2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class problems and recalls

Owners filed 27 complaints on the 2018 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class in the last three full years, out of 46 on record. The most cited component is the Electrical System.

46
Complaints
0
Recalls
2
Crash reports
1
Fire reports
2
Injuries
62.3
Severity index

Severity index 62.3 Medium. The index weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints. How it is calculated.

Middle half of all tracked vehiclesThis vehicle: 62.3p25 46p75 80cleanestworst
Severity index against the quartile range for all tracked vehicles.

Ranked 46 of 122 by severity index among 2018 vehicles with at least 40 complaints, highest first. 62% of those vehicles scored lower. Full 2018 ranking.

Components cited in complaints

Electrical SystemElectrical System: 12 complaints (26.1%)12 26%Unknown Or OtherUnknown Or Other: 10 complaints (21.7%)10 22%EngineEngine: 9 complaints (19.6%)9 20%Air BagsAir Bags: 8 complaints (17.4%)8 17%StructureStructure: 6 complaints (13.0%)6 13%Power TrainPower Train: 4 complaints (8.7%)4 9%SteeringSteering: 2 complaints (4.3%)2 4%SeatsSeats: 2 complaints (4.3%)2 4%
A single complaint can cite more than one component, so shares total over 100%.
ComponentComplaintsShare of complaints citing it
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM1226.1%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER1021.7%
ENGINE919.6%
AIR BAGS817.4%
STRUCTURE613.0%
POWER TRAIN48.7%
STEERING24.3%
SEATS24.3%

Complaints filed per year

06112017: 12018: 32019: 12020: 22021: 62022: 12023: 72024: 92025: 112026: 5 (partial year)1718192021222324251126
Complaints by the calendar year they were filed. The hatched bar is the current year to date.
YearComplaints
20171
20183
20191
20202
20216
20221
20237
20249
202511
2026 (year to date)5
Filings in 2023 to 2025 ran 3.0x those in 2020 to 2022 (27 against 9).

Other Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class model years

Severity index for every other model year on file. Compare all 7 years side by side.

Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-08-30. Complaints are unverified consumer reports. Totals vary with units sold and years on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.