AutoUtility currently tracks 158 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 38 complaints (24.1% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 9 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 8 report one or more injuries. The 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA belongs to the 1st Generation (C117) platform.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 158 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (38 reports • 24.1% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Air Bags & Restraints (22), Body & Structure (21)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 9 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 1 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 8 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #15V662000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #19V892000 AIR BAGS:SENSOR:OCCUPANT CLASSIFICATION
- Campaign #17V627000 AIR BAGS:FRONTAL
Body & Structure
NHTSA records list 2 official safety recall campaigns for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #21V197000 STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
- Campaign #23V854000 STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Powertrain & Transmission
Electrical System
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #17V114000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"During an inspection, an authorized Mercedes-Benz dealership discovered severe corrosion and perforation, including holes, in the rear subframe of my 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA. There were no warning lights or messages alerting us to the condition before it was discovered. The dealership confirmed that..."
"I came out from work. Got in my car and started it and went to make a three-point turn to go the opposite direction on a quiet back street in the airbag deployed halfway through and blew up in my face, causing my hands to be hurt and difficulty with breathing."
"Collision Prevention Assist Plus Inoperative Light on the dashboard it appears often and beep I am not sure and why"
"The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated that the sunroof panel was tilted on one side and fractured. There were no warning lights illuminated. Upon researching the failure, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V918000 (Visibility); however, the..."
"The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250. The contact stated that the roof panel had detached and was tilted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an estimate for the repair was provided. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V197000 (Structure), but the dealer..."
Complaint History for Mercedes-Benz CLA
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA Current Page | 158 | 9 | 7 | Current |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 66 | 5 | 9 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 27 | 2 | 10 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 46 | 2 | 10 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 51 | 4 | 6 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 24 | 1 | 13 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 8 | 1 | 6 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 4 | 1 | 0 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 6 | 2 | 1 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 1 | 0 | 0 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 0 | 0 | 0 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 59 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Suspension NHTSA category: SUSPENSION | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires NHTSA category: TIRES | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Doors, Latches & Locks NHTSA category: LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VISIBILITY,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.