RoadVitals

2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
2
Latest Apr 27, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
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InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
0

Overview

Our database contains 2 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250, most frequently naming the body & structure, electrical and engine categories. 156 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Body & structure133.3%
  • Electrical133.3%
  • Engine133.3%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

No recalls in our database for this model year

That does not guarantee a specific vehicle is unaffected — recalls are issued against VINs, and new campaigns are announced regularly. Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov.

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

ElectricalEngine
Filed Apr 27, 2026

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 ID
11734113
Incident
May 14, 2025
Body & structure
Filed Jan 8, 2025

I was driving down [XXX] and heard what sounded like an explosion/loud bang sound and shattered glass. I was unsure what happened and where the sound was coming since I was driving alone on the highway and was panicked. I knew glass had broken because I heard the glass shatter and felt the air from the outside coming into the car. I found a safe place to pull over on the shoulder of the highway and found that the sunroof had shattered and there was a large hole in my sunroof. Had my shade screen not been closed on the sunroof, the glass would have fallen on me and into the vehicle. The shattered sunroof not only terrified me while driving but caused me to be so distracted that I almost caused an accident injuring myself and/or others. After calling the police, they came to clean the large pieces of glass off of the top and provided a report number and told me I could finish my drive home with my husband following behind me. I called Mercedes customer care and reported the issue and was informed to have the road side service pick the car up to be inspected at the dealership. I have owned the car for 1 month and a half. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID
11634761
Incident
Jan 7, 2025

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

LI54.21-P-080326

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Complaint CEL light on with no drivability concerns. Cause Signal timing error. Remedy 167, 465: SW has been released. Update the FSAM to the latest SW version. 290, 118, 243, 247: Software is still in development. This fault code does not cause a drivability concern and will clear itself within 2-3 key cycles. The vehicle can be released back to the customer.

LI35.30-P-058566

POWER TRAIN

Single throttle lift-off clunking noise from the side shaft when moving off (audible at the outboard end). The noise is heard once in each instance when changing direction of travel. Note: Sound file in attachment Cause If the complaint is eliminated by experimentally loosening the outboard collar nut (by 1 turn), the problem is due to cracking of the microweld between the wheel bearing inner race and the joint housing of the side shaft. Note: The collar nut must always be replaced after being loosened. See also LI33.20-P-078406 Remedy Coat contact surface of side shaft with wheel bearing with Molykote paint. To do this, proceed as follows: 1. Remove side shafts 2. Clean contact surface A (see image file in attachment "Outer joint housing before") before coating with Molykote, using "spirit" (free of dust and grease) 3. Coat contact surface A (see image file in attachment "Outer joint housing after") with Molykote and leave to dry for "one hour" in removed condition 4. Reinstall side shafts Note: Before using the antifriction coating (Molykote), stir it or shake it thoroughly for (at least 1 minute).

LI82.60-P-080383

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

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. The E505.9 software is released and available in XENTRY Q3 2026.

LI54.21-P-080326

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM; ENGINE

Complaint CEL light on with no drivability concerns. Cause Signal timing error. Remedy 167: SW has been released. Update the FSAM to the latest SW version. 465, 290, 118, 243, 247: Software is still in development. This fault code does not cause a drivability concern and will clear itself within 2-3 key cycles. The vehicle can be released back to the customer.

LI00.20-P-080703

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Complaint Service code B1 displayed in the customer menu does not match the workshop code displayed in the workshop menu, e.g., 505 or 550A, which includes a service A. Cause The root cause is currently being investigated. Remedy To determine the cause, the instrument cluster control unit (N133/1) and powertrain control unit (N127) logs are required before confirming the service or correction using XENTRY Diagnosis. Please open a TIPS case to BCE inbox with the requested information in the attachments.

LI82.85-P-080507

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Complaint After successful commissioning of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis DVD 03/2026, the message "SOS - service not activated" appears on the instrument cluster. In addition, the following two conditions are also met: • HERMES (N112/9) control unit: event code B15CE00 is ACTIVE and STORED (A+S) • Vehicle Documentation System: For the HERMES control unit, the EID1, EID2, ICCID, IMEI, IMSI, TELNR fields in the "Identification/Serial number" column have the value "-" Cause Still under analysis Remedy Recommission the HERMES control unit (N112/9) with XENTRY Diagnosis 03/2026 and add-on 33399 installed or carry out the procedure with a newer version of XENTRY Diagnosis: XENTRY→ "N112/9 - Control unit for telematics services (HERMES)" -> "Adaptations" -> "Control unit commissioning" -> "Commissioning of previously installed control unit"

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026000
2025100
2024Viewing200
2023600
2022100
2021550
20201911061.5
2019226165.2
2018399266.7
20172710258.5
2016648266.4
2015617260.5
20141776258.0
2013900
2012700

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. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.