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What 33 owners told NHTSA about the 2017 Mercedes-benz GLA

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 (33)Crash / fire / injury (1)Electrical system (10)Engine (8)Airbags (4)Fuel system (3)Transmission & drivetrain (3)Tires (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Brakes (1)Communication (1)Driver assistance (1)

3 of 33 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · clear filters

Jan 6, 2025Transmission & drivetrain

Check engine light received a diagnosis from Mercedes dealership that the crankcase ventilator line is malfunctioning and it’s a very common issue with this model. The transmission stalls during driving, the gears do not jump properly and the car cannot reverse, extremely dangerous at intersections and on the highway. Car needs to be turned off, cooled and restarted. This issue first appeared within a month of owning the vehicle from a certified Mercedes dealership. Refused to help during COVID, and by the time they were taking appointments again (two to three months after warranty expiration), warranty expired, would not honor and refusing to offer any help currently, expensive repair.

NHTSA ODI 11634299

Feb 20, 2019Transmission & drivetrainElectrical system

ON 12/23/18 AND AGAIN ON 2/19/19 MY 2017 GLA SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL WHILE DRIVING. MY DASH LIGHTS WENT OUT, THE VEHICLE SHIFTED INTO NEUTRAL THE RADIO STOPPED PLAYING OR SKIPPED IN AND OUT. AN ERROR MESSAGE APPEARED IN THE INSTRUMENT PANEL "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION STOP" ON BOTH OCCASIONS MY DEALER HAS SAID IT NEEDED A SOFTWARE UPDATE AND SHOULD NOT HAPPEN AGAIN. BUT OF COURSE IT HAS HAPPENED 2 TIME IN LESS THAN 2 MONTHS. THIS IS A DANGEROUS AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING MALEFUNTION. I DON'T BELIEVE THE SOFTWARE UPDATE IS THE ISSUE. SURELY A SOFTWARE UPDATE WOULD NOT CAUSE A LIFE THREATENING MALEFUNTION.

NHTSA ODI 11181284

Nov 8, 2018Transmission & drivetrainEngine

WHILE DRIVING ON FREEWAY AROUND 70 MPH, THE IP DISPLAY JUST SUDDENLY DISAPPEAR FOR 1 SPLIT SECOND, THEN THE CAR SHIFTED ITSELF INTO NEUTRAL AND DISPLAYED THE FOLLOWING MESSAGE: "TRANSMISSION MALFUNCTION STOP", THEN I COASTED TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER AREA OF THE FREEWAY, THEN I TURNED OFF THE ENGINE, WAITED FOR 1-2 MINUTES, THEN RESTARTED THE ENGINE AGAIN WITHOUT ANY ISSUE. IT HAPPENED 2 DAYS IN THE ROW-ONE IS YESTERDAY AFTERNOON; THE OTHER ONE THIS MORNING.

NHTSA ODI 11150118

Working with the data? Download all 33 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 2017 Mercedes-benz GLA verdict →