AutoUtility currently tracks 66 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA. Air Bags & Restraints issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 14 complaints (21.2% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 5 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 4 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities. The 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA belongs to the 1st Generation (C117) platform.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
14 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
14 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
8 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
4 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"I believe that my vehicle is subject to Recall Campaign # 21V197000. The vehicle is a 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. I've had to have this part ( Front Stationary Roof panel) adhered 5 times in the last 10 months. Mercedes refuses to acknowledge the above campaign #. Not only is this a safety risk to..."
"My mechanic said that he believes there is a recall on a recalled part this was previously repaired per Mercedes notice of safety recall dated April 2018. The recall remedy provided by the manufacturer has failed to permanently fix the safety defect, and the vehicle remains unsafe to drive. "On..."
"My mechanic said that he believes there is a recall on a recalled part this was previously repaired per Mercedes notice of safety recall dated April 2018. The recall remedy provided by the manufacturer has failed to permanently fix the safety defect, and the vehicle remains unsafe to drive. "On..."
"My vehicle is exhibiting the same problem as MB Recall Campaign #[PHONE REDACTED] but my MB Vin is not included in the recall even though my make/model of car is on the list. This MB recall campaign is to replace the front stationary sunroof panel. According to recall,"The panoramic sunroof may not..."
"Factory window tint of the back window & the driver/passenger side(s) windows are bubbling and peeling causing visual impairment while operating motor vehicle. Examples of impairment are backing the vehicle and changing lanes & these affected areas are blurry. Panaramic Sunroof does not seal..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA | 158 | 9 | 7 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA Current Page | 66 | 5 | 9 | Current |
| 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 → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 35 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 7 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,AIR BAGS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TIRES,WHEELS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wheels & Hubs NHTSA category: WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA is Air Bags & Restraints, appearing in 14 records (21.2% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Engine & Cooling (14) and Body & Structure (8).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 66 consumer defect complaints and 9 safety recall campaigns for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2016 Mercedes-Benz CLA, 5 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 4 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.