2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250 Problems and Recalls (60 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250 is Engine (18% of 60 owner reports). There are 7 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Engine — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 60 complaints · 7 recalls

What problems show up on the 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250?

11 of 60 filings named Engine (18% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Airbags (5 reports).

There are 7 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Engine, Electrical, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2014 has 176 reports on file; this year has 60. A smaller lifetime total is not a clean bill of health. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 7 campaigns on file below.
  2. Engine. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise.
  3. Airbags. Confirm the airbag light behaves normally and that open airbag recalls are closed.
  4. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Engine. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Engine 11 complaints · 18.3% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 5
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 4
  • Deaths 0
All Mercedes Benz CLA250 years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Engine (ENGINE) appears in 11 of 60 owner complaints (18.3%) in this vehicle snapshot. Engine (ENGINE): 11 complaints, 18.3% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 11 · 18.3% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 5 complaints, 8.3% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 5 · 8.3% Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 5 complaints, 8.3% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 · 8.3% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 4 complaints, 6.7% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 1 crash reports 4 · 6.7% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 4 complaints, 6.7% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 1 crash reports 4 · 6.7% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 4 complaints, 6.7% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 · 6.7% Suspension (SUSPENSION): 3 complaints, 5.0% of reports Suspension (SUSPENSION) 1 crash reports 3 · 5.0% Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 1 crash reports 1 · 1.7% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 1 complaints, 1.7% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 · 1.7% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 26 complaints, 43.3% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 26 · 43.3% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Engine (ENGINE) 11 18.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 5 8.3% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 5 8.3% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 4 6.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 4 6.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 4 6.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Suspension (SUSPENSION) 3 5.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Rear camera / backup safety (BACK OVER PREVENTION) 1 1.7% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 1 1.7% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 26 43.3% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2015; the first recall shown was reported in Oct 2015. 2015-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2016-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2017-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2018-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2018-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 2019-Q2: 2 owner reports 2 2019-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2020-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2020-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2020-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2021-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2021-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2021-Q4: 2 owner reports 2 2022-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2023-Q2: 1 owner reports 1 2023-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q4: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2015 Oct 2025 Recall campaign 15V662000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V662000 Recall campaign 17V114000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V114000 Recall campaign 17V627000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V627000 Recall campaign 19V787000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V787000 Recall campaign 19V892000 ◆ Recall campaign 19V892000 Recall campaign 21V197000 ◆ Recall campaign 21V197000 Recall campaign 23V854000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V854000 Investigation PE21001 ● Investigation PE21001 Investigation EA21002 ● Investigation EA21002
  • Campaign 19V892000 was reported 683 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 21V197000 was reported 1,156 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V854000 was reported 2,157 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2015-Q3 Owner reports 1
2016-Q4 Owner reports 2
2017-Q2 Owner reports 2
2017-Q4 Owner reports 2
2018-Q1 Owner reports 5
2018-Q2 Owner reports 2
2018-Q4 Owner reports 1
2019-Q2 Owner reports 2
2019-Q3 Owner reports 1
2020-Q1 Owner reports 2
2020-Q2 Owner reports 1
2020-Q3 Owner reports 7
2020-Q4 Owner reports 3
2021-Q2 Owner reports 4
2021-Q3 Owner reports 2
2021-Q4 Owner reports 2
2022-Q3 Owner reports 2
2023-Q2 Owner reports 1
2023-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q2 Owner reports 5
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q3 Owner reports 3
2025-Q4 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 15V662000
Recall campaign 1 17V114000
Recall campaign 1 17V627000
Recall campaign 1 19V787000
Recall campaign 1 19V892000
Recall campaign 1 21V197000
Recall campaign 1 23V854000
Defect investigation 1 PE21001
Defect investigation 1 EA21002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (7)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Engine, Electrical, Airbags, and Body / frame.

  1. Recall campaign 15V662000

    Engine

    Report date
    Component:
    Engine (ENGINE)
    Consequence:
    Engine damage may result in a stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Mercedes-Benz will notify owners, and dealers will replace the affected camshafts, free of charge. Interim notices were mailed to owners on December 9, 2015. The recall began on December 23, 2015. Owners may contact Mercedes-Benz customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Mercedes-Benz's number for this recall is 2015100006.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 17V114000

    Electrical

    Report date
    Component:
    Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
    Consequence:
    If the starting current limiter overheats, the surrounding components can melt, increasing the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will install an additional fuse in the electrical line to the starter, free of charge. The recall began August 31, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2017080002.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Recall campaign 17V627000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    If the driver air bag inadvertently deploys, it can increase the risk of injury and a crash.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will add sufficient grounding to the steering components, free of charge. The recall began in December 6, 2017. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-496-3691.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Recall campaign 19V787000

    Safety recall 19V787000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    An inaccurate vehicle location may delay emergency responders, increasing the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA has initiated an Over the Air (OTA) remote update. MBUSA will also notify owners, and dealers will check software for a successful OTA or update the communication module software as needed, free of charge. The recall began December 23, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019120008.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Recall campaign 19V892000

    Airbags

    Report date
    Component:
    Airbags (AIR BAGS)
    Consequence:
    In the event of a crash, if the air bag does not deploy as designed, the front seat passenger has an increased risk of an injury.
    Remedy:
    MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger seat cushion, free of charge. The recall began July 31, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020060012.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  6. Recall campaign 21V197000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    The adhesive bonding of the front panel might deteriorate, possibly causing the front panel to detach from the vehicle and become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Mercedes-Benz dealer will remove the bonded panel and will install a new front panel by following the detailed repair instructions and using the approved primer, cleaner and adhesive, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on September 3, 2021 and October 26, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  7. Recall campaign 23V854000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    A detached roof panel can become a road hazard, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will replace the front panel, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on August 2, 2024. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on, March 22,2024, and August 2, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. This recall is an expansion of NHTSA recall number 21V-197.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 6 of 60 complaints · page 1 of 3
2025-10-04Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11691411
CrashFireInjuryDeath
UNKNOWN- The check engine light came on and was taken for a diagnostic test and it returned a P052E code. This indicates a fault in the Positive Crankcase Ventilation Regulator Valve performance. This is a known issue with Mercedes Benz as there has been a recall for all the models except the CLA.
2025-09-15Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11687298
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I was driving to work on Thursday, September 11th. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise like an explosion. Upon checking, I saw that my sunroof had exploded, shattering glass everywhere. The loud noise startled me, causing me to almost have an accident. I managed to pull over, check my vehicle, and drive it back home. I've contacted my insurance company and documented the damage with photos.
2025-07-24Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM)
NHTSA ODI 11675817
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously involved in a collision, in which another vehicle crashed into the passenger's side of the vehicle, causing damage to the frame and headlights; however, the air bags failed to deploy. The contact sustained soreness in the neck and back and received medical assistance. A police report was filed, but the contact did not have the police report information available. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact pulled to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was able to restart; however, the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V662000(Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact stated that the vehicle had leaked excessive oil onto the ground. The contact stated that the vehicle had failed to start while pressing the Push to Start button. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that she would need to pay a fee for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
2025-07-22Engine (ENGINE)
NHTSA ODI 11675411
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Check Engine Light - Code P052E71 - Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve Performance. The component failure can lead to increased exhaust gas emission, oil leaks, and internal engine damage resulting in unsafe operation. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by an independent certified service center. This specific vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, but this specific problem has been identified in other similar Mercedes-Benz years, make, and models. MBUSA LLC is only willing to apply the EMISSION EXTENDED WARRANTY to certain models within a certain model year, even though the design and engine components are nearly identical if not the same. My vehicle is the same model year and class, but a different model type and not included in the EMISSION EXTENDED WARRANTY. Repair cost can be in excess of $2,000 if not covered under the added warranty.
2025-02-27Suspension (SUSPENSION)
NHTSA ODI 11645299
CrashFireInjuryDeath
Mercedes subframes that prematurely rust or deteriorate. Mercedes has extended warranty for the mentioned parts on some models. But clearly it is not enough because more models have the same issues. This is a serious safety issues and Mercedes should have taken more responsibility.
2025-02-19Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11643769
CrashFireInjuryDeath
In November 2024, while at a stop, the car shut off. A few weeks later, while driving the car over speed tables/humps, the car shifted from drive into neutral. No warning or error lights appeared on the dashboard. It just showed that the car was now in neutral. I was able to shift back into drive and continue. Fortunately, I was in a residential neighborhood, going about 10 miles per hour and had only one car behind me. This happened again in December, with the same scenario and on the same road, so I took the car to the dealer. They did a diagnostic and was not able to duplicate the problem, but said there were some error codes and it could possibly be the starter, auxiliary battery or transmisson service, since I had not done one. They also stated there was a Coolant Thermostat electrical fault code. They scheduled me to come back in January 2025 since I needed a loaner car. They kept my car for a couple of days to do a more detailed diagnostic. In the end they replaced the auxiliary battery and did a transmission service because they could not replicate the problem. Said that there was nothing in the transmission fluid of concern and, the starter code had not returned. Stated that it could have been an electrical fluke. No other codes were showing. They did say that some time in the future I would need a coolant thermostat. Car ran well for a few weeks and then in February 2025, going over the same road with speed humps, the car went into neutral. The car has been in the shop for the last 7 days and they are trying to figure out what is happening. I am submitting this because I found many other people posting on forums about having the same issue. My concern is what will happen if my car moves into neutral while I am going at a high speed. It puts me, my family and others lives in danger if my car stops suddenly.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250?

Owners named Engine most often — 11 of 60 reports (18%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250?

NHTSA lists 7 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Engine, Electrical, Airbags, and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2015 Mercedes Benz CLA250?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop check for oil consumption, coolant leaks, rough idle and unusual engine noise. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources