATED TO A STOP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. OBVIOUSLY I DID NOT NEED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. IT FELT LIKE THE DECELERATION OF THE ENGINE BEING OFF BUT THE CAR STILL IN GEAR WITH THAT STOPPING THE CAR. DID NOT USE BRAKES TO STOP CAR. THIS WAS VERY SUDDEN. THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING AFTER STOPPING BECAUSE THE TACH WAS AT ZERO. THE DASH STAYED LIT AND THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE GEAR ON THE INDICATOR. I PRESSED THE BUTTON TO PUT IT IN PARK AND THEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PRESSED TO START THE ENGINE. IT RESTARTED EXCEPT NOW ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS LIT. I DROVE TO THE DEALER. HAD THIS HAPPENED A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER ON THE FREEWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS. THIS HAPPENED ON A 3 LANE EACH WAY LOCAL ROAD. WAITING FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT STILL VERY DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION.

NHTSA ODI 10945134

VEHICLE ON SIDE STREET NEAR HOME...SUDDENLY CHUGS, AND SLOWS TO A CRAWL WILL NOT ACCELERATE...ALL LIGHTS COME ON DASHBOARD..ALSO ENGINE LIGHT... TOWED TO DEALERSHIP IN DAYTONA BEACH, FL...AFTER 3 WKS SERVICE DEPT CALLED TO SAY IT WAS FIXED... WIRING HARNESS AND A ME CONTROL UNIT REPLACED. 3 WKS LATER ON 5/10/16 SAME INCIDENT HAPPENED...LUCKILY IT WAS ON SIDE STREET SO WAS NO ACCIDENT OR DAMAGE....THIS APPEARS TO BE A RECURRING PROBLEM W/MERCEDES BENZ VEHICLES.... SERVICE DEPT CLAIMS FOUND FIX ONLINE..? RESET SOME KIND OF "PINS".....THIS CAR IS NOT SAFE IN MY OPINION....

NHTSA ODI 10870565