2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class Problems

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Complaints Reported

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Complaints by Component

EXTERIOR LIGHTING

1 complaint

the seal around my driver side rear light is not sealed correctly there is water precipitation in my lamp

Mar 19, 2025

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 complaint

On Friday, September 27, around 12 pm, while driving on i880S near Union City, California, something horrific happened. The sunroof of my 2021 Mercedes CLA 250, with just 49,000 miles, suddenly exploded without any warning. The sound was so loud and violent, it felt like a gunshot. I was immediately overwhelmed with fear and panic as I struggled to process what was happening. In my rearview mirror, I could see shards of glass scattering across the road behind me. When I looked up, I was horrified to see that the remaining glass was hanging in dangerous shards just above my head, barely held in place by the sunroof cover. I shudder to think what might have happened if that cover hadn’t been there—if it had fallen, I would have been covered in glass. And if there had been passengers or children in the car, the consequences could have been unimaginable. This experience left me deeply shaken and traumatized. I now have a lingering fear of sunroofs, and I no longer feel safe in my own vehicle. It’s not just the incident itself, but also the aftermath. When I brought the car to the dealer, despite still being under warranty, I was told this issue wouldn’t be covered. I was referred to MBUSA customer support, but after researching, I’ve seen numerous forums where others with Mercedes CLA and GLA models experienced the same problem and were similarly denied coverage. This is more than a manufacturing defect – it’s a significant safety hazard. This incident could have led to severe injuries, or worse. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this issue before someone gets seriously hurt or killed. This isn’t just about my car – it’s about ensuring the safety of all drivers and passengers in vehicles with sunroofs like mine.

Oct 01, 2024

Injuries: 1

POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE

1 complaint

Our car has lost power to accelerate on 4 occasions on the highway. The first instance was in October of 2023, the second instance was in November of 2024 (and was brought immediately to the dealership and they said the fix wasn't available yet), the third instance was in March of 2024 and the most recent incident occurred in June of 2024. For example, the car will be moving at a speed of 60 mph and it will suddenly start flashing lights in the car with a warning signal that the "car is unable to reserve". The car then instantly loses the ability to accelerate and you can push the pedal all the way down and it will not go faster. There is an issue with either the engine, the power train or the speed control, or some combination. The car will not go above 20 miles per hours. These instances have almost caused us to get rear-ended by other vehicles as we suddenly lose the ability to accelerate. It is extremely dangerous and we've been fortunate to be near off-ramps to get off. The problem has been confirmed by Mercedes Dealerships with friends of ours who have experienced the same problem with a different model. They claimed that Mercedes USA had not found a fix yet, but refused to provide us with a loaner car until this death trap of a car was fixed.

Jun 17, 2024

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

1 complaint

Date of occurrence: 03/05/2024 Subject: Formal Claim Regarding Traffic Safety Issue with 2021 Mercedes Benz CLA 250 I am writing to formally submit a claim regarding a recent traffic safety incident involving my 2021 Mercedes Benz CLA 250. While driving to my destination, I encountered a sudden loss of power and inability to accelerate. To ensure the safety of myself and other drivers, I activated my emergency lights and cautiously proceeded at a limited speed of approximately 30 mph, accompanied by a strained engine sound. Understanding the potential risks associated with this issue, I immediately pulled over in a safe location and had to drive the vehicle with caution to my home where I then arranged for my vehicle to be towed to the service department. Upon inspection, the service department informed me that the problem stemmed from a software malfunction, for which Mercedes has not yet released an updated version. Given the nature of this incident and the potential safety hazards it poses, I am deeply concerned about the safety of driving my vehicle on the freeway or to any destination. I kindly request your assistance in addressing this matter promptly and ensuring the necessary steps are taken to rectify the software malfunction. Please let me know the next steps in the claims process, any additional documentation or information required, and the estimated timeline for resolution. I appreciate your attention to this matter and look forward to a swift resolution. Thank you.

Mar 05, 2024

SUSPENSION

1 complaint

On Monday 02/14/2022, after 2-3 minutes driving towards work, at about 25-30mph speed, the front right ball joint broke on the vehicle putting me in danger of losing my life. Due to this ball joint failure, the right front wheel disassembled from the vehicle and it slid-crashed on the car parked on the right side of the street. If it would happen on the highway I would kill myself and put others in the ultimate danger of losing their lives. The car was towed to the Loeber Motors Dealer and Mercedes-Benz LLC. informed about the incident. The the complaint case number 2-25420239808 was started with Mercedes-Benz Customer Care and led by: Susan Executive Referral Manager Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (800) 367-6372 (ext. 6324) This defect should never happen and again, it could be lethal, causing many deaths if with full speed on the highway. Case was completely ignored by Mercedes-Benz LLC. Now it is 03/20/2022 and I still don't have any report on the safety of the vehicle. Mercedes-Benz Dealer Loeber Motors, called me on Friday 03/18/2022 saying "that if I won't tow out the vehicle from their property they will charge me $100 per day for storage - about $3000" - that way they simply forced me to put my case in the hands of my insurance without giving me any word on my vehicle safety. Mentioned earlier Mercedes-Benz Representative - Executive Referral Manager Susan, was refusing to answer my calls and never sent me any reports regarding my case. I consider such failure to be extremely dangerous and the case very serious. There were no earlier signs of any problem. The only thing I could add, 2 days before that happened, I was backing up into the parking spot on the street and I drove over a quite high pile of icy snow. Manufacturer completely ignored the case. Thanks

Mar 20, 2022

Crash: 1

4.6/5.0

81 reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

How many problems does the 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class have?

The 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class currently has 5 owner-reported complaints according to NHTSA database. These complaints are organized by component to help identify common issues.

What are the most common problems with 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class?

The most common problems reported for the 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class are organized by component above. Each component section shows owner-reported issues, crash reports, and fire incidents to help identify patterns and problem areas.

Where does this 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class problem data come from?

All problem and complaint data for the 2021 MERCEDES-BENZ CLA-Class comes directly from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) database. These are real complaints submitted by actual vehicle owners.