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Mercedes-Benz CLA250Model year report

2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Problems

Compared with other Mercedes-Benz CLA250 years

More complaints than typical for this model

100/100 6.5× a typical year · 50 = typical

Nearby years with a typical complaint level and no open NHTSA investigation: 2015, 2017

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
179filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
16,768miles, 136 complaints with mileage
Recalls
6campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
30 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 26 city / 37 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owners of the 2014 CLA250 most often describe sudden loss of power or a stall while driving, frequently accompanied by 'PRE-SAFE functions limited/inoperative', ESP, traction and check engine warnings; many say the car restarted after being shut off, and several dealers reportedly could not reproduce the fault. A second common theme is a panoramic sunroof that cracks or shatters without an apparent impact, and a third is drivetrain messages such as 'do not shift gears' with the car dropping into neutral. Most complaints in this sample were filed at low mileage, often under 20,000 miles.

  1. Vehicle speed control

    Sudden power loss / limp mode with PRE-SAFE warnings

    • 52 complaints (29%)
    • median 14,270 mi at 1.5 yrs old (48 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2013–2024

    Owners describe driving at highway or city speeds when the car abruptly cuts power or slows, sometimes after a 'PRE-SAFE functions limited/inoperative' or 'see operator's manual' message appears with ESP, traction and check engine lights. Many report the throttle became unresponsive, then that the car returned to normal after being shut off and restarted. Some say the dealer could not find a cause or reset the codes without a lasting fix. Mostly reported between roughly 2,000 and 25,000 miles, often at highway speed and in some cases in rain.

    What to check: Ask whether the car has a stored history of ESP, throttle or engine fault codes, and whether any throttle or engine-control repairs were done. A road test at highway speed and a scan for pending codes is worthwhile.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving the vehicle loses power and barely has any accelerations. The warning sign said inop see owners manual. I had to pull over, restart car then it was back to normal. This has happened twice at the exact same road. I was at a stop light, made a left turn, drove about half a mile then this started. This is very dangerous!”

    NHTSA complaint #10610627, filed 2014-07, 7,000 miles

    “Recently, every time I ma driving in the rain, no matter how light the rain is, the traction control light comes on and a message stating pre safe, functions limited, inoperative shows up. The vehicle has looses acceleration. This happened to me on the freeway today. This is potentially dangerous as it could cause a serious accident. This seems to be a recurrent problem based on a simple online search.”

    NHTSA complaint #10712535, filed 2015-04, 13,800 miles
  2. Engine

    Engine stalls and shuts off

    Mentioned in 12 of 60 sampled complaints

    Owners report the engine cutting out without warning while driving or at a stop, with the dash lighting up and the car needing a restart, sometimes after waiting a minute. A few mention crankshaft-position or conductor-plate repairs, coil replacement, or crankcase vent valve work; others say the dealer found no fault. Some link repeated stalling to fuel or ignition components. Described across a wide mileage range, roughly 5,000 to 90,000 miles, both at low speed and on the highway.

    3 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask for the service history on ignition coils, crankcase vent valve and battery/charging repairs, and scan for stored engine codes. A service bulletin describes checking the crankcase vent line connector for the P04DB codes if the check engine light is on.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Driving vehicle home on I-95 southbound at night. The eco drive blanks out, a message rescue appears, the speed decreases until stops, even though the motor is running. If you turn the engine off, wait a minute and then re-start, you can drive it again. It happened eight times to me between fort lauderdale and miami.”

    NHTSA complaint #10653211, filed 2014-11, 21,200 miles

    “While driving out of a driveway, a car pulled near my car. At that time, the car was stationary. My wife heard the pre-collision warning. The the car completely shutoff or stalled. Turned off the car completely by turning the key. Then turned the car back on. Lucky there was no accident.”

    NHTSA complaint #11384767, filed 2020-12, 59,000 miles
  3. Other or unknown

    Panoramic sunroof cracks or shatters

    • 12 complaints (7%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 4.4 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • 4 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2015–2026

    Complaints describe the panoramic roof glass cracking or shattering with a loud noise while driving or while parked, with glass falling into the cabin in some cases and no visible sign of an impact. Owners report contacting the dealer and insurer, and in some cases say the dealer could not diagnose a cause or did not accept responsibility. A few describe the glass panel detaching or the roof mechanism jamming and leaving the roof partly open. Reported from very low mileage up to around 90,000 miles, both while driving and while parked.

    Recall 21V197000Recall 23V854000

    What to check: Inspect the roof glass for cracks, chips or uneven panel gaps, and operate the sunroof through a full open/close cycle. Ask whether the roof panel or its bonding was ever repaired, and check whether recall 21V197000 or 23V854000 applies to the VIN.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on the highway, I heard a sudden loud explosion, the panorama sunroof shattered and glass rained down on me and everywhere within the car. There was no evidence of anything hitting the car or the sunroof, it just spontaneously exploded.”

    NHTSA complaint #10746171, filed 2015-08, 7,500 miles

    “Early afternoon while just driving off an exit in tn. My sunroof exploded causing shards of glass to fly into my car. I had minor cuts on my lower back and arm from the glass covering me while driving. I was able to safely pull over to assess what happen because my initial thought was that someone was shooting at me. The dealership is not claiming any responsibility for this defect . There were no other cars around so the damaged could not have been caused by a rock or falling object.”

    NHTSA complaint #11067174, filed 2018-02, 29,000 miles
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission drops into neutral / 'do not shift gears'

    • 16 complaints (9%)
    • median 15,000 mi at 1.5 yrs old (13 state mileage)
    • filed 2014–2023

    Owners describe the car shifting itself into neutral while driving or while stopped at a light, with a red 'service required, do not shift gears, visit dealer' message and the vehicle refusing to move. Some report transmission control updates and valve body replacement; others say the problem came back or could not be reproduced. Mostly reported between about 5,000 and 85,000 miles, often at a stop or in slow traffic.

    What to check: Ask whether any transmission control module update or valve body work was performed, and test for harsh or delayed shifts from a cold start. Scan for transmission codes before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While traveling with my wife and newborn on highway 64 my 2014 cla mb cut off( while in motion ) and gave a code 'do not shift gears 'visit dealer. Somehow the car switch to netural while I coast the car to a safe edge of the road. We were terrified!! Next it gave a transmission code in red to do not shift visit dealer. I'm not sure if any recalls but this is a safety that needs attention!!”

    NHTSA complaint #11340128, filed 2020-07, 58,020 miles

    “Bought the cla 250 brand new in 2014, vehicle has now twice gone in to pre-safe mode and inoperative mode while driving. The car switches to neutral as I am driving and then refuses to shift in to drive or reverse leaving me stranded in the streets on two occasion which could have caused two very serious accidents. The car on the second time had to be towed to dealership who could'nt find anything wrong with the car. There solution was more of a guess about a cpu needing to be replaced.”

    NHTSA complaint #10795198, filed 2015-11, 17,796 miles

Buying note. A pre-purchase scan for stored engine, ESP and transmission codes plus a road test at highway speed will tell you more than mileage alone on this model year. Also inspect the panoramic roof glass and check outstanding recalls by VIN, since complaints cluster around stalls, power loss and roof panel issues at relatively low mileage.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 179 consumer complaints for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250. 136 of the complaints include a mileage, and 79% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 16,768 miles. Of all complaints, 5 involved a crash, 3 a fire, 6 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns and 105 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 4 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 100 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (more complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Wheels (9), Steering (8), Brakes (6), Engine cooling (2), Equipment (2), Seats (2), Forward collision avoidance (1), Seat belts (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “I was driving on the interstate the car lost all power. On the dash board it read inoperative see manual. The can would not move. I almost got kill in the traffic. On 02/23/2015 I was driving on the interstate again the same thing happen again. Each time I took the car to the dealer. I am afraid to drive this car because it is very dangerous.”

NHTSA complaint #10690263, filed 2015-02, 220 miles

Electrical system: “While driving 30 MPH I received a red parking brake error and my car began to be very difficult to steer. I then pulled over and received a yellow pre-safe mode error which illuminated the check engine light, ABS light, parking light. I took it took the dealer and was told it was a right tire sensor. This appears to be an ongoing problem with these cars and it's definitely not safe. This definitely needs to be recalled.”

NHTSA complaint #11322329, filed 2020-04, 51,000 miles

Vehicle speed control: “While driving at normal street speed collision prevention assist inoperative displayed and car would not accelerate. I was in traffic, but was able to exit and pull over and park, turned car off, & back on. Display reset and car normal. Took to dealership immediately-repair was non connecting pins . Too early to tell if this solves. Upon investigation, this is a common issue with 2014 mb and I want to document this extremely dangerous performance.”

NHTSA complaint #11156546, filed 2018-12, 23,344 miles

Other or unknown: “Driving home from work yesterday on the highway and the panoramic sunroof spontaneously shattered, causing me to swerve and almost run off the side of a cliff. Upon doing research I've learned that this has been an issue with mercedes and there has already been many class action lawsuits filed.”

NHTSA complaint #11131121, filed 2018-09, 60,000 miles

Mileage when problems were reported

79% of the 136 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 5,660 and 40,000 miles.

33%0–1035%10–2512%25–5011%50–757%75–1001%100–1501%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (136 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 16,768 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’1444’16’18’20’22’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
CLA250 FWD2.0L 4-cyl7-speed automatic263730$2,750
CLA250 4matic 4WD2.0L 4-cyl7-speed automatic243127$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 105 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 105 bulletins →

Other model years of the Mercedes-Benz CLA250

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
20236—0—29—Too new
20217—5—29—Not enough data
20202015,93411—28—Rising
20192335,0006—29—Rising
20184127,0009—2934 · FewerRising
20172839,38110—2943 · TypicalStable
20166737,0008—3074 · MoreStable
20156136,9547—3050 · TypicalStable
201417916,7686—30100 · MoreFalling
2013970,0000———Not enough data
2012765,0000———Not enough data

All Mercedes-Benz CLA250 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250?

Owners of the 2014 CLA250 most often describe sudden loss of power or a stall while driving, frequently accompanied by 'PRE-SAFE functions limited/inoperative', ESP, traction and check engine warnings; many say the car restarted after being shut off, and several dealers reportedly could not reproduce the fault. The issues reported most often: Sudden power loss / limp mode with PRE-SAFE warnings; Engine stalls and shuts off; Panoramic sunroof cracks or shatters.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 have?

NHTSA recorded 179 consumer complaints for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 as of Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 66 complaints (37% of the total), followed by electrical system with 44.

Has the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 6 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 get?

The EPA rates the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 (CLA250, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 30 mpg combined, 26 city and 37 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,750 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA250 reported?

Among the 136 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 16,768 miles and the middle half falls between 5,660 and 40,000 miles; 79% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.