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What 49 owners told NHTSA about the 2018 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 (49)Crash / fire / injury (4)Electrical system (10)Engine (10)Fuel system (6)Transmission & drivetrain (6)Airbags (5)Wheels (5)Body & structure (4)Driver assistance (3)Visibility & wipers (3)Backup camera & sensors (2)

1 of 49 complaints match · Electrical system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 17, 2018Electrical systemFire

AT 1:10 AM THE 2018 MERCEDES BENZ GLA SPONTANEOUSLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE CAR WAS PARKED IN MY GARAGE AND HAD NOT BEEN USED IN OVER 6 HOURS. THE CAR HAD 11,000 MILES ON IT. IT WAS LAST SERVICED BY MB OF COCONUT CREEK ONE MONTH EARLIER FOR THE ROUTINE 10K SERVICE. THE ONLY PROBLEM WE HAD WITH THE CAR WAS ONCE THE AIR-CONDITIONING FAILED TO WORK. I BELIEVE THE MB DEALERSHIP SAID IT WAS A FAULTY RELAY. THE CAR WAS ONLY SERVICED BY MB AT THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE BOUGHT THE CAR. THE ENSUING FIRE CONSUMED MY GARAGE AND DESTROYED MY HOUSE. EVENTUALLY THE FIRE HIT OUR FUSE BOX CUTTING THE POWER TO THE HOME. THE LOSS OF ELECTRICITY WOKE ME UP. I HEARD A STRANGE NOISE AND INVESTIGATED. I SAW MY HOUSE ON FIRE AND WOKE EVERYONE UP AND WE ESCAPED UNHARMED. REPRESENTATIVES FROM MERCEDES AND MY HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE WILL BE CONDUCTING AN INVESTIGATION OF DECEMBER 5TH AT 9:00 AM AT MY HOME AT 21311 FALLS RIDGE WAY, BOCA RATON FL 33428

NHTSA ODI 11152194

Working with the data? Download all 49 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 2018 Mercedes-benz GLA verdict →