What 65 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Mercedes-benz CLA

May 3, 2023 - I had pulled back into my driveway approximately at 8:45 AM after leaving a couple of minutes before to run errands. I turned the car off and went inside of my house for less than five minutes. I got back into my car, started the vehicle and the airbag exploded unexpectedly while I was in my driveway. Of course, I was shocked and confused as to what had happened. My husband was inside the house and came out to check on me. I received surface burns on both of my forearms, my left pinky finger was bent in an unnatural position and part of my left pinky fingernail was missing. It was a true blessing that I was in my driveway and not driving on the open road. I went to the doctor a few hours later to get checked out, where it was confirmed by x-rays that I had fractured my left pinky finger, which made it very difficult to do my job. I was traumatized from this incident to say the least. My car sat at the end of my driveway in the same place where the airbag deployed until May 10th. May 9, 2023 - I made my first call to Mercedez Benz USA Care to report what had happened with my Mercedes 2016 CLA250 the previous week and for them to advise me as to what I shoud do. I was advised by MBUSA care representative to have my car towed to an authorized Mercedes Benz Dealership in Kansas City. Because of the late hour of the business day, I decided to have the car towed to the dealership the next day. May 10, 2023 - The vehicle was towed to an authorized Mercedes dealer, Aristocrat Motors in Kansas City. From what I've been told, my vehicle was inspected some time during the last half of June. Because this is considered a legal matter by MBUSA, I have not received any further communication from them. My car has been in "lock down" at the dealership since in was towed there on May 10th. I have reached out to the referral manager at MBUSA on countless occasions via both telephone and email. We have made three car payments and have no car to drive.

NHTSA ODI 11533011

There appears to have been a malfunction with the seat warmer that resulted in a fire.

NHTSA ODI 11453234

I was involved in an accident and hit on the drivers side front and back door. I thought it was weird the airbags did not deploy. I had over $100k in medical bills and still require another surgery.

NHTSA ODI 11418261

UNKNOWN ACCELERATED OUT OF DRIVEWAY, TURNING LEFT. COLLISION WITH OBJECT DEEMED VEHICLE TOTAL LOSS. NO AIRBAG DEPLOYED, FRONT END COLLISION. *TR

NHTSA ODI 11328207

THE TIRES BLEW OUT ON THE NJ TURNPIKE WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 67 MILES PER HOUR. THEY ARE PIRELLI CINTURATO P7 RUN FLAT 225 40R18. ONE OF THE OTHER TIRES HAS A BUBBLE IN IT. THE VEHICLES LOST CONTROL AND WAS SWERVING SEVERELY RIGHT AND LEFT ALMOST DOING A FULL 180 DEGREE TURN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE HIGHWAY WHICH NEARLY HIT OTHER VEHICLES DRIVING OVER 65 MILES PER HOUR. VEHICLE IS 2 YEARS OLD AND HAD TIRE ISSUES AT LEAST 4 TIMES PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. TIRE HAD PRESSURE ISSUE AND WAS TAKEN FOR SERVICE TO MERCEDES OF CHERRY HILL NJ APPROXIMATELY A MONTH BEFORE THIS BLOW OUT.

NHTSA ODI 11124464

"TAKATA RECALL" THE DRIVER WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON MARCH 21ST 2018 AND THE CAR WAS ON A RECALL. THE ACCIDENT WAS AT OCKECHOBEE ROAD, MIAMI, FL WITH 11TH STREET. THE CAR WAS IN MOTION. THE DRIVER RECEIVED A LETTER FROM MERCEDES-BENZ IN NOVEMBER 2017 STATING THAT THE CAR HAD AN INSUFFICIENT ELECTRICAL GROUNDING IN THE STEERING COLUMN COMPONENTS AND THAT THIS COULD LEAD TO AN INADVERTENT DEPLOYMENT OF THE DRIVER AIRBAG CAUSING A RISK OF A POTENTIAL CRASH, BUT THAT UNFORTUNATELY THE REMEDY WAS NOT AVAILABLE YET. DESPITE OF THIS, THE DRIVER TOOK THE CAR TO A MERCEDEZ-BENS DEALER IN THE SAME MONTH, ON NOVEMBER 29TH 2017, AND NOTHING WAS MADE ABOUT THE PROBLEM. THE ACCIDENT WAS TRAGIC. IT WAS AT 2:40PM AND TWO MINUTES BEFORE 2:38PM THE DRIVER SPOKE TO HIS WIFE AND EVERYTHING WAS WELL. ALSO THE AUTOPSY DIDN'T SHOW ANYTHING WRONG WITH HIS HEALTHY CONDITIONS. HE WAS AN AMAZING FATHER, HUSBAND AND VERY CALM PERSON. A PART OF THE INVESTIGATIONS SHOWS THAT THERE IS NO BREAK MARKS ON THE FLOOR, WHICH SHOWS THAT THE DRIVE LOST THE CONTROL OF THE CAR. HIS SON (16) WAS IN THE CAR WITH HIM AND HAD A LOT OF INJURIES AND STILL IS RECOVERING. BECAUSE ALL OF THIS EVIDENCES, I BELIEVE THAT THE AIRBAG DEPLOYED ON HIS FACE CAUSING HIM TO LOOSE CONTROL OF THE CAR.

NHTSA ODI 11113952

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA250. WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEEDS, THE PASSENGER SIDE AIR BAG DEPLOYED WITHOUT WARNING OR IMPACT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE DRIVER'S SIDE UNDERCARRIAGE WAS DAMAGED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE FACE AND RIGHT ARM, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 1,583.

NHTSA ODI 10966079

TL* THE CONTACT RENTED A 2016 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA250. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED AND FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE AUTONOMOUS BRAKING SYSTEM FAILED TO OPERATE AS INTENDED. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE RENTAL AGENCY WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE VIN AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 10935452