2020 Mercedes-Benz A 220

They are taking too long to remedy the recall.

NHTSA ID

11774860

Incident

Jul 24, 2026

While stopped at a red light, my 2020 Mercedes-Benz A220 unexpectedly shut off and shifted into Neutral without warning. All warning lights illuminated on the dashboard, and a message instructed me to release the brake and restart the engine. The vehicle restarted, but this has now happened twice. The check engine light remains illuminated most of the time. This unexpected engine shutdown creates a safety hazard because the vehicle loses power unexpectedly while in traffic. If this were to occur while crossing an intersection or during other traffic conditions, it could increase the risk of a crash. In March 2023, an independent repair facility diagnosed all four fuel injectors as leaking fuel through the electrical connections, causing circuit problems, and warned there was a fuel leak. All four fuel injectors were replaced. In October 2023, a Mercedes-Benz dealership diagnosed rough idle, misfires, lean mixture fault codes, and excessive leakage in cylinder #4. Mercedes replaced the entire cylinder head under warranty. The vehicle is now experiencing unexpected engine stalls despite these previous repairs. I am submitting this complaint because I believe the repeated engine-related failures and unexpected stalling present a potential safety concern. I am aware of a Mercedes recall involving fuel system components on certain A220 vehicles. My VIN is not included, but I am reporting this because my vehicle has experienced repeated fuel- and engine-related failures and now unexpectedly stalls.

NHTSA ID

11753098

Incident

Jul 26, 2026

The car shakes above 60mph

NHTSA ID

11743938

Incident

Aug 15, 2022

While driving at highway speed, I experienced a sudden loss of engine power with no warning. This created an immediate safety hazard for myself and other drivers. The vehicle was diagnosed by Mercedes-Benz of Georgetown as requiring a full engine replacement (~$19,000). This failure is consistent with a known defect in the 2.0L M260 engine used in the 2020 A220, involving premature wear of exhaust valve seat rings and valve guides, causing leaking valves, loss of compression, and catastrophic engine failure. Mercedes-Benz of Georgetown performed a warranty cylinder head replacement on this same engine just five months prior (12/09/2025). The vehicle has been serviced primarily at the authorized Mercedes-Benz dealer, driven under 10,000 miles/year, and purchased new in January 2020. Mercedes-Benz USA has acknowledged the defect by covering engine parts but is refusing to cover $6,733.38 in labor costs, leaving me with a $5,000 out-of-pocket expense for their manufacturing defect. Case Number: 22307804.”

NHTSA ID

11742453

Incident

May 15, 2026

There was a rear camera recall in 2022 which I had fixed they did a software upgrade. The EXACT same issue has returned . It’s really dangerous when backing out of spaces and I can’t see. I took to dealership and they claim my license plate cover is the issue however even without the cover the exact problem with camera exists it is the same failure

NHTSA ID

11695461

Incident

Oct 21, 2025

My 2020 Mercedes-Benz A220 experienced the same defect described in NHTSA Recall 21V961000 (fuel injector leakage and potential fire hazard). In March 2023, my vehicle was diagnosed with leaking fuel injectors that were causing fuel to leak back through electrical connections, creating circuit issues and a fire risk. I paid $2,902.65 out-of-pocket at a certified service center to have all four OEM fuel injectors replaced (invoice available). Later, I took my car to a Mercedes-Benz dealership, where they performed additional work on the fuel injector system at no cost to me. The service advisor stated that this was covered under a recall/service campaign related to the fuel injector defect. This shows Mercedes-Benz has already acknowledged that my car was affected by the exact same issue covered under Recall 21V961000. However, I was told my VIN [XXX] ) is not officially included in the recall population, and Mercedes-Benz USA has declined to reimburse me for the $2,800+ repair. I believe my vehicle should have been included in the recall population and request that NHTSA review whether the recall scope should be expanded. I also request reimbursement for the repair costs I incurred prior to Mercedes-Benz performing the recall-related fix for free. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11687627

Incident

Mar 14, 2023

August 2024 the dealership had my vehicle for over a month for major engine repairs after the motor mount snapped on the freeway and since then I only drove 3661 miles and I’m now convinced that they miss diagnosed and missed something It never drove the same after so on June 24th I was driving home and the engine seized and almost ejected me from the vehicle and I thank god for seatbelts The car was towed to the dealership and no loaner nor communication for 3 weeks Then tried to charge me $5000 then $3500 to do a teardown after telling me a week ago that I have catastrophic engine failure that is not fixable at all Last Thursday and Friday they did teardown to see what caused this and I am covered under warranty The service manager called me yesterday morning stating it is the 2 rod bearing that caused bright gold metal shavings in my engine oil that caused a catastrophic engine failure I requested that the service manager send me the written report so I can see He said nope it’s internal between him and Mercedes USA 🇺🇸 I explained I am the rightful owner of this vehicle and I have the right to know but more importantly I am scared and feel very unsafe to drive that vehicle again especially after the 2 times in under a year and now what about my transmission and other major components of my car Also I know they will report this car as a salvage or engine replacement under warranty on carfax which hurts the value of my car I did write a demand letter last night to Mercedes Benz consumer affairs and Mercedes USA 🇺🇸 to get me that information to protect my legal rights, warranty and resale value of my car Can you help N before the 2 major and catastrophic engine failure The electrical motor went out 2 x and had to be replaced Air bags The sunroof needed a complete replacement due to electrical Steering issues Suspension Major tire pressure issues

NHTSA ID

11675251

Incident

Jun 24, 2025

My 2020 Mercedes-Benz A-Class has experienced a recurring and extremely dangerous transmission malfunction beginning around 15,000 miles and continuing through 75,000 miles. While driving on both highways and main streets, the car would suddenly stall and shift itself into neutral. A warning message would appear on the dash saying “Cannot reverse – take to dealer.” The gas pedal would become unresponsive, and although I would try to shift back into Drive, the car would not move. The vehicle would slowly lose power and come to a stop in the middle of the road/highway, leaving me completely stranded in traffic with no safe way to move the car. On one occasion, I panicked while stopped in the road and attempted to switch into manual mode with paddle shifters and back to Drive — this briefly worked and allowed me to coast to a safe location. However, on the most recent and most dangerous incident, the car showed cannot reverse take to dealer the switch to “Transmission Malfunction – Stop Vehicle” and no tricks worked. I was stuck in traffic on the highway,for a few minutes unable to drive, until I turned the vehicle off and on multiple times, after which it allowed me to shift back into Drive and exit the roadway. Experiencing the worse anxiety I’ve ever felt in my life as I was just thinking I was going to get hit at full speed and die. This issue has happened multiple times and created life-threatening situations every time and emotional stress. Mercedes-Benz has acknowledged the defect by approving a manufacturer buyback, but the defect has never been fully repaired as of yet. My car is still at dealer. I am filing this complaint to alert NHTSA of this recurring and unsafe issue in the 2020 Mercedes-Benz A-Class. Other drivers may experience the same malfunction, and this could result in serious accidents or fatalities if not addressed through investigation or recall.

NHTSA ID

11674152

Incident

May 12, 2020

Complaint Slight creaking noises when steering. Cause Noises may come from one or more sleeves of the horn contact plate. Remedy Remove the horn contact plate and check the sleeves for noise; see attached video. If necessary, apply lubricant to the sleeves.

Complaint Repeat workshop visit for vehicle vibration while braking from 60MPH. NOTE: Although the symptom is similar to a tire or wheel vibration, it is usually readily noticeable that it is distinctly different if it happens at all times or only while braking. Cause Although the cause of the vibration is most likely due to excessive lateral runout on the rotor or hub/wheel bearing, the system as a whole needs to be checked for other possible contributors. 1. Prior collision damage. 2. Excessive vehicle sitting times without rotating components. 3. Wheel bearing/hub lateral runout. 4. Wheel mating interface has been overtightened (did not follow WIS torque procedures). 5. Mating interfaces have been excessively modified (painted, gouged, bent, etc...). Remedy Read through the entire attached worksheet prior to performing. After performing, please review the final page and perform work accordingly. NOTE: This document is not pre‑authorization or otherwise dealing with warranty. This is intended for diagnostic purposes only. If there are any questions on how to proceed OR The work sheet has been performed and the vehicle has returned with the same concern. Please perform the measurements as seen in the worksheet again and open a TIPS case to the Body, Chassis, and Entertainment team.

Complaint Radio station cover art does not refresh when switching stations. The UI continues to show the old station’s artwork instead of updating to the new one. Cause When a new station change request is triggered, a temporary glitch is causing the Head Unit application to fail to overwrite the previous request. This glitch is causing the cover art mismatch in the Radio application. Remedy Please do not replace any parts. Please update the Head unit software to E505.9

Complaint Clanking noise from the area of the speakers in the doors. Cause Under analysis. Remedy To narrow down the cause, first of all remove the door trim. • If the noise continues to occur even with the door trim removed, then continue the diagnosis working towards the speaker and if necessary, create a TIPS case with an informative video as an attachment. Note: Please refer to this document in the warranty claim and, once diagnosis is completed, select the damage code depending on the component part that is causing the issue. • If the noise stops when the door trim is removed, please proceed in accordance with LI72.10‑P‑067691. Information: In this case, do not use a damage code for the speakers in the warranty claim!

Complaint Intermittent shift feel or thud/clunk noise perceived, such as a brief jerk or transmission reaction during certain driving situations. May be most noticeable when transitioning from a coasting condition to accelerator pedal application. May occur in all drive modes. Cause Dual‑clutch transmissions (DCT) inherently exhibit more dynamic shifting behavior compared to other types of transmissions. This is due to the use of physical clutches for starting and gear changes. In certain situations, dynamic driving behavior can lead to a slight jerk sensation which is a normal technical characteristic of the transmission. A typical example is a "Change of Mind" situation: • The customer is coasting towards a red traffic light. • The traffic light turns green while the vehicle is still coasting. • The customer then presses the accelerator pedal. In these situations, a slight jerk may occur briefly because the transmission must quickly engage the appropriate gear and control the clutches accordingly. Since shift forks are responsible for engaging the gears during shifting, a slight shifting noise may also be noticeable. Please note driving programs S, S+, and M are designed to provide sportier vehicle behavior and are not optimized primarily for maximum comfort, so this operation may be more audible. Remedy Verify the customer's concern and confirm proper transmission operation. If no faults or abnormal operating conditions are identified by IPR (Intelligent Predictive Repair), no hardware replacement is necessary. Inform the customer that the transmission has been designed to provide direct gear engagement and responsive vehicle performance. Under certain operating conditions, brief shift sensations may be perceptible and are consistent with the operating characteristics of the dual‑clutch transmission

Complaint Tailgate opens unintentionally. Cause Accidental or unnoticed activation of the button to open the tailgate on the vehicle key. EXAMPLE: when stored in trouser pocket, handbag etc. Remedy As of the 6th generation, the vehicle key can be recoded so that the tailgate no longer opens as a result of a long press on the button, but by double‑clicking on the button instead. This reduces the likelihood of the button being activated accidentally or unintentionally. The recoding can be carried out as follows: 1. Add SA Code O19 into VeDoc (O for Oscar, not "zero") • an XSS ticket may be necessary to add the SA code 2. Perform SCN coding of EIS N73 control unit 3. Deactivate the vehicle key (a successful deactivation is indicated by the LED lighting up 2x briefly and then 1x for a long period). 4. Place the vehicle key in the storage compartment on the key symbol and turn on the ignition. IMPORTANT: all other vehicle keys must be outside the recognition range of the vehicle when doing this! Perform steps 3 and 4 successively for all vehicle keys. Notes: 6th, 7th and 8th generation keys can be deactivated as follows: Up to modification year 22/1 by double clicking the "Lock button" As of modification year 22/1, by press and holding the “Lock button", then double‑click the “Unlock button" at the same time. On model series 167, the storage compartment with the key symbol is located in the armrest. The SCN coding from the EZS is only transferred correctly to the vehicle key under the following conditions: Only one vehicle key is located in the vehicle, this key has been deactivated and it is positioned on the marking in the storage compartment for the data transfer. The costs for this adaptation are to be borne by the customer. For the newer BR 174, 178, 244, 248, 520, and 540, a software update must be initiated, as there is no way to perform SCN coding.