2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 problems & reliability
47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250, alongside 12 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.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 10 | 21% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 19% |
| Unknown OR Other | 9 | 19% |
| Power Train | 6 | 13% |
| Air Bags | 5 | 11% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 11% |
| Wheels | 5 | 11% |
| Structure | 4 | 9% |
| Visibility | 3 | 6% |
| Back Over Prevention | 2 | 4% |
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.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Sunroof glass exploded without warning while driving at highway speed. Glass shards poured throughout the vehicle including on the driver, potentially putting the vehicle and other vehicles in danger.”
Structure · filed Jul 2, 2026
“I am filing a complaint regarding my 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250. My vehicle recently triggered a check engine light and was diagnosed by an independent mechanic with code P052E, related to the positive crankcase ventilation regulator valve / crankcase ventilation system. My mechanic advised that this issue appears to…”
Engine · filed Jun 22, 2026
“The vehicle experienced a sudden, total communication network crash on [XXX] the vehicle simultaneously triggered cascading critical safety system faults including “ inoperable” messages for the SOS system, Supplemental Restraint System ( SRS) and antilock brake system(ABS) along with check engine light on dashboard…”
Electrical System · filed May 30, 2026
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
Technical service bulletins
100 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250. 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 The customer requests deactivation of the N112/9 HERMES communication module Note: Deactivation of the HERMES control unit (N112/9) is not supported for gray-market vehicles. Cause Before deactivating the…
LI82.85-P-080559 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 26, 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 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…
LI82.60-P-080383 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 2, 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 headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 9, 2026
Complaint Yellow information message in driver display (instrument cluster): "Switch on motor to charge the 12V battery" Cause The state of charge (SOC) of the 12V battery has dropped to 45% or less. Remedy This warning…
LI54.10-P-073164 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 4, 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 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 headlamp…
LI82.10-P-078301 · 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 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250 has 12 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 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA 250?
- · 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.