2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA45 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2015 Mercedes-Benz AMG GLA45, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Engine436.4%
- Electrical218.2%
- Visibility218.2%
- Airbags19.1%
- Body & structure19.1%
- Powertrain (other)19.1%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving and my car randomly changed to neutral on the highway in traffic. I could not changed the gear and was almost hit by several cars that swirved around me. There is a recall for the 2019 version of the car for this very same issue but it exists in all years prior and Mercedes has not addressed it. This is happening to many of us and is being reported at glaowners.com
ON SEPTEMBER 3RD, SUNDAY 2019, WE WERE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 60 WESTBOUND AT THE SPEED OF AROUND 65 MILES/HOUR. THE ENGINE OF MY CAR STOPPED WITHOUT ANY PRIOR WARNING, AND WE COULD MOVE THE CAR 20~30 YARDS BEFORE COMPLETE STOP. THE ONTARIO(CALIFORNIA) MERCEDES BENZ SERVICE CENTER TOLD US THE CAUSE OF THE CAR FAILURE WAS A HIGH PRESSURE OIL PUMP RELATED PROBLEMS. ON DECEMBER 7, 2019, THE SAME CAR PROBLEM OCCURRED. WE WERE DRIVING AT THE SPEED OF 20 MILES/HOUR ON A ROAD IN THE CITY OF TORRENCE, AND THE CAR ENGINE STOPPED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. THE LA SERVICE CENTER SAID THE CAUSE OF FAILURE RELATED TO THE MECHANICAL/ELECTRICAL CONTROL SYSTEM THAT GOVERNS HYDRAULIC PUMP AND ENGINE, AND THE PROBLEM COULD NOT BE FIXED AT THE CENTER, AND THEY HAVE TO CONTACT THE FACTORY. THE 3RD CAR FAILURE OCCURRED ON SATURDAY, 2020.7.12. ON 2020.7.11., ONE DAY BEFORE THE CAR FAILURE, THE CAR FRONT PANEL SHOWED A LIGHT INDICATING AN ENGINE CHECK IS REQUIRED. HOWEVER, THE WARNING SIGNAL FOR ENGINE CHECK DISAPPEARED AND USED VISIT SON'S HOUSE. AFTER VISIT, WE STARTED THE CAR, AND THE ENGINE DID NOT START WITH A SYMPTOM SIMILAR TO. PREVIOUS TWO CASES.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving and my car randomly changed to neutral on the highway in traffic. I could not changed the gear and was almost hit by several cars that swirved around me. There is a recall for the 2019 version of the car for this very same issue but it exists in all years prior and Mercedes has not addressed it. This is happening to many of us and is being reported at glaowners.com
DRIVING AT APPROX. 30MPH AND SUDDENLY THE ENTIRE DASH LIT UP, ALL RED AND YELLOW SYMBOLS ALONG WITH A MSG IN THE DISPLAY TO THE EFFECT OF COLLISION AVOIDANCE SYSTEM INOPERATIVE, STOP IMMEDIATELY. THIS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE EXACT MSG. AT THE SAME TIME THE CAR DECELERATED TO A STOP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY. OBVIOUSLY I DID NOT NEED TO BRING THE VEHICLE TO A STOP. IT FELT LIKE THE DECELERATION OF THE ENGINE BEING OFF BUT THE CAR STILL IN GEAR WITH THAT STOPPING THE CAR. DID NOT USE BRAKES TO STOP CAR. THIS WAS VERY SUDDEN. THE ENGINE WAS NOT RUNNING AFTER STOPPING BECAUSE THE TACH WAS AT ZERO. THE DASH STAYED LIT AND THE CAR WAS STILL IN DRIVE GEAR ON THE INDICATOR. I PRESSED THE BUTTON TO PUT IT IN PARK AND THEN WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE PRESSED TO START THE ENGINE. IT RESTARTED EXCEPT NOW ONLY THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS LIT. I DROVE TO THE DEALER. HAD THIS HAPPENED A FEW MOMENTS EARLIER ON THE FREEWAY IT COULD HAVE BEEN DISASTROUS. CAR IS NOW AT THE DEALER AND THEY SAID THEY'VE NEVER HEARD OF THIS. THIS HAPPENED ON A 3 LANE EACH WAY LOCAL ROAD. WAITING FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT STILL VERY DANGEROUS IN MY OPINION.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
On the morning of April 28, 2026, at approximately 7:30 AM, I discovered that the front panel of the panoramic sunroof on my 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA45 AMG had spontaneously shattered while the vehicle was parked at my residence in Meridian, Idaho. When I went out to the vehicle in the morning, I found glass fragments distributed across the rear seat area, the rear floor, and my child's car seat. Looking up, I saw that the front panoramic glass panel had shattered. My husband and I conducted a complete walk-around inspection of the vehicle exterior. We found no evidence of any external impact: no damage to the roof surface, body panels, surrounding trim, or any other glass on the vehicle. There was no debris (rocks, branches, hailstones, construction materials, or any other potential impact source) on top of, beneath, in or around the vehicle. The rear panoramic glass panel was intact. Glass fragments were present both inside the cabin and on the exterior surface of the roof and a few fragments were found on the roadway. The car seat where glass fragments fell is regularly occupied by my [XXX] daughter. On this particular morning, she was not in the vehicle only because of a coincidental change in our family's schedule that day, but typically she gets into her carseat independently, buckles herself, and I check her buckles. Thankfully, she was not injured but her car seat now has glass fragments in the seat. I am filing this complaint to document the incident in support of NHTSA's ongoing collection of safety data for consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
2015 AMG GLA-45. Sunroof violently broke, opening from front (normal is back) and sticking up 3-4 inches. Luckily this happened in our garage not moving, while simply pushing Close Sunroof button. If this had happened on the highway, it could have ripped off and killed somebody. Dealer says common problem, as soon as I brought the car in they said “sunroof warranty job” but the car is actually out of warranty. MB Natick Mass dealer is charging $3000 to replace motor, track, hinges, wind deflector. Can’t be closed manually even by dealer so car useless for two weeks while waiting for MB Corporate to review case for recall or complimentary repair due to liability. Today they refused to cover the repair cost or add car to recall list. NHTSA should know this car has ~26,000 miles on it and we’ve only opened/closed the sunroof perhaps ten times since buying it new. The sunroof assembly is obviously defective from the factory and was a “timebomb.” If it broke on the highway, lifting up from the front, it could have flown off and caused an accident and/or killed somebody behind us. Scary.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
NEEDING TO FIX THE RECALL FOR SAFETY
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
2015 AMG GLA-45. Sunroof violently broke, opening from front (normal is back) and sticking up 3-4 inches. Luckily this happened in our garage not moving, while simply pushing Close Sunroof button. If this had happened on the highway, it could have ripped off and killed somebody. Dealer says common problem, as soon as I brought the car in they said “sunroof warranty job” but the car is actually out of warranty. MB Natick Mass dealer is charging $3000 to replace motor, track, hinges, wind deflector. Can’t be closed manually even by dealer so car useless for two weeks while waiting for MB Corporate to review case for recall or complimentary repair due to liability. Today they refused to cover the repair cost or add car to recall list. NHTSA should know this car has ~26,000 miles on it and we’ve only opened/closed the sunroof perhaps ten times since buying it new. The sunroof assembly is obviously defective from the factory and was a “timebomb.” If it broke on the highway, lifting up from the front, it could have flown off and caused an accident and/or killed somebody behind us. Scary.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving and my car randomly changed to neutral on the highway in traffic. I could not changed the gear and was almost hit by several cars that swirved around me. There is a recall for the 2019 version of the car for this very same issue but it exists in all years prior and Mercedes has not addressed it. This is happening to many of us and is being reported at glaowners.com
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .