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What 3 owners told NHTSA about the 2024 Mercedes-benz CLA

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 (3)Electrical system (2)Engine (1)

Newest first · 3 complaints

Apr 27, 2026Electrical systemEngine

This vehicle has suffered from persistent, substantial, and uncorrected defects, including but not limited to failures in the 48V mild-hybrid electrical system, lithium-ion battery system, DC/DC converter and coolant system. These defects have substantially impaired the vehicle’s use, value and safety as well as my safety, and remain unresolved despite multiple repair attempts at two separate authorized Mercedes-Benz dealerships in St. Louis, MO. SUMMARY OF DEFECTS •Multiple 48 V battery failures and replacements •Multiple replacements of DC/DC converters and failures •Multiple Coolant System failures •Sudden vehicle shutdowns while driving •Numerous non-start issues •Numerous red warning alerts related to the 48 V system •Multiple towing incidents (One involving the police) Despite extensive repair attempts, including replacement of major components, this vehicle continues to fail and is currently still at Mercedes-Benz of St. Louis unrepaired. These repeated repair failures demonstrate the vehicle cannot be repaired to conform with warranty standards. SAFETY INCIDENT My most recent safety incident: On March 10, 2026, this vehicle shut down in the middle of a busy multi-lane roadway, requiring police assistance and emergency towing due to the safety hazard presented. The vehicle has remained in possession of Mercedes-Benz St. Louis since that date (over 45 days) and remains inoperable and unrepaired. This vehicle had also been towed to Plaza Motors two additional times for the same reasons and was there for many days adding to this amount (See attachments). MULTIPLE DEALERSHIPS/FAILED REPAIRS The vehicle has been serviced by both: *Plaza Motor Compay, St. Louis *Mercedes-Benz of St. Louis Despite independent repair attempts by both authorized dealerships, the same defects persist. This confirms that the issue is inherent to the vehicle itself, not a service related issue.

NHTSA ODI 11734113

Dec 11, 2024Electrical system

The engine light comes on constantly. The 1st incident happened 05/2024. I have reported this to the dealership and was told it was ok to drive. Then it kept happening, on 11/05/24 I took the vehicle in for repair. It was returned 11/08/24 and ilthe engine light turned on again. I was told to take the car to the dealership on 11/13/24 and the vehicle has been at the dealership until now 12/11/24. The vehicle stalled on an occasion while in motion. I had to press the start button to continue driving the car. Another occasion the dashboard turned off completely yet the engine light was on. I have voiced to the dealership that I don’t feel safe in the vehicle. On 12/06/25 the dealership notified me a part was ordered to resolve the issue with the engine. Again, I don’t feel safe driving this car. I have voiced this numerous times to the dealership and customer service. I’m waiting on obtaining the documentation from the dealership to provide to you.

NHTSA ODI 11630121

Oct 29, 2024

Car has been sent to dealership service center multiple times since we bought it in June 2024 for a sound created by rear camera. Dealership acknowledged sound made by camera. Last thing shop did was place a “foam padding” to help reduce sound. But it did not help with the noise. They claim that it is “usual” across all GLA250. It is consistently making a noise that it distracts the driver. I tried to reach out to dealersip Sales dept and they could not help us with the car and suggested we talk to corporate but they also just referred us back to the dealership service center.

NHTSA ODI 11622527

Working with the data? Download all 3 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 2024 Mercedes-benz CLA verdict →