CSR

Mercedes-Benz · NHTSA safety record

2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

19

Complaints

1

Crashes

0

Fires

2

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 have filed 19 safety complaints with NHTSA between February 2020 and April 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 5 of them (26%). The typical failure was reported at 15,934 miles, the median across the 2 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 11 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (11)

LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK

26V481000 · July 24, 2026

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020-2021 CLA, 2019-2022 A-Class, 2022-2023 C-Class, 2024 CLE, 2020-2026 GLA/GLB, and 2023-2024 GLC vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific model information. The micro-switch in the driver's door lock may corrode and fail to detect an open door, preventing the electronic parking brake or "Auto-Park" feature from engaging automatically. This may result in a vehicle rollaway.
The risk
A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the driver's door lock, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 18, 2026. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning July 31, 2026.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 310,667 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS

23V732000 · November 1, 2023

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 A220, 2020 CLA250, GLB250, AMG A35, AMG CLA45, AMG CLA35, and 2021 GLA250 vehicles. The vehicles may not be equipped with an inspection gauge to check the wear of the rear brake pads. In addition, information for using this inspection gauge might not be included in the owner's manual. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 135, "Light Vehicle Brake Systems."
The risk
Driving with worn brake pads can reduce braking ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will install an inspection gauge and provide supplemental owner's manual information, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on February 29, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 42,742 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

22V365000 · May 20, 2022

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2022 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, AMG GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, SL-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, GLB-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. An error in the communication module's SIM card software can cause a mobile network connection failure, disabling the emergency call (eCall) system.
The risk
A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting the emergency services call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
The communication module software will be updated through an Over-the-Air (OTA) update or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 8, 2022. Owner notification letters will be mailed in phases, on July 8, 2022, May 17, 2024, July 29, 2024, and September 27, 2024. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's numbers are for this recall is 2022060005 and 2023110006.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 242,722 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION

22V232000 · April 8, 2022

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2018-2021 CLA-Class, GLE/GLS-Class, A-Class, C-Class, E-Class, E-Class Coupe/Convertible, GLA/GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and CLS-Class vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The rearview camera may not display the rearview image due to a software error. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
An inoperable rearview camera display reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the rearview camera software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 15, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2022060007.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 126,443 vehicles across all model years covered

STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM

21V989000 · December 17, 2021

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling one 2020 CLA250 vehicle. The power supply connection to the electric power steering may have been contaminated with melted adhesive, which can cause the power steering assist to fail while driving.
The risk
A sudden loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
A dealer will inspect and repair the power supply connection, as necessary, free of charge. The owner notification letter was mailed January 21, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021120016.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 1 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:FUEL INJECTION SYSTEM:FUEL RAIL

21V961000 · December 13, 2021

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019 AMG G63, C300, E300, G550, AMG GT63, AMG GT53, 2019-2020 A220, GLA250, GLC300, 2016 C300, 2020 AMG A35, AMG C43, AMG C63, CLA250, E350, E450, GLB250, GLE450, GLS450, GLS580, S560, and SL550 vehicles equipped with a gasoline engine. During the manufacturing process, particles may have been trapped between the fuel rail and injectors, which can cause a fuel leak.
The risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source, such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the fuel rail and fuel injectors, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2022. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for the recall is 2022030003.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 139 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

21V354000 · May 14, 2021

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2021 CLA-Class, GLE/GLS-Class, A-Class, E-Class, E-Class Coupe and Convertible, GLA/GLB-Class, GLC-Class, CLS-Class, and AMG GT-Class 4-door Coupe vehicles. Please refer to MBUSA's recall report for specific vehicle model details. The MBUX multimedia system software may cause the display to remain black, or reboot after startup. This could result in the rearview camera image not displaying properly. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A backup camera that displays a blank image reduces the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash or injury.
The remedy
The multimedia system software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed beginning June 28, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6373. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021050012.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 343,191 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

COMMUNICATION

21V072000 · February 12, 2021

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2017-2019 C300, E300, 2018-2020 CLA250, 2020 CLS450, AMG E53, AMG GT53, GLE450, 2018 AMG E63, AMG GTA, 2017-2020 GLA250, GLC300, 2019 GLC350, AMG GLC43, 2017-2018 GLE350, 2019 AMG GLC 43, GLC350, GLE400, 2017 GLS450, S550, C300 Cabrio, and 2018-2019 S560 vehicles. On June 18, 2021, an additional 9 vehicles were added, including certain 2021 GLA250, GLC300, 2018 S450, E400, and 2017 CLA250 vehicles. The communication module might have been inadvertently deactivated during a service visit, which could have disabled the Emergency Call (eCall) function.
The risk
A disabled eCall system would prevent a vehicle occupant from contacting emergency services through the call center in an emergency, potentially delaying emergency responders and increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the communication module and activate it, if necessary, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2021. Letters for the owners of the 9 additional vehicles were mailed July 9, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021030005.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 67 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE

21V058000 · February 5, 2021

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2016 - 2021 CLA-Class, GLA-Class, GLE-Class, GLS-Class, SLC-Class, A-Class, GT-Class, C-Class, E-Class, S-Class, CLS-Class, SL-Class, B-Class, GLB-Class, GLC-Class, and G-Class vehicles. Please refer to the Part 573 report for specific vehicle model details. The software design of the communication module may fail to communicate the correct vehicle location for the emergency call system (eCall) in the event of a crash.
The risk
Failure of the eCall system may result in emergency responders being dispatched to the wrong location, increasing the risk of injury following a crash.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and the communication module software will be updated by a dealer, or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. The recall began March 12, 2021. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-877-762-8267. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2021020025.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC · up to 1,292,258 vehicles across all model years covered · fixed by software update

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

20V089000 · February 14, 2020

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2020 CLA250, CLA250 4MATIC and CLA35 AMG 4MATIC, 2020-2021 GLE350, GLE350 4MATIC, GLE450 4MATIC, GLS450 4MATIC and GLS580 4MATIC and 2021 GLE53 AMG Coupe, GLE63S AMG 4MATIC, GLS63 AMG 4MATIC and Maybach GLS600 4MATIC vehicles. The instrument cluster software may deactivate the illumination of certain interior switches (switch bar, overhead control unit, steering wheel) if the hazard lights are turned on and the ignition switch is in the 'off' position. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 101, "Control and Displays."
The risk
If the interior switches are not illuminated, they may be more difficult to find and operate, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. The recall began March 31, 2020. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2020030019.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 2,101 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:FRONTAL:DRIVER SIDE:INFLATOR MODULE

19V685000 · September 27, 2019

The defect
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. (MBUSA) is recalling certain 2019-2020 A 220 and A 220 4MATIC, 2020 CLA 250, CLA 250 4 MATIC, GLC 300 Coupe 4MATIC, GLC 300 and GLC 300 4MATIC vehicles. The driver's side front airbag modules may not have been properly bolted down.
The risk
In the event of a crash necessitating deployment of the driver's front airbag, the airbag may not deploy properly, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
MBUSA will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the driver airbag module and replace it, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began October 29, 2019. Owners may contact MBUSA customer service at 1-800-367-6372. MBUSA's number for this recall is 2019100001.

Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. · up to 2,222 vehicles across all model years covered

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 19.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 5 26%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 4 21%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 21%
ENGINE 3 16%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 16%
STEERING 2 11%
AIR BAGS 1 5%
EQUIPMENT 1 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 5%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 5%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 5%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 5%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2022 at 5.

2020 2022 2026
2020 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY

1 injured · 16,868 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA250C. The contact stated while driving approximately 75 MPH, he heard an explosion and saw that the panoramic sunroof had shattered. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact was injured by the glass with small cuts on arms and hands. The contact did not seek medical attention. The contact took the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the sunroof to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,868.

NHTSA complaint 11454912. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

AIR BAGS

1 injured

The system that appeared to malfunction is the front airbags sensors. I drove past an accident on the freeway the left by some rocks/debris in the road. I steered away from the rocks avoiding my tires, however, both of my front airbags deploy as if i collided with something. This has completely disabled my vehicle on the freeway, and shattered my windshield. I had the car towed to a repair shop for further diagnostic, and they confirmed there is no front end impact or collision on my vehicle. There is minor undercarriage scrapping, but it isn't near the airbag sensor. There were no warning lights on my vehicle prior to this, and my vehicle has been in no accidents. What caused my airbags to

NHTSA complaint 11496424, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

WHEELS

crash · towed

The vehicle experienced a blowout of both tires on the drivers side while driving at high speeds on the highway. The sidewalls of both tires ruptured, causing the driver to lose control of the vehicle and wreck the suspension. This accident occured on March 26, 2022 (pending repair invoice). A similar incident in the same vehicle occured on March 20, 2021 that caused a blowout of both driver's side tires (attached repair invoice) after hitting a minor pothole. An additional two tires were replaced in July 2021 (attached repair invoice) and in January 2022. The high speed blowouts caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle at high speeds and almost caused a multi-car accident. The

NHTSA complaint 11460171, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
The back-up camara is stuck open on the trunk for more than 30 days now. When I put it in reverse the camara will show for about 5 seconds and then go back to the home screen. I brought this to the attention of my advisor and he said that its a known issue. If Mercedes knows this is an issue with the CLA250, they should offer a replacement instead of charging to fix a faulty component.

NHTSA complaint 11730462. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
Front Windshield Wipers run randonly when they are not turned on manually. I would be driving and for no reason (no rain or water on the windshield) the wipers would come on and would not turn off when I used the switch. There was no warning message on my auto dash. It was startling and caused confusion when they came on unexpectantly. My mechanic shared a XENTRY document regarding this problem on 4/25/23. Copies of the XENTRY report and my repair receipt are attached.

NHTSA complaint 11720510. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My back up camera badge located at the trunk has been permanently stuck open for a few months now when I put car in reverse the screen shows my camera for 2 seconds then disappears and goes back to my Home Screen I brought to the dealer and they told me I need a new battery I replaced my battery paid almost 400 dollars and it still doesn’t work .

NHTSA complaint 11686937. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
when reversing, the central display shows backup camera for a couple seconds before turning to a black screen and a message saying the rearview camera is not working properly

NHTSA complaint 11660388. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Rear camera works, but the hatch will not close making it difficult to open and close the trunk. I have seen many vehicles in this Family Class with the rear camera in the same condition which leads me to believe that it's not a maintenance issue.

NHTSA complaint 11633985. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Engine was failed prior to purchase, it is available for inspection. Engine jerks while driving. Dealer changed engine and problem got worse. Vehicle was inspected at Mercedes Benz Manhattan. Engine light keeps coming on and engine oil raises above normal level and warning light comes on and dealer says its normal.

NHTSA complaint 11614748. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Mercedes-Benz CLA 250

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2019 22 6
2018 39 9
2017 27 10
2016 64 8 1
2015 61 7
2014 177 6

Other 2020 Mercedes-Benz models

Every Mercedes-Benz on this site — 216 vehicles, 576 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

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