2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 problems & reliability
61 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250, alongside 7 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
4 complaints report injuries (4 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown OR Other | 17 | 28% |
| Engine → | 14 | 23% |
| Air Bags | 8 | 13% |
| Structure | 7 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 10% |
| Power Train | 6 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 7% |
| Visibility | 4 | 7% |
| Suspension | 3 | 5% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 37,800 miles (middle 50% between 25,000 and 62,000 miles), based on 33 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“UNKNOWN- The check engine light came on and was taken for a diagnostic test and it returned a P052E code. This indicates a fault in the Positive Crankcase Ventilation Regulator Valve performance. This is a known issue with Mercedes Benz as there has been a recall for all the models except the CLA.”
Unknown OR Other · filed Oct 4, 2025
“I was driving to work on Thursday, September 11th. Suddenly, I heard a loud noise like an explosion. Upon checking, I saw that my sunroof had exploded, shattering glass everywhere. The loud noise startled me, causing me to almost have an accident. I managed to pull over, check my vehicle, and drive it back home. I've…”
Unknown OR Other · filed Sep 15, 2025
“The contact owns a 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was previously involved in a collision, in which another vehicle crashed into the passenger's side of the vehicle, causing damage to the frame and headlights; however…”
Air Bags · filed Jul 24, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Desiccated Air Bag Inflator Rupture
Engineering Analysis EA21002 · opened Sep 17, 2021 · open
- Front Roof Panel Detachment
Preliminary Evaluation PE21001 · opened Jan 8, 2021 · closed Oct 14, 2021 · led to recall 21V197000
Technical service bulletins
103 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. The 10 most recent:
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…
LI35.30-P-058566 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 14, 2026
Dear Mercedes-Benz USA Dealers, The part numbers listed in the chart below should no longer be installed, and any existing stock must be returned to your facing PDC. The deadline for all dealer returns is no later than…
PSL-NCU Return Parts 6/19 · Other · issued Jun 19, 2026
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…
LI82.85-P-080507 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 2026
Complaint There are several types of complaint about noises or poor windshield wiper wiping performance: A: Wiper blades squeaking, chattering, shuddering B: The windshield is not wiped completely (streaking) C: During…
LI82.30-P-059239 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 19, 2026
Complaint 1. General Diagnostic Tips 2. One or More PARK Sensor Activations 3. Red Ring Around Vehicle 4. "Active Parking and Parking Assist Inoperative" on Instrument Cluster 5. Cameras 6. Other Park Topics Cause…
LI54.65-P-080132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 12, 2026
Complaint Headlamp, front fog lamp leaky or fogged. Cause Fogging of the headlamps is a natural phenomenon, which can occur under certain climatic conditions. It does not lead to any technical impairment of the…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 16, 2026
Complaint 1. General Diagnostic Tips 2. One or More PARK Sensor Activations 3. Red Ring Around Vehicle 4. "Active Parking and Parking Assist Inoperative" on Instrument Cluster 5. Cameras 6. Other Park Topics Cause…
LI54.65-P-080132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Complaint 1. General Diagnostic Tips 2. One or More PARK Sensor Activations 3. Red Ring Around Vehicle 4. "Active Parking and Parking Assist Inoperative" on Instrument Cluster 5. Cameras 6. Other Park Topics Cause…
LI54.65-P-080132 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2026
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078307 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 25, 2026
Complaint Headlamps leaking or fogged Cause The fogging of the headlamp is a natural phenomenon which can occur under certain climatic conditions. In contrast to a leaky headlamp, physical fogging does not result in a…
LI82.10-P-078896 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 24, 2026
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 has 7 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2015 Mercedes-Benz CLA250?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 37,800 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.