2018 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 2018 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
- Driver assistance150.0%
- Electrical150.0%
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
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
I was driving the car at about 70 mph on an interstate highway during "rush hour" traffic when the Electronic Stabilization icon flashed on the dashboard screen and the car began to decelerate. I pressed on the accelerator pedal but the car continued to coast. A second or two later the dashboard screen flashed a warning stating something like "Brake assist activated" and the vehicle began to aggressively brake. I was in the middle lane of the interstate with vehicles around me travelling at 65 to 75 miles per hour and I could see a car rapidly approaching me from behind. It was apparent to me that my vehicle was going to come to a rapid stop in the middle of a busy interstate highway and that I was going to be struck from behind by one or more cars travelling at a high rate of speed. I did not think that I would survive such an impact and checked the right hand lane and noted no vehicles. Since all I could do with the car at that point was steer, I pulled my car into the right hand lane, attempting to avoid an inevitable high speed rear end collision. Unfortunately by that time my vehicle was still braking and travelling at a relatively low speed and was struck in the right rear area by another vehicle that was travelling at a much higher speed. Fortunately no one was injured in this crash, but there was extensive damage to both vehicles. I had not previously experienced this type of malfunction of the emergency collision avoidance system but on reviewing Mercedes Benz owners' blogs it is clear that this is not an isolated occurrence. I note that the owners of other car manufacturers have also experienced issues similar to mine, although most of them occurred in less dangerous situations and did not result in a crash. I believe that this "safety" system is flawed and placed my life, and the lives of others, in grave danger, much like the Boeing 737 Max issue, and that a recall and investigation is needed to prevent fatalities resulting from their malfunction.
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
The instrument cluster would fail intermittently, the speedometer would be my accurate speed, and then suddenly 0. Same for RPMs, gas, etc. Then after a period of time they would work again. Some times is was just oscillating back and forth between the failure modes. My blinkers would be on, but the instrument cluster and "click" would be out of sync. The "hold" feature that would hold the break was unavailable during the error state. All the instrument cluster lights would be blinking on and off rapidly. (have video)
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 .