2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250: common problems

Owners of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 filed 179 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and electrical system. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 179
involving a crash: 5

What fails most often

1 Engine 37% of all complaints
2 Electrical system 25% of all complaints
3 Vehicle speed control 20% of all complaints
4 Electronic stability control 11% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 11% of all complaints
6 Air bags 6% of all complaints
7 Structure 6% of all complaints
8 Fuel/propulsion system 6% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 66 complaints (37% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 44 complaints (25% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 36 complaints (20% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electronic stability control: 20 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 20 complaints (11% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 179 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine49 · 27%
stalls while driving24 · 13%
windows, sunroof16 · 9%
loss of power / limp mode13 · 7%
infotainment or screen glitches8 · 4%
smoke, burning smell, fire7 · 4%
knocking, grinding or other noise5 · 3%
rollaway, parking brake5 · 3%
driver assists: adaptive cruise, lane keeping4 · 2%
steering or power steering problems4 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine	66	1
Electrical system	44	1
Vehicle speed control	36	1
Electronic stability control	20	1
Powertrain	20	1
Air bags	11	0
Structure	11	0
Fuel/propulsion system	10	1
Visibility	9	0
Wheels	9	2
Steering	8	1
Service brakes	6	1
Engine and cooling	2	0
Equipment	2	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

1. Left front wheel assembly lug bolts. All five lug bolts sheared off completely while driving, resulting in a wheel separation and structural failure. Yes, four of the five physical sheared lug bolts are preserved and immediately available for independent forensic laboratory inspection upon request. 2.
Wheels · crash · 2026-09-21 · NHTSA complaint #11765760
The front right passenger side wheel started shaking and then flew off. I brought the car to a stop on the left hand shoulder of the road on three wheels. My wheel hit the metal fence and then ricocheted back across to the left crossing both sides of traffic (four lanes), hitting a concrete wall and becoming airborne…
Wheels · crash · 2024-02-11 · NHTSA complaint #11571315
Was driving on a road with 3 lanes .I was in the right lane was switching to middle when my stering and brakes just locked up I was not able to control the car I ended up all the way in the left lane crashed into a car and ended up on the divider
Steering · crash · 2021-08-04 · NHTSA complaint #11427684
On this day, I was nearly killed in my 2014 mercedes cla250 4matic that stalled on a highway in new york city. The car has roughly 40,300 miles on the odometer. I was driving on the brooklyn queens expressway at 4:00am. The car's motor stalled and the car came to a stop in the left lane. There were no shoulders.
Engine · crash · 2020-07-20 · NHTSA complaint #11340450
The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the air bag warning light illuminated. The contact stated that there was an abnormal snapping sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where a code reader retrieved information that there was a fault with the SRS sensor.
Air bags · 2026-06-30 · NHTSA complaint #11747420
The contact stated that upon approaching the vehicle, she discovered that the driver's side window was shattered. The sunroof was brown, and there was a hole in the dashboard showing the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle had caught fire; however, the fire extinguished on its own.
Engine · 2026-03-10 · NHTSA complaint #11723215
The check-engine light came on and an OBD-II scan showed fault code P052E / P052E71, which indicates that the valve for crankcase ventilation (PCV / crankcase ventilation valve integrated into the valve cover) has a malfunction and the actuator is blocked.
Engine · 2025-11-17 · NHTSA complaint #11699978
After a visual inspection, the contact observed excessive rust underneath the rear subframe. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired.
Structure · 2025-02-25 · NHTSA complaint #11644909

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20131
201431
201544
201613
201712
201813
20195
202022
202110
20225
20236
20247
20255
20265

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,256 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the CLA 250 has 30 complaints (15 years in the data). This year has 179, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.
Electronic stability control. ABS/ESC sensors, steering angle, codes after suspension repair.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, electrical system, vehicle speed control. Total complaints: 179. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (27%), stalls while driving (13%), windows, sunroof (9%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2014 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.