Mercedes-Benz CLA

343 complaints across 7 scored model years and 27 recall campaigns.

Which years to avoid

Ownership label · Mercedes-Benz CLA Full report

Grade 2014–2020

2014 vs model median 7.1×

Model median3× median

Engine 46

Speed Control 31

Electrical 30

Avoid

2014 · 2016

Best

2018 · 2019

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Severity-weighted complaint volume and grade by model year for the Mercedes-Benz CLA
Year	vs median	Reports	Grade
2014	7.11×	177	F
2015	1.45×	27	D
2016	2.09×	40	F
2017	0.90×	25	C
2018	0.40×	12	B
2019	0.41×	11	B
2020	1.00×	24	C

What it costs to run

EPA figures for the most recent model year on record.

EPA fuel economy and drivetrain
Combined MPG	28
City / Highway	25 / 35
Engine	2L, 4 cyl
Drive	Front-Wheel Drive
Annual fuel cost	$2,850

Recalls

27 campaigns on record.

Treat that as a minimum. NHTSA's lookup does not answer to this model's published name, so its campaigns are collected one trim at a time and the list may be short of the full count.

Recall campaigns, largest first
Campaign	Component	Model years	Units affected
21V058000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE	2016–2020	1,292,258
17V627000	AIR BAGS:FRONTAL	2014–2018	495,290
21V354000	BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA	2020	343,191
26V481000	LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:DOORS:LOCK	2020	310,667
17V114000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:STARTER ASSEMBLY	2015–2017	307,629
22V365000	ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE	2017–2020	242,722
22V232000	BACK OVER PREVENTION:DISPLAY FUNCTION	2020	126,443
23V732000	SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:PADS	2020	42,742

+ 19 further campaigns

Recall work is free at any franchised dealer, whoever owns the car and however old it is. Check a specific car’s VIN on NHTSA’s register before you buy — an unrepaired campaign is among the most commonly missed items on a used vehicle.

Others in Midsize Cars

Same body and size class. Each grade describes that model against its own history — these are not ranked against each other.

Other models in the same segment
Model	Years to avoid	Grade
Acura TL	2012	C
Acura TLX	20152020	C
Acura TSX	2010	C
Alfa Romeo Giulia	2017	C
Audi A4	none flagged	B
Audi A4 Allroad	2013	C
Audi A5	none flagged	C
Audi S4	none flagged	B

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2014 CLA

Complaints in window: 177
Severity-weighted: 270
Model median (weighted): 38
vs model median: 7.11×
Recall campaigns (weighted): 6
Open investigations: 1

Score 6.7 F